A good, solid mystery with a second chance romance plot.

Andy escapes from an abusive relationship to the small town where he used to spend his summers as a child, Safehaven in Maine. There, he discovers that his Uncle C has been brutally mugged in his antiques shop, and the thieves are likely to return to find what they were looking for. With no help from the police, Andy accepts the help of his childhood sweetheart Quinn. Surprisingly, there is no shortage of suspects in the small quiet town, and the case may be much bigger than it first appears.

This is a really solid story, and the author did a really good job of casting suspicion on different people. We really have no shortage of suspects, and it's not at all obvious what really happened. I think that the author pretty efficiently went beyond the typical cozy mystery framework and allowed this story to spread its wings.

And the unlikely duo of Andy and Quinn definitely lets to do it. They make an nicely matched, non-obvious couple. Their characters and personalities complement each other quite well. I also had no problems believing that even after all these years, they still have feelings for each other. But I also like Andy's cautiousness about committing to another relationship. Even if at some point things definitely take a faster turn.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this author's stories, you won't be disappointed.

REALLY good action mystery romance. I like Josh Lanyon's books in general, but this one is one of my favorites from Lanyon. I sat and read it all in one sitting. I was engaged the entire time.

I loved the combination of sleuthing and action. The rekindled romance was well built and didn't feel rushed - I wanted to know more about the characters, and then was satisfied with what I got. It had a similar feel to a spy movie, which I really like. At the beginning I thought it was a little too similar to the Secrets and Scrabble series, but it quickly changed. It's definitely not a cozy mystery. Lanyon does it all.

Hide and Seek is a standalone M/M romantic cozy mystery by Josh Lanyon. Released 20th Oct 2022, it's 306 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written shopfront cozy mystery with a fun retro "Macguffin" twist and a somewhat hapless amateur sleuth. It's more of a romantic drama with a side of murder mystery than primarily a cozy, but there's enough of both genres to keep most readers engaged. The plot does meander in places and there were a few places where ridiculous developments strained my suspension of disbelief, but all in all it's a fun and entertaining ride.

It's occasionally somewhat graphic for a true cozy mystery, with some on-page violence. There's also some explicit (but not gratuitous) sex scenes (M/M), so it might not be 100% safe for work. Quite a lot of the plot revolves around MC Andrew's abusive ex, so readers who prefer not to read on-page abuse and physical and emotional threats should be aware that this book contains a lot of both.

It's well written throughout and the author is adept at plotting and descriptive prose. There are some places where the plot meanders a bit, but it definitely gets there in the end. The denouement and resolution are sweetly satisfying.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was my first book by this writer so I wasnt sure what would happen in it. While I enjoyed most of this, some of it dragged on a bit long.

So in here we have Andy, someone who just ran away from his abusive boyfriend to his Uncle Cutter. Who just happens to be attacked on the evening Andy arrives which starts the whole mystery setup. The other MC was Quinn, who to be honest, just didnt feel real to me. They knew each other when they were young but Quinn was not nice to Andy and went off to do his thing.

Now the mystery part was just kind of there? I am not sure if they are usually more in depth or if they always have more page time than the romance, but I could have read this whole thing without it and not missed anything.

All in all, a nice read for an afternoon.

4 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"Hide and Seek" by Josh Lanyon

The book follows the story of Andy who returns to Safehaven to help his elderly Uncle run his antiques store. However, upon his arrival, he finds out that his uncle has been critically injured in a late-night break-in, and he may be in possession of something that's worth killing for.

The characters are also well-developed. Andy is a sympathetic character, and you can't help but root for him as he tries to navigate the dangerous situation he finds himself in. Quinn, Andy's high school crush, is charming and enigmatic, and their rekindled romance adds an extra layer of tension to the story.

Lanyon's writing style is engaging and descriptive. He creates a vivid sense of place, and the small town of Safehaven feels like a character in its own right. The dialogue is natural and flows well, and the pacing is perfect.

It's a mystery with a M/M romance that will tug at your heartstrings. If you're a fan of romantic suspense or just love a good mystery, I recommend giving this book a try.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much NetGalley and josh Landon for allowing me to read “Hide and Seek.”

All I can say is Wow !!

This was an amazing book 📖 in my opinion! The plot was great and the characters were written about so well it made them seem real in a way. I was hooked from the very first page ! One thing I would like is more to the story . Like I need more about Uncle Cutty and Quinn and just about all of the characters.

I read the reviews before I read this and was like it’s gonna be a slow burn but it wasn’t at all I read this in like 2 hours . I definitely can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Leaving this review for free.

#Netgalley
#JoshLanyon
#JustjoshinPublishing

Great start to a new series! second-chance, attempted-murder, m-m-mystery, m-m-romance, murder, murder-investigation, bias, family-drama, family-dynamics, family, friction, friendship, frustration, law-enforcement, smuggling, small-town, small-business, verbal-humor, abusive-spouse, new-series***** For 16 years Andy thought that Quinn was dead (instead of escaping his murderous grandfather), but he shows up just when he's needed the most. Trying to escape his own abusive relationship and fearing for his uncle's life (badly beaten during a business robbery, Andy feels his own life spiraling out of control. And then there's the odd man seeming to be pulling rabbits out of a green fedora. So starts a great new series that looks to prove as riveting and unputdownable as the Secrets and Scrabble mysteries! Lots of action/interaction, plot twists, red herrings, and colorful characters. Loved it! James Woodrich does a wonderful job with interpreting the story, situations and characters and has a very pleasant voice.

I devoured this book in one sitting because, bottom line, I am a total sucker for second chance romance.

And this story of Andy returning to the appropriately-named Safehaven to help out his injured great uncle Cuthbert and reconnecting with his first love, bad boy Quinn Rafferty, fits the bill.

Leaving an abusive ex-cop boyfriend, Andy returns to Safehaven to tend the antiques shop "Time in a Bottle" while Uncle Cuthbert lies in a coma, the victim of a savage beating in connection with a break-in. There are a few obvious suspects - the deliciously dysfunctional couple Clark and Fleur Skylar - and as the break-ins continue, the mystery grows.

When Quinn Rafferty disappeared one night (when he was 18 and Andy was 16), Andy believed him dead ...

"Because otherwise why wouldn't Quinn have let him know where he was? Why wouldn't Quinn have told Andy what was going on? After everything - after what they had meant to each other - But it turned out Andy had been as wrong about that as all the rest of it. Clearly, Quinn had not felt the same."

Sometimes the bad boy is just a messed-up kid who doesn't know where to turn. And sometimes that kid becomes (how can I say this ....) an "international man of mystery" which works for the story but lets Quinn off the hook in a way by too quickly encapsulating what made Quinn the man he is today.

In any case, Andy finally solves the mystery which has led us through a tantalizing array of suspects and motives. I suspect some readers are not going to be as forgiving of Quinn; however, the mystery kept my interest throughout and c'mon, the bad boy and a geeky museum curator get back together. 4 stars.

Andy is heading to Maine after his uncle is attacked and in the hospital. He is also escaping his abusive ex. However, more strange occurrences and breakins keep happening at his uncle's store. He must investigate to find out what is happening.

I liked parts of this book, but I felt like the mystery was slow. Maybe if the murder had happened earlier, it would have been faster.

With his beloved uncle in a coma Andy Allison is headed back to Maine to be with his Uncle and to escape his violent ex. Whoever attacked Uncle C is still looking for something, but what? add in a violent ex who comes to town to hurt Andy, it’s a dangerous spot to be in.

With Andy’s arrival he find that his old friend, Quinn, is LSO back in town. Andy has thought Quinn had been killed all those years ago, so there’s more than one ghost after the Allison men. but with Quinn’s rerun, Andy a,so has support to help with Marcus and the mystery of what is going on with Uncle C’s shop. But can Andy trust Quinn again after all these years and after Marcus? Even if it’s a matter of life and death?

I really loved this mystery and Andy and Quinn, I just wish this were a series as I’d love to see these two interact more and solve more mysteries!

4.5

What a ride.
I managed to devour "Hide and Seek" in less than a day: I always forget how freaking lovely and clever Josh Lanyon's writing is, and what a mastermind she is. Her mysteries are the main reason I love this genre so damn much, and "Hide and Seek" is yet another gem in her arsenal of freaking amazing books.

Addictive, clever and brilliantly plotted, with a romance subplot that left me starry-eyed, this murder mystery was wholly entertaining and hugely satisfying: Josh Lanyon is THE queen of amateur sleuths (and their, more or less, qualified love interests) getting unwittingly mixed up in gruesome murders, and each and every single one of the ones she has created so far has been unforgettable. Andy is no exception: he was a hugely lovable protagonist, jaded and shy and broken, but also clever and snarky and brave. I loved being in his head, and I loved following him (and Quinn) on their adventure and quest to discover who's really behind a string of break-ins and beatings.

The mystery was really compelling: twisty and thrilling, packed with action and discoveries, heists and robberies, villains in fedoras and trench coats and shady police officers. And the romance, although fairly minal, was equally compelling: I absolutely adored Andy and Quinn's second chance at romance, and I loved their dynamic too. I was definitely invested in them from their very first scene together and their chemistry was truly fantastic and very, very palpable.

So yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm so, so excited to read Lanyon's next masterpiece.

HIDE AND SEEK by Josh Lanyon is another winner! The book features all of Lanyon's trademarks: complex, believable, likable characters; an intriguing mystery; and a delightful romance. I love Quinn and Andy, and I hope to see more of them!