Men of Smithfield : Seth and David

June 14, 2014 by Pip

Not long until we get a new Men of Smithfield book from the uber talented author LB Gregg!! So we thought it would be fun to revisit the entire series – especially given that they have all had a new lease of life over at Carina. We will finish it off, on release day of book 5 “Sam and Aaron“, with an LB Gregg Q&A session and GiVeAwaY!!

Today we have Barb’s review of Book 3 …

Title : Seth and David

Series : Men of Smithfield #3

Author : LB Gregg

Publisher : Carina Press (BUY HERE)

Genre : M/M, Contemporary

Length : 90 pages (e-book)

Published : October 15, 2012

Rating : ★★★★★

B L U R B :

He’s everything I’ve never wanted — too young, too weird, too wild.

I wasn’t impressed that I had to get my weekly massage from a guy with a toe ring. But when I discovered David Cooke’s skills as a masseur were literally orgasmic, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his amazing hands, day and night. Especially at night.

He’s full of surprises. And despite my bad behavior, David’s just as eager to explore this chemistry between us. Turns out, there’s a lot more to him than hemp pants and tattoos. If he’s so wrong for me, why does being with him feel so right?

This book was originally published as “Happy Ending” in May 2009

R E V I E W :

As part of the celebration for LB Gregg’s new Smithfield book, Sam and Aaron, we decided to have an LB Gregg week!! We decided to revisit all the previous Smithfield books and each pick which book we wanted to review. There was never a doubt for me. Seth and David are my favourite couple in this series. Seth being my favourite character. What? I love an arsehole 😛 and as arseholes go – he reigns supreme!

The opening chapter is such fun! Imagine your regular visit for that much needed massage … only this time it is not with your usual masseuse. No. This time it is someone new. And this new person has hit the spot in a way the previous visits haven’t come close to. 😀 The masseuse, David, is mortified. Seth, not so much.

David and Seth have lived in the same town for years. Seth has been a patron where David is a waiter for years. Seth has never noticed David. At all. Of course Seth has had a lot to deal with in recent times: a sick sister, a not-so-supportive partner, and now custody of the cutest little girl, Molly ❤ David, on the other hand, has noticed Seth, despite the fact that he too has a lot on his plate. He really is a jack of all trades, but in his case he is actually master of all! He really is a keeper!!

Now, after their eventful meeting on the massage table it seems Seth is fated to see David again, and of course he does. They run into eachother at the local restaurant – things do not run smoothly. After a third meeting there is talk of a date, which is cute. And a backstreet dalliance, which isn’t. (But boy it was HAWT!!!) Again, Seth’s behaviour is less than stellar. He knows this. He reflects on this. But would he change it? Nope. And I don’t think David would either. Apparently we both love arseholes 😀

The romance in this story is wonderful. David, as young as he is, is such a smart cookie. So together. He has made sacrifices in his life, and has never shirked his duties or hidden from his responsibilities. He deals with what life has thrown at him with a quiet dignity. Seth has also had to deal with a lot – and is doing a great job! But he struggles, and really has nobody to turn to – both his partner and his parents just not being there for him when he needed them most, plus he is a bit of a closed book. He’s not cold exactly, but certainly not warm. You know? Just struggles to open up to people. There is a scene in the book which broke my heart a bit – it involved hugging 😦 such a sweet, tender moment.

Beyond the romance there is a good dollop of mystery. Some blackmail is going on and there are a couple of possible perpetrators; the solving of which was good. It was really well done. I loved this story as much this time round, if not more than my first read all those years ago. I know all the books have been repackaged with nice new covers in their new home at Carina; but I am not sure how much editing has been done to them. The ending in this one is a bit different. Good different. VERY good different 😀 I highly recommend this one! I highly recommend the series! Go. Buy the book! Heck, buy ALL the books!!

Rated 5 stars by Barb