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All Wrapped Up
Morgan Harcourt;Laylah Hunter;Thea Hayworth;Gryvon
Indiscretion - Jack Greene
3.5 stars

Chris meets Leif in a bar one night. The guys feel a visceral attraction that they act on immediately, damn the torpedos. Leif lusts after Chris’ well-developed, cut physique and Chris likes Leif’s lean, aristocratic good looks. That should be enough for a one night stand, right? But here’s the problem, the guys want more...and there’s that electric connection that can’t be denied.

Of issue here is that Chris is married. So the reader needs to work past the fact that he is cheating on his wife through much of the story. The title itself is a warning that all is not well but we learn that Chris’ indiscretion is fueled by a need not met in his loveless marriage. His relationship with his wife (a cookie-cutter, throw-away character) is pretty much dead when the guys meet. While this is no excuse, they share a sensuality that is compelling and makes it worth the patience -- they spar and yearn and burn the sheets up. (It's interesting to me that Greene seems to like to play with the cheating theme in his writing...how to make it work in the plot despite the unsavoriness. He has a clever solution in another read, [b:Love And War|16133578|Love And War|Jack Greene|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352231596s/16133578.jpg|21960379], that’s worth reading.)

An almost larger concern of mine is that Chris and Leif work better for me as a couple than they ever do as individuals. It takes quite some time to learn anything in depth about either of them but even that doesn’t feel like enough. We know relatively little about Leif, he’s brusque, prickly, and arrogant, but he’s also a professional photographer who’s experienced danger being embedded during the Iraq war. I want to know so much more about that experience and how it shapes him, what makes him tick. And Chris...he’s gotta be pretty bright, he’s a very successful executive; but his character seems dumbed down. He knows he’s bisexual but has never had the nerve to act on it; so he’s indecisive, he flounders in his marriage and how he treats Leif. He’s not terribly articulate...but he sure can fuck. He comes off as a bit of a lunk. It doesn’t help that Leif constantly refers to him as ‘Neanderthal’ or ‘caveman’ and ‘dork’ which reads as condescending and doesn’t put either character in the best light. We need to see how Chris has a brain outside his dick and we’re just not given this information. So, individually, these characterizations have problems; the strength lies in their coupling and that’s just not fair to them.

I am happy to see this longer work by Greene, I’ve enjoyed his short stories and it’s good to see him stretching more. Despite my issues stated above, there are some great things going on in this story, it sparkles in spots especially at the beginning and I was invested in Chris and Leif’s growth as a couple and in earning their HEA. More smoothly written characters (main and secondary) and crisper story flow would have earned a higher rating but I still enjoyed this sweet romance.

Read in exchange for an honest review.