Review: In Strength (Kings of Boston #3) by Courtney W. Dixon

by Tammy Zautner - Thursday, March 31, 2022

❤️ Second Chances

🧡 M/M Trope

💛 Friends to Lovers

💚 Slowish Burn

💙 Unrequited Love

💜 Destined to Be Together

❤️ Coming of Age

🧡 First Love

💛 Best Friends

💚 With a little mafia thrown into the trope blender

They protected each other at all costs. It was them against the world until it wasn't. Now they have a chance to be stronger together once more.When he was thirteen, Daniel Bell was ripped away from his loving parents and thrown into the foster care system. Alone, grieving, and desperate for companionship, he clung to his foster brother, Luke. They quickly became best friends, providing each other with protection and comfort through their teenage years.

Luke Allen was fourteen when he met Daniel, the small and terrified teen. That was the day he fell in love. He took Daniel under his wing and vowed to protect him at all costs, even at the expense of his own heart. No good would come from being gay and pining over your straight best friend. Eventually, his unrequited love grew too painful, so he separated from Daniel when they graduated high school.

After tragedy hit Luke, he reunited with Daniel eighteen years later to work together for Ronan O'Callaghan, the leader of the Irish mob. Luke realized his love never waned for Daniel and finally confessed to him. Both men quickly jump into a relationship, realizing their love all along. Can Luke get past his fears of Daniel being straight? Can Daniel stop obsessing about his sexuality? Will Luke’s past catch up with him and destroy the relationship he fought so hard for?

A friends-to-lovers m/m dark romance with HEA and no cliffhangers.

CW: Molestation of a child, mentions of rape, bullying, teen smoking, abuse, homophobia, PTSD, strong language, violence, and explicit sex.

Each story in this series can be read as a standalone, but it will be better understood and appreciated reading in order.

AMAZON KU

I've been anxiously waiting on my boys tell all since book 1, In Silence. And with each passing book, Daniel and Luke's tension and gravitation intensified, making me want their story and HEA that much more. Lord. Have. Mercy. The wait was totally worth it. Courtney Dixon delivered. There wasn't a second of this book I wasn't glued to the pages, captivated.

I can't wait for you to read In Strength. Our duo were off the charts!! Along with their dynamic chemistry and connection, Dixon provided us with moments of sweetness that melted my heart (talk about swoon worthy), moments of anguish that broke me right along with them, moments of passion that left me hot and bothered, moments of frustration that made me want to smack the both of them, and moments of love and lightheartedness that mended my soul. Luke and Daniel, for all their faults and stubbornness, were fiercely loyal to one another. This devotion and unwavering friendship is what got me through the lack of communication, and well-meant/misguided intentions.

I loved how I connected with these heroes on a personal level, which made their journey that much more powerful. I felt their pain, their happiness, and their trepidation deep within my bones. Their love for each other and their need to protect each other, as well as their own selves flowed effortlessly off the pages; it was palpable.

In Strength has become my favorite book of the series. I can't foresee Dixon topping it. But...we shall see. Cian is up next, In Redemption, and he's one cold, brooding badass. He may just give my boys a run for their money!

Courtney W. Dixon loves to write erotic romance. She writes both m/f and m/m stories all in one series to add a variety to her characters.

Her men are alphas and morally ambiguous, but they aren't abusers and bullies to their loved ones. She tries to give them complexity and growth as their stories move.

You can find Courtney working in Central Texas with her husband, two boys, and two crazy dogs, none of whom know how to knock on a door while she's working.