Hush

'The heart wants what it wants, or so Emily Dickinson said.' 5+ stars for Hush - another outstanding book by Tal. I got so excited when this new book came out. But alongside that comes nerves. Nerves that with this being a new standalone book it wouldn't live up to the truly amazing Executive Offices series. Thank goodness my nerves were unnecessary, he has done it again in true Tal style - impeccable detail, exceptional plot and wonderful characters. “Have you ever had a secret?” he said softly. “Something so huge you buried it where you thought it would die?” I highlighted over 20 quotes in this book and I had serious trouble slimming that number down, so here's a few I'll share with you throughout my review. Just a small glimpse in to the beautiful, poetic writing style used in this book. A little bit of advice before I go any further - make sure you have plenty of time to read this book as you WILL NOT be able to put it down. To the point where you will start to resent your job, family, everyone .... it's really hard to put down! 'He was quickly becoming Tom’s home base, his tree fort, his lighthouse, and his castle.' Tom Brewer is a federal judge in DC. He's so far in the closet he can no longer see a way out. Mike Lucciano is a U.S Marshal assigned to his protection in his courthouse. Mike is everything Tom wishes he could be. He's out, proud and secure in his sexuality. The two become friends and eventually more behind closed doors. As their relationship progresses Tom starts making tentative steps towards opening that pesky closet door but then everything is turned upside down with the terrorism trial of the century that Tom is now the judge of. That's all I'm really going to say about the overall plot as I really don't want to ruin it. It just needs to be read and enjoyed. 'It wasn’t a Hollywood romance, candles and roses and dripping with sensuality, but as they kissed in Tom’s kitchen to the sound of Etta Mae’s smacking jowls and the crunch of dog food, Tom felt his heart burst just the same.' I need to talk about Etta Mae! Those of you that have read my previous reviews will know how much I love a book dog (and real dog for that matter - ok any animal, book or real!) and Etta Mae is a fabulous one. She's Tom's pampered Bassett Hound and honestly as soon as Mike started treating her like his own I was a goner for him too. 'He was a deputy U.S. marshal, but here it was, the true test of his life—could he keep himself contained in front of a soaking wet, mostly naked, skintight-swimsuit-wearing Judge Tom Brewer?' As with all Tal's book this was intense and nerve wracking but there were also moments of tenderness and much needed light relief that had me chuckling with the characters. “Beautiful,” Mike whispered. “You’re so beautiful.” Oh god these two though. So sweet and so real. Two well developed characters. There was no relationship drama or unnecessary angst between these two. Just honest, raw real love and it was so special. "I finally found what I’ve been yearning for my whole life.” His eyes flicked to Mike’s, wet and shining. “I found you, and everything in my life seemed to click into place." The depth and attention to detail in this book is truly something else. How he does it I will never be able to comprehend and his mind must be a very full place to be! But as a reader I appreciate the attention to detail and meticulous research that must have gone in to this book and it makes the reading experience so much better. I have no knowledge or background in anything really discussed in this book but I honestly felt like I understood and learned so much just by reading it and this in turn helped me to fully immerse myself in this story. A teeny weeny point I'd just like to make. Certainly not a criticism but maybe a suggestion? This book needed a kick ass female in it somewhere! All the characters were men and I think they all needed a strong woman in there to keep those pesky government and federal types in line! Adored this book and cannot wait for what's next from Tal. And please god let there be a book for Kris - Mike's fabulous best friend. “Judge Brewer is for out there. Here, between us, I’m always Tom.”

Tal Bauer does it again!! Another fantastic novel from one of my favourite authors. A wonderful mix of action, suspense, twists and a beautiful m/m romance. The main characters - Tom and Mike are easy to fall in love with and you are routing for them both all the way through. Tal has such an immense talent at writing characters you take to your heart quickly and easily. Highly recommend for fans of Tal's novels and those who are looking for a superb romance with twists and turns everywhere.

Hush is one of Tal Bauer’s earlier novels and despite what its cover might imply this is also quite an intensely romantic story. As the book opens we are introduced to Mike Lucciano, a suave 36 year old detective, who is a brilliant marshal with a relationship on the rocks. The prose used here are simple yet perfectly descriptive and the unraveling scenes are expertly timed, with “reveals” smoothly snaking their way through the story. The author’s way of exploring the character’s mindset are cleverly drawn out from the reader’s own understanding rather than mansplaining everything to us… something most other authors today could learn from. When we meet Judge Tom Brewer, we see a slightly older man also at the top of his game but crippled with fear of being outed. Someone who, despite his public profile, has hidden himself from the world, spending 25 years without any love or friendships in his life. But then one morning a single event suddenly sparks the dyeing embers within him and ignites a desire to make a change as he begins to see the life he could have had and the life that might have been. After an overly romantic introduction of our two main leads, Tal Bauer begins to set the stage for the legal side of the story, laying out the work carried out by federal judges, as dramatic side of this romantic suspense begins to take shape. However before he gets too deep into legal meat of the suspense, he really dives into the romance between Mike and Tom, making this feel like a book of two halves. Following several overly long chapters of Tom’s navel gazing, no doubt included to show us how far in the closet Tom was, we finally get to see how much Tom has fallen for Mike. And when Mike finally admits he likes Tom too the book begins to show us its sweet underbelly and all that romantic goodness that Tal Bauer does so well. Once the relationship with Mike and Tom is firmly established the author shifts the story, quite dramatically in fact, to the court case and the investigation. It is here that the book starts to feel very different to the first half as we really focus on the shooting and the twists and turns of the trial. In some ways I wish the author had chosen to write two separate books as both would have had dramatic and emotional threats sufficient enough to sustain an entire book. But I think trying to splice the two together really didn’t work for me as they really didn’t blend too well. If I was to read this book again I would try to treat them as two separate novels, and just read the first half for a book about a closeted judge finding love late in life, and the second half for a book about an assassination attempt. Having read lots of Tal Bauer books in the past, I know he gets much slicker at blending romance with suspense in his later works, but this is still a good read if a little overly long. I really like the two main leads and loved the side character of Kris. Give me a couple of short stories of Mike and Tom out with their friends and I would be very happy, as the volleyball scenes and the Pride day out were the stand out ones in this book for me 3.5 Stars

I just randomly picked up this book on KU and I'm impressed about its complexity. I highly appreciate the writing style, the hard work and meticulous research of the author to put together such a great story. It was a long book but I was never bored. I would never guess that I will love a political thriller so much. The main characters were so real and easy to love. The story is centred on a sweet/slow built romance between Tom and Mike but all the other characters are so intense and enigmatic, unique in their own way. I am recommending Hush is you are interested in MM romance, suspense, mystery, action with twists and turns, politics and law.

All the hearts for this one 💜💚💙💛💖, which is a class above EotS, you'd think they were written by different people to be honest. As with the author's other series, the much loved [by mostly everyone but me] Enemies of the State, this is set some years in the future when all the U.S. and Russia seem to do is warmonger and find even more reasons to start WWIII. The evil little gnome currently residing in Moscow is mentioned several times, and Russia's extremely poor history of homophobic laws and treatment of gay men and women are crucial to the story that unfolds. A really good whodunit/suspense thriller/court room drama involving the CIA, NSA and usual alphabet agencies, but it's wrapped around a TRULY LOVELY older guy romance, and also set against a dreadful backstory of fear and homophobia in the 90's, and being so far back in the closet that you end up losing yourself. I loved all the characters [except the traitors and the white supremacists obviously], Etta Mae was an absolute Princess, and given that Kris comes back from the dead at the end, can only hope that the next one in the series is about him and his new love....

I first tripped over Tal's books when searching for recommendations on a Facebook page. I had a look on Amazon, read a bit of the blurb and thought "political thriller. Meh, not my thing". But Tal's Executive Office series got recommended again and again. The first book was only 99p, so not a lot to lose. The book then sat on my Kindle for a few weeks, getting passed over for other titles until I finally sat down on a free weekend and started it. I didn't look back. Tal has an amazing way with words. The imagery he can produce with his descriptions is unlike anyone else out there. His attention to detail and research are second to none. During the course of reading his books i have found myself googling Knights Templar, The Swiss Guard, Vatican City, Russian prisons, the artic circle, layouts of a submarine, airforce one inside and out, Camp David the oval office, the white house at Christmas, The AIDS memorial Quilt, Basset hounds and pompadour haircuts. With Hush, Tal has drawn me in again. To a world so alien to this mid forties wife, mother, and numerous pet owner but described in a way that I am not bogged down by too much information, but I am learning new things as I go. Mike is a Deputy US Marshall attached to the courts and Tom is the youngest and newest judge based in Washington DC circuit. Mike is an out gay man, while Tom, after an incident in his youth, is hidden far back in the closet with the doors bolted and barricaded. The first part of the book deals with the blossoming romance between these two men. Mike is trying to get over being constantly disappointed when all he wants is someone to love and Tom works hard to take steps in coming out and end the lonely life he has lived for over twenty five years. In the second half of the book, we deal with the trial of an international terrorist act and how that plays out both on the world stage and in the lives of those affected. I don't wish to post any spoilers to the book and the intricacies of the plot so will not give any of the story away. Suffice to say Tal Bauer is an absolute wonder at plot twists and turns. Just as you think you know what is happening, he throws another spanner in the works and makes you reevaluate everything you previously thought. I cannot get enough of this authors writing and wait eagerly for each book release. In a world where self published books can be sloppy in both content and editing Tal Bauers books stand out with an attention to detail and a professional polish that are a credit to both him and his editor.

Never did I think I would be so engrossed in a court battle. Getting to know Mike and Tom in the early chapters built the foundation of the story and ensured I was hooked. Suspenseful, well written and moves along at exactly the right pace. So glad I found this author

Mike is a Marshall and is on protective duty for Tom the Judge. As with all politics it's intense and underhanded and so dodgy! Tom is nicknamed the baby Judge and he is chosen randomly to preside over the biggest case the world has seen and America is at the heart of it. Both guy's fall for each other hard but oh so scared of getting hurt as Tom was hurt back in the day by a young love and is nervously in the working closet and Mike is out but is going to protect his guy come he'll or high water. We get our hea but I wanted an epilogue, boo lol!