...Bookfanatic

'Broken, Collared and Ready for Revenge' was the third and final story in 'The Gentlemen Brothers' trilogy by James Cox and that's why I decided to finish this in style with my first buddy read of the year. It was just me and Christelle this time around...apparently we were alone in our addiction to these Steampunk siblings...we're waiting for all our friends to discover this trio of steampunk hotness...and trust me...they are hot.

Joshua, Logan and Alex the Gentlemen brothers live in a steampunk world filled with danger and it's at the tender age of 11 that Alex quickly discovers how fast that danger can alter your reality. When their dirigible is raided, their father killed, Joshua falls to his death, or so his brothers are left to believe and Logan is rescued by the leader of the rebel force known as the Hinders it's in 'Broken, Collared and Ready for Revenge' that we get Alex's story and his is the darkest of all. Less fortunate than his brothers, Alex is taken to the mines where he's forced to dig for metals and fed barely enough to sustain himself. He and the other children there come to now hunger, abuse and deprivation as intimately as a mother's touch. Then when he's too big to dig in the tunnels he's collared and trained to be a mindless killing machine and he's raped.

The whole time right up until the torture that is the collar Alex believes that his brothers will find him and rightfully so because neither brother has ever given up looking for their siblings and when Joshua and Logan find each other they become even more determined to bring Alex home to them where he belongs. But it's not Joshua or Logan who give Alex the peace of mind that he needs to begin healing it's a quirky little inventor named 'one nut' Nigel, who brings peace to Alex's mind and passion to his soul.

I loved this series from start to finish and while the first book was admittedly my favorite I thoroughly loved the last two as well. Yes, I would have enjoyed this one had there been a little more page time dedicated to Alex and Nigel's relationship. These two men were adorable and I so enjoyed the romance as Alex discovered both his feelings and his undeniable attraction to Nigel...sweet, timid Nigel who was far more comfortable with his nose buried in a book than anywhere else until Alex came along. Their growing relationship was sweet and awkward and at times just so damned laugh-out-loud amusing. Who wouldn't want more?

The story of how these three brothers came to be separated and then reunited ran throughout this trilogy and while the ending was complete and nothing felt left out or missing for me it also had a tiny bit of a rushed tone to it, but that could just be me being greedy for more of something that I was enjoying...so sue me, I don't like to give up a good thing.

So at the end of it all...if you like steampunk, sex, damaged men, hot, fun sexy times and a solid HEA. Check this out because I think 'The Gentlemen Brothers' may be just what you're looking for.

Thanks for another awesome buddy read Christelle. It was definitely the right way to kick of a new year.