Sinner's Gin

The beginning of a whole new world. Other reviews have told you about the story so I won't repeat. What I want to tell you about is the way the characters grab your heart. They are so real. I was drawn into their lives from the first page. If you want emotions in your reading you must read this book. Smiles to tears. And enough action and suspense to keep you guessing and turning the pages. Very satisfying!

Miki St. John’s , Sinner's Gin singer, tragic past and tragic present.
Kane Morgan, the SFPD inspector ... his neighbor and person that finds Miki in a lot of trouble.
Talk about chemistry , talk about need and talk about salvation from yourself when you need it the most.
Miki needs all that and the form of the Morgan's clan is overwhelming but what He really needs.
Kane is on a mission and that is to teach Miki , to let Miki be loved.
The story is an unexpected surprise and another excellent book from Ms. Ford.
Only thing you can do is to fall in love with them.

I was so excited when I discovered that Rhys Ford was releasing a new novel not associated with the 'Cole McGinnis' series. Don't get me wrong, I love Cole, Jae, and the whole crowd and can not wait for the next release. However, when I saw the blurb for 'Sinner's Gin', I was hooked! When I read it…well, then I was a fish on the line! Trust me when I say that this book was every single thing I had hoped it to be, and I was deliriously happy when I finished it.
I fell head over heels in love with Miki St. John from the moment his sarcastic, snarky, vulnerable self appeared on the pages. How could I not? He tried so hard to harden his heart against the stray dog who appeared, and then he was feeding him. Aaawwwww! Miki is this incredible dichotomy of tough street kid and oh so vulnerable man. He grew up in and out of foster homes and has lived through his share of abuse. His escape was when he met Damien, and they began writing music together, and formed the very successful band, Sinner's Gin. But his three band mates were killed in an accident at the height of their success, leaving Miki alone and living in virtual seclusion in San Francisco. Damien was the brother of Miki's heart and he's not sure if he'll ever get beyond the pain of losing him.
Enter Kane Morgan. Wow. That's about all I can say about this SFPD detective. He comes from a loud, boisterous Irish family that I absolutely want to be my own. Almost every member of the Morgan clan is in the police department. When Kane gets tired of Dog stealing things (mainly his lunch) from his rented woodworking space, Kane heads over to confront his owner. Hello, Miki. There are instantaneous sparks. Oh hell, what am I saying? There's a damn forest fire of flames and heat. This author knows her way around a sex scene. That's all I'm saying about that. Kane is loyal, strong, honest, compassionate, and loving. The type of man Miki hasn't met too many of and exactly what he needs.
I can't give any plot twists away. Well, I could. But, I won't. What I can say is that, once again, Rhys Ford has written a complex, heartwarming novel filled with strong, yet vulnerable, main characters, an intricate story with twists and turns where the ending will blow you away. The dialogue is incredible. This is a beautifully written and eloquent novel. I truly can't say enough great things about it or Rhys Ford. She has done it again.
I, for one, am anxiously awaiting what is next in this series. And, stalking her at every opportunity.

Stars: 3.5/5
Overall
A dramatic romance that toes the line of insta-love and sweeping rescue hero but has enough strong points to make all those elements work. The mystery is well done with some disturbing images but no heart-stopping suspense.
Review
I’ll freely admit that I have a giant soft spot for broken characters, so Miki pushes that button easily. He had a bad past and just when he was getting things together, life threw him a curveball. But then, it also threw him Detective Morgan, so it isn’t all bad. Kane is from a giant Irish family that is friendly and accepting (although a bit overwhelming). Even though he and Miki have a rough start, fate keeps tossing them together and makes it impossible for them to ignore the attraction they feel.
Kane plays the hero, sweeping in to protect and save Miki, while also healing him and teaching him to love. Analytically I could see how some readers would find this cliche or overdone, but I felt it was handled well and brought something to the relationship besides chemistry. Although I would definitely say that having a preference toward hurt/comfort helps.
While I found the police investigation to be a bit drawn out, I can see why it was done that way. Still, I think better pacing or balance between the police drama and the romance would have made for a quicker story. In addition, the amount of detail to settings and visuals threw me off sometimes, but I think it was more because I’m not used to reading stories with so much, so often, but that could just be me.
Miki’s emotional struggle is the driving purpose behind the book and what made it so easy for me to finish. I think anyone who doesn’t enjoy Miki will find this difficult to read, as he’s obviously a main character and his issues run deep. He develops and changes over the course of the story as he gets a support system, but for the majority he’s a prickly pear.
One sort of issue I had with the ending was the tagged on bit. It really threw me for a loop. It felt disconnected from the story at large although it was related to the events, and it had a very different feel from the main story. I can respect it’s potential necessity in order to introduce the idea before the next book (or else they would hardly feel connected at all) but it also made my brows go up and my nose wrinkle. If it weren't for this odd teaser at the end, the story would have concluded very satisfactorily. It still sort of does, but another can of worms is opened.

Spoilers
Definitely 5 FIVE fricking STARS!
Very real and great build up of the characters, be they the protagonist or just one of the smaller characters. The author really impressed me with this ability of hers. Even though the smaller characters only appears for a short while, the use of dialogue and description provided readers with a brief but very clear insight of who they are. Its like telling you, hey! We are protagonists in another story too! You don't find that alot even in very experienced writers. I second Night in that the opening paragraphs of each chapter pulls me in too! I find it so funny and realistic when Miki argues with Damien at some godforsaken hour-which is exactly what always happens to my team when we are rushing a project at 4AM.
The humour that is so widely found within the book is simply a masterpiece. I forgot myself and burst out laughing in a public bus when the Morgans are compared to Oompa Loompas. Wahahahahahas. Thats completely the epic statement of the year for me.
I also found a new idol in the book. If I ever were to get married and have kids, I hope my future man can be half the man that Kane's da is. His love for his children is humbling.
And finally...I jammed my Reader looking for the NEXT page at the end but its NOT THERE!! Damn cliffhangers :) :)
I love the book, couldn't put it down and hereby promise to haunt the author's page for new updates on Book 2.
Thank you for making me laugh!