2.5 stars///changed to 4 stars

Synopsis: Vikash and Kyle are together, but Vikash doesn't want to let anyone at work know, and doesn't want to go out together as friends, either, in case someone sees them a guesses that they are dating. While they are out on a job, Vikash is suddenly in a different world, in what appears to be sometime in the future. As Vikash realizes that he is in the future, he also realizes that Kyle is long dead. When Vikash comes to in his own time, he finds out that it is a bug that caused him to time travel. As they work to try and contain the bugs that are causing people to hop time, Vikash has to come to terms with the fact that Kyle is growing farther away from him, and deal with the bugs that keep infecting him.

What I liked: that Kyle understood Vikash. I liked that as Vikash travelled in time and realized that Kyle wasn't going to be there with him, he realized how much Kyle meant to him. He couldn't entirely get over his reticence about being open in public, but when Kyle's life is in danger, Vikash does everything that he can to bring Kyle back.

What I didn't like: I felt that the world building could be better, and more interesting. ( )

Philadelphia’s 77th Precinct, in this world where paranormal abilities can be defective – a mixture of not controllable, entirely useless, or just plain strange – is the setting for a second hilarious action/adventure in the lives of police officers Kyle and Kash. Both of them are cops, partners in fact, and between Kyle’s uncontrollable talent for absorbing anyone’s ability if they get too close to him and Kash’s problem of making bad things happen when he gets angry, they are a pretty capable team. Except when the newest threat turns out to go from a confrontation with a stick-throwing tumbleweed to bizarre consequences involving pill bugs, statues, and time travel.

Kash is the focus of this story, and it was interesting to spend so much time in his head. His need to stay calm at all times is understandable, since he wants to avoid bad luck following him around every time he can’t control his temper. But it does make him a bit of an enigma. As it turns out, he is severely repressed, scared of coming out as bi because nobody in his past has ever understood or accepted it, and even though he has fallen in love with Kyle, he can’t seem to say it out loud. Or even behave in such a way that Kyle doesn’t have to keep wondering if he isn’t good enough for Kash.

The threat from the newest bizarre creatures they uncover brings quite a few things into perspective for Kash. It takes some hair-raising trips into various time periods not his own and a major scare when Kyle almost dies for him to discover what’s critical. Not that he has time to fix things with Kyle for a while yet – the paranormal weirdness just keeps coming.

If you like the paranormal world of the 77th Precinct, if you want to know how Kyle and Kash deal with their attraction and relationship issues, and if you’re looking for a mystery that bends the rules of linear time and is as hilarious as it is entertaining, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )