This is one of the most compelling romance series I've ever read (out of 8 or 10 begun or currently reading or read - I read a lot).

Book 3 dovetails neatly into the last bits of book 2, from a different perspective, and is every bit as compelling. By the time you get to 3, you might as well admit you're gonna read them all. Thus, I pulled up this page to write this review just before the last scene, then read that scene, setting up the next story. And...now I'm going to go buy book 4. ( )

The Morgan family is about to lose another son to a young, sexy musician...Forest Ackerman, but that's okay with them. All their children deserve to be loved and be happy and that includes the oldest of the eight...Conner, who always thought life would be a dog, a wife and kids. The dog and the kids are still in the mix, but the "wife" has grown whiskers and beats a drum as the newest member of a blossoming band with the two survivors of the original Sinner's Gin band. The world Rhys Ford has crafted and created becomes mesmerizingly more real with each book. I despised Forrest's mother who only wanted money and nothing more from him...but I had to applaud the way he handled her without entirely cutting her out of his life but leaving no doubt in her mind that the handouts were finished. Forest will be safe and will know he's loved with Conner and the rest of the Morgan family...a family that anyone would do almost anything to have for even an hour. On to the next book, which is about Quinn, the non-cop in the family, the quiet professor. ( )

The perfect combination of romance, super hot sex and an intriguing mystery, Tequila Mockingbird is a marvelous addition to Rhys Ford's Sinners series. In this third outing, Connor Morgan surprises everyone, including himself, when he admits he has fallen hard for Forest Ackerman, a young drummer with a heartbreaking past.

The oldest of the Morgan siblings, Connor is serious, steadfast and straight. Hmm, maybe not as straight as he (or anyone) thinks since he cannot seem to get Forest out of his mind. His startling attraction to Forest brings everything Connor thought about himself and his future into question but it also forces him to re-evaluate feelings he has repressed for years.

Forest is a character that effortlessly works his way into your heart. His childhood was horribly dysfunctional and although he was adopted as a teen by Frank Marshall, he still cannot quite cut the ties with his abusive and manipulative mother. Three months after Frank's murder, he is frustrated by the lack of progress in the case and he is very curious about Connor's almost daily visits to the coffee shop. The two are thrown together after it becomes obvious Forest's life is in danger and their relationship takes a very sexy turn.

The Morgan clan plays a prominent role in the unfolding story. Several of Connor's siblings are investigating the case surrounding Frank's murder and the subsequent attacks on Forest. Connor turns to his father and brothers for advice while he sorts out his feelings for Forest. Although a couple of the siblings are a little skeptical about Forest's past, overall, he is eagerly accepted by the rest of the family and he thrives under Connor's mother's loving care.

The mystery aspect of the storyline is understated with Conner taking a small role in the investigation. Unlike the other books in the series, none of Tequila Mockingbird is written from the killer's perspective. The perpetrator's identity and motives for the crimes are carefully concealed until nearly the end of the story.

Tequila Mockingbird is easily my favorite book in the Sinners series and I absolutely loved watching Connor and Forest stumble their way through their very unexpected romance. It is also wonderful to catch up with characters from the previous installments and once again, Rhys Ford provides an extremely tantalizing glimpse of who will find love next! ( )

Excellent! ( )