| Title | : | In the Red |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781611187151 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 180 |
| Publication | : | First published January 3, 2012 |
The FBI tasks Special Agent Zachary Murdock with gluing Brian together and returning him to TFOS. Brian will steady once he focuses on work instead of his neuroses. As Zachary nudges Brian back into the career that cost him dearly, Brian's paranoia escalates. Personal and professional lines blur. Zachary isn't sure which presents the biggest complication anymore: Brian's peculiar brand of crazy, the case they're working, or the closeted submissive's surprising -- and enthralling -- kink.
Zachary and Brian both know, when the case heats up and they're forced to run, they're operating at a loss, though: they are in the red.
In the Red Reviews
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January BMB Author of the Month
Let's say I am extremely happy one of my favorite authors is our AOTM."I may never walk properly again, but I can focus now. You've fucked my sanity back into me."
"You're welcome."
Kari Gregg. The Gregg.
She writes filthy, obscene things that I want to pick apart and ravage over and over again. Her damaged heroes make me smile. The plots always interest me. And the sex...
*bites lip* The fucking can get very primal. Declarations might be made but the possessiveness is definitely backed up and shown.
*groans*
A rough fucking delight usually can be expected from the The Gregg. And kink. Oh yeah...hot kink.
"In The Red" is a crucial slice in time of two men who needed the other and didn't even know it. Torture survivor, Brian is a forensic accountant who is suffering from PTSD big time. He's attackers are still out there and it's only a matter of time before they strike. He knows he found something they didn't like but he doesn't know what it is. This drives his paranoia into high anxiety stress levels. A FBI agent, Zachary comes to try and entice Brian back onto the job but the two find love isntead.
Now you might think, whoa there...they find love just like that? That sounds like insta-love.
Well yeah, it is...but no...but yeah.
See, the beginning of the story just drops you into the men's lives right? And like they get each other. It surpasses Dom and sub which they are respectively, but they can read each other. They just need to be together. Insta-love be damned.
Because no one can make Brian beg as prettily as Zach.
Brian was made to suck Zach's dick.
Zach's dick was made to pump semen into Brian's orifices.
That's like true genitalia love. Either you ride the train or get off.
There's cray-cray and paranoia, hot, primal fucking, suspense and a cliffhanger-ish ending. The couple is on the path to being solid, it's just the mystery/thriller aspect that feels unfinished.
Would I read more from this world and couple? YES!
But I could also live with not having a concrete ending.
This is what I'll pretend happened after the end of this story:
The Gregg still left me hot and bothered and happy. It's always a boning party in her world. I'm glad she shares.
Recommended for readers who like the Gregg or novellas with suspense/action/"Homeland"-ish government agencies vs. terrorists kind of deals/rough sex/BDSM.
Bonus points for novice Dom/ expert sub action.
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Good Gravy!!!
All you people who are die hard Kari Gregg fans, you people are on to something.
The Gregg gives SWELTERINGLY GREAT SMEX. I mean…
Mercy. She opened up both barrels like The Terminator 'n shit.
I've not made my penchant for begging a secret and HOOOOOOOOWEEEEEE does Brian ever know how to beg with that filthy, beautiful mouth of his. Speaking of filthy, the smex in here blew my doors clean off.
Clean The Fuck Off. *shivers* Fuck!
I should've known I was in for it when Zachary first bought lube and condoms. "A battalion's worth." And Brian told him he loved to be "fucked sloppy". Word.
Sloppy, filthy sex. Biting. Feeding. Did I mention how beautiful the begging was? I did? Well, let me reiterate. THE BEGGING…
The rimming scene… Fuckadoodledoo! I saw stars and that ain't even my thang.
Now that I've covered the important stuff let me lay a couple cards on the table and splash myself with some cold water so we can get down to brass tacks.
I *may* have overidentified with Zachary. Zachary has been called in to guard and court Brian back to TFOS-Terrorism Financing Operations Section-after Brian was kidnapped, held hostage and tortured for 9 days he left the bureau. Go figure. He's been holed up in the mountains for the past year, hanging on by a thread, riddled with anxiety, nightmares, insomnia… he's a hot mess. By the by, this is a fantastic characterization of a severe case of PTSD.
Zachary takes minutes to evaluate the guy and just knows. Zachary is a doer. He may not be the smartest guy in the bureau but he can read people. He reads Brian like a book and relies on instinct to guide his actions. He doesn't second guess. He evaluates and acts. No fear. No looking back. And Brian responds to him. Beautifully.
Brian is an experienced submissive, a geek/genius, a smart ass and doing everything he can think of to protect himself from the monsters including stockpiling weapons and lamps. He pushed his dom away shortly after his ordeal ended and has been alone since. I've previously stated my aversion to using BDSM as a cure for mental illness. I stand by that, but I do think sometimes people need to get out of their fucking head. When Brian submits he submits fully, hands over complete control to Zachary and when he's spiraling into paranoia and anxiety has sunk it's teeth so deep surrendering is precisely what he needs, especially after Landis pulled his Machiavellian stunt. Asshat.
The action storyline having to do with Brian's kidnappers does end rather abruptly. Would I like a follow up? Hell yeah! But I also kind of like that these two dudes are off on their adventure fighting the monsters together. The Brain and The Braun.
In a nutshell:
The Gregg, you have another fan to add to your legions. -
Plot setup was weak in the beginning along with insta-love but the kicker is the major cliffhanger at the end. This book was published in 2012 and still no book two. I've been told that is how all the author's books end. Not cool. Why bother if you don't finish the story?
*Note*- Just went to author's website. She stated on 2/15 she is NOT actively working on a sequel.
If you don't plan on finishing a story, don't start one! -
Alas, this turns out to be a total opposite rating from me compared to all my dear GR friends' ratings.
Insta-love all the way bebeh!
I had no qualms against insta-love, but only when it's done well.
In this book, the MCs literally saw each other once, blink blink blink
AND BOOM
Suddenly it turns from strangers to this in just a matter of 3 days :
Like.
I need arc. I need some kind of development between the two before we go to the let's-fuck-and-grope-each-other-like-there-is-no-tomorrow land.
Plus. The plot was weak.
It left much to be desired.
And I was just bored the whole entire time.
So
----------------------------------------------------
Pre -reading :
I see you Goodreads friends.
And I see your sparkling 4/5 stars ratings for this book.
Blog :
Hi. I have a blog too. click here click here. -
3.5 stars.
While I enjoyed this, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the whole book was in there. How I hate cliffhangers.
All the elements were present, but they weren't the kind of characters I can get completely swept up with. Zach is so controlled that he can be all business as Brian's security detail from 8pm till 8am, then the second Zach's off duty he leaps into Brian's bed and gets all Dommy. There was just something off about that for me. I find it hard to articulate my disquiet. Maybe it was just a sense of passionless BDSM?
It was a shame Brian was so set on giving up control in bed, and keeping control out of bed. Realistic, yes. Smexy, not so much. Zach hand-feeding a kneeling Brian is yummylicious; Zach annoyed and ranting at Brian for insisting on investigating the case is not. It's hard to balance these two aspects of their relationship.
The sex scenes were very good though, and not so cliched as some m/m. I enjoyed the somewhat idiosyncratic way the language was put together.
Zachary roared, the orgasm streaking up his dick to explode out his cockhead. Every nerve in his body lit up. He spurted sticky cum into Brian, filling him . . . Beneath him, Brian shuddered violently. “You’ve fucked my sanity back into me.” Dick tingling, legs jellied, Zachary snorted out a breathless laugh.
All the individual words are common in sex scenes -- the roaring, the tingling, the spurting -- but somehow here they have a kind of freshness.
Some scenes hinted at potential brilliance. When Landis arrives at the house and Brian takes off, the ensuing confrontation is bloody marvellous. Taut, emotional, character-defining, fabulous. Gregg can be a great writer, and the whole book should have been this good.
I'll be avidly looking out for book two. -
Uuuuuhhhm, hot smex, ends on a BIG cliffy, insta-something and nerds!
This really was a mixed bag of everything! And it could have been so SO good, but I feel like the ball was dropped here.
I hadn't seen that friends at GR warned that it ended in a cliffy, and I'm still not sure whether that would have stopped me, but it definitely drags my rating down that the author planned and wrote this book, and then left it there.
In my head you do not outline and execute a pretty ambitious book like this, and then not have a plan for the rest.
Okay, so Brian is not really doing well after he was kidnapped and left for dead a year ago, while working for TFOS.
He's now living on a mountain in constant fear, with an arsenal of weapons and a shitload of lamps, so there are NEVER any shadows in his house.
Zachary is the special agent tasked with protecting Brian, since the threat level against him has increased (from an unknown enemy). Zachary's current (and Brian's former) boss, wants to both protect Brian, but also have him back at work. Brian however does not want help or to go back to work, but Zachary doesn't give a shit.
What didn't work for me was the REALLY fast pace where Brian went from being a super badass, PTSD, ex-agent (if such a thing excists) to opening up his arms to Zachary.
I get that the story needed to move forward, but it ruined it for me, that it was almost a case of magic-dick AND magic-BDSM. Especially in light of the cliffy and the non-existent book 2.
Also their boss, who is married to Zachary's aunt, felt OFF.
On one hand he was boss-like, but one the other hand it felt like he used the position as some sort of uncle to pressure Zachary, and things did not feel right.
So yeah, it was well written and the smexy times were HOT, but I don't think I would recommend this book unless the second book was released and we got more page-time with Jason (the mystery-man who helped Brian.) -
2,5-3 stars
I found this combination of torture victim/pseudo PTSD psychology and pseudo BDSM sex off-putting and extremely inappropriate.The "romance" in the story fell flat for me,no connection to the main characters especially Zachary - the man was unappealing and took advantage of the more than instable Brian...IMO.
The story...I just hope it wasn`t meant to be taken seriously...I didn`t.Saved it from being a one star rating...
Note:Upped the rating from two to three stars.Forgot to mention the erotically charged shooting lesson - no pun intended - that alone was worth an extra star! -
Brilliant, damaged, and just this side of irretreivable, Brian is one asset the FBI doesn't want to loose. The government doesn't like to loose and changes rules however and whenever it likes.
Zach is assigned to make contact and engage Brian--perhaps not in the manner he does, or then again, maybe. Zach convinces Brian to let him in in more ways than one--might just be the smartest move this genius ever made.
Together they have Brian's nightmares to solve--physical and psychological. Hot and sweet with an adrenaline chaser.
I need the sequel. Now. -
Left for the dead, Brian Foster is a hot mess even a year after his rescue. The twenty-seven year old forensic accountant hides in the mountains with guns and lights in every room. Brian's kidnapping and torture has given him severe phobias which he is unable to control. In addition, it has messed up his relationship and sex life. A submissive that can no longer hand over control is no longer a submissive.
Special Agent Zachary Murdock is tasked with bringing Brian back to the FBI to work on a critical case. Zachary walks into a FUBAR situation completely unprepared. Feeling set up, Zachary does his best to watch over Brian and figure out how a simple task has gone completely wrong.
Ms. Gregg writes the best messed up characters that I love and want so desperately to save. Brian's trauma breaks my heart. He's so adorable, even when he is being confrontational. Unable to resist Zachary's alpha vibes, Brian opens up. Zachary wants to help and protect Brian. He's afraid the FBI will push too hard and break Brian beyond repair. Zachary may be a natural dominant, but he possesses neither training nor experience in the BDSM lifestyle. I feel Zachary's helplessness and need to fix Brian's life to make it safe and easier.
What caught me off guard were the BDSM scenes. I'm not sure a person as traumatized as Brian with severe PTSD would be able to handle submitting and restraints. The scenes were mild and rather sweet. They were arousing for me as I agree with Brian; Zachary gives off lovely toppy vibes. The meal scenes had me melting with a dreamy smile. Too bad Zachary likes boys. I'd submit to Zachary any day. The storyline is unpredictable and concludes in the patented Ms. Gregg style – unresolved. I'm left hanging and screaming in frustration. I am hooked and desperately want to read the follow up book. I recommend this story to m/m readers who enjoy erotic suspense mixed with light BDSM. -
I sure hope there is going to be another book with these characters!
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Do you want to know what my favourite part of this book was?
The bit where it ended.
In the Red was cliched and boring as fuck. Plus it had the wonderfully lovely trope of cock magic is capable of curing all.
DID. NOT. LIKE. -
This book sucked me right in and would not let go. There was so much story going on and the mystery didn't get short changed for the romance and vice versa. Zachary and Brian couldn't have been more different or more perfect for each other.
The assumption would be that Zachary would be the strong, dominant alpha male to Brian's broken and scared self. Parts of that are true but their personalities could not be defined by such convenient labels and that's what made the characters so good. Brian may be broken, but he is so strong and Zachary was the one that saw that in him still. Zachary knew that Brian was worth more than any case and would do anything to protect the snarky smart ass he was falling in love with. Zachary is just so damn swoon worthy and I loved that his strength came in his protectiveness and his willingness to be anything that Brian needed him to be unconditionally.
Brian was unapologetic about what he liked and what he needed to feel safe.
"I need light, guns and sex."
And Zachary was right there making sure he had everything Brian needed.
"Eat like the good boy I know you want to be, and I'll suck your brains out through your dick for dessert."
Damn, I loved these two together.
BUT, I need more. The story ended before I was ready for it to be done. I need to know all the things. I need to know what happens to Jason. I need to know if Brian cracks the case in time. I need to know Landis doesn't resort to his douchey ways that he'd been using all story long. I need more of the toy box along with Brian's snarky strength and submission. I need more of Zachary in all the ways.
Please say there will be more. Pleaseandthankyouverymuch. -
![Maiko-chan [|]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1583086755i/24807712._UX200_CR0,116,200,200_.jpg)
2.5stars
"Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's acting even though you're afraid." Zackary stared at him. "That's strength. Not running away."
Uhm. Excuse me, what? No. That is even less of an ending than the last book I read. How is this a stand alone?
Also did I miss all the noncon? I was promised noncon and either I missed it completely or this totally didn't deliver on thator was that supposed to be past noncon because I wasn't even clear on if that was a thing in Brian's past or not
Notes:
-minor typos
-overall: disappointing (great beginning, a bit dull in the middle where I'd've preferred more plot than the sex, pretty unlikable secondary characters , and imo a rather terrible "ending")
-are you sure there was noncon? BDSM group bookshelves I think you lied to me
[eta:
-the moral of this story: sometimes, people with paranoia actually have legitimate reasons for their worries and sometimes it is good to actually pay the fuck attention to those worries and at the very least take a few moments to consider the posibility that what the person is concerned about could maybe, just maybe, be something you should worry about too because sometimes that paranoid person is actually right and you're the mf who needs to not get them killed with your stupidity and inclination to write them off as delusional -
I had a lot of fun with this, staying up late to finish that's always a good sign for me. Maybe it was because I didn't take it too seriously and I let myself go along for the ride an enjoyable one mostly.
Don't get me wrong its not all fun and games there are some serious issues here Brian's illness for one and how's it's dealt with was difficult I'm still not sure how I feel about that.
Brian has this snarky and defensive attitude its all a front to cover up just how vulnerable and scared he is. I actually found Brian the more appealing he is a sweetie even with all the prickles he's got a lot to deal with and his coping mechanisms are messed up and heartbreaking at times.
Also I am not a big fan of BDSM Zachary and Brian's relationship would have been so much better without that element it sort of threw me out of the story and in my opinion was not needed.
Overall I loved it the action is gripping and tense and the witty dialogue between the two is so funny. Totally agree with Sims on the shooting lessons that was epic! Can't wait for the sequel I hope its coming soon.
One of the quotes I loved ! -
Like a lot of Gregg's books, this feels too short and unfinished to the point of leaving the reader feeling cheated. It gets five stars from me because the dynamic between the two leads is just so amazing--hot, intense, unforgettable. Even with the flaws, I love the book, love to reread it--far more than many books without the uneven construction.
Every time I pick this up (or
I, Omega or
Collared ) I wish for a sequel. No idea if I will ever get my wish. -
Damn, damn, damn. Didn't know it was gonna have a cliff hanger... Grr, I hate that I am such an instant gratification kind of girl. I really got into this story though. I was completely drawn in to the PTSD storyline. It felt so believable to me. I could feel Brian's fear running down my spine. It actually hurt me as much as it hurt Zachary when he saw it in Brian's eyes. And the light D/s that featured so prominently didn't bother me at all. I believed Brian when he said that was something he didn't want his tormenters to be able to take from him as well. Why should they get to take everything from him? Zachary was his perfect Dom, and yet I knew it was coming when Zachary admitted to himself that Brian truly had all the control over him. That made me smile because it was oh so true. And yes, the sex was steaming hot. Sign me up for some target practice ASAP!
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Goooood writer.
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Loved this story so fucking hard. But dammit if I don't wish there was a sequel. Please, Ms. Gregg, I'm on my knees.
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I just finished reading In the Red... no doubt will be high for days! My only complaint is that I'll be waiting for the sequel like a squealing fan-girl, so undignified. ;P
There are enough reviews here, so I won't dissect the story. I'll just say that for me, it was very well balanced. I loved the characters, understood their motivation. The pacing, doling out back story, perfect! An altogether satisfying read, thank you Kari!
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Im not really sure how i feel about this one. im stuck between giving it a 2 o 3 stars. Maybe if there woulda been a fcking ending it would have rated higher for me because i really was liking it until it just cut off and the case these two men were wrking on was left unresolved. EVERYTHING was left unresolved. I mean who does that shit?! O well maybe there will one day be another bk but i was already upset so i didnt even bother looking for others.
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I really enjoyed reading this. I liked both MC's and found the plot interesting. Then I got to the end and couldn't believe that was how it ended. Very annoyed. It wouldn't have taken much to give this book a decent ending.
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Great story but where's the rest of it. I can't give a cliffhanger 5 stars.
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This review originally appeared on
BDSM Book Reviews:
Brian Foster is a broken man, scared and alone. He was one of the FBI’s top forensic accountants, able to see patterns in money movement that nobody else could and taking down some of the most dangerous terrorists in the process. But a year ago he was abducted, brutalized to find out what he knew, and left for dead. Now he lives alone on an isolated farm in Maryland, with enough guns to create a small army and enough lights to chase every shadow from every room, all night long.
Even with his debilitating post traumatic stress (PTSD) the FBI wants Foster back on the job. Zachary Murdock is one of the agents they task with getting that done. But while Foster may be heavily damaged, he still has some fight left in him, at least in the daytime, and he rebuffs the agents’ appeal. The agents stay on guard outside the house, on the pretense that Foster is still in danger. Then, one dark and stormy night (don’t worry, the author didn’t put it that way), Murdock thinks Foster, spooked by a power outage, is in trouble and breaks in to help. He finds Foster balled up in a corner desperately trying to keep the demons at bay with a couple of flashlights.
Murdock goes to comfort Foster, and there’s a powerful attraction between the two men. Foster may be a snotty, bullheaded geek but he’s also a man with strong submissive urges that have been bottled up for a year. The big strong G-man, with dominant desires he’s never acted on, is exactly what Brian needs. It soon becomes clear that Murdock’s assignment to this case was no accident.
This is a sweet, sweet story, with just enough darkness around the edges to keep it from being saccharin. While both men acknowledge their attraction to each other, neither is ready to act on it right away. Zachary is still FBI agent Murdock, responsible for Foster’s protection, and Brian needs to learn to trust someone else again.
What follows is several chapters of what can best be described as drawn out foreplay. Fully around a third of the book is devoted to this mating dance, as Zachary discovers just how strong Brian’s need to submit is, as well as how strongly Foster is fighting to throw off his PTSD. When the two finally get some time alone in a bedroom, we get a glimpse into Brian’s tastes when he shows Zachary his toy box. Before his abduction, Brian liked to be tied down and used, and that’s a part of his life he wants back. But in what becomes a recurring theme, Zachary has to understand the difference between what Brian wants and what he needs. Another recurring theme is the degree of control that subs really have over their doms.
There isn’t really any hard core BDSM in this book, due to Brian’s condition. At most, there’s a couple of spankings. But this is a really strong D/s story that unfolds beautifully, which is why I’ve given it a 4 out of 5. This is easily the best work yet I’ve read by this author. The story-telling is strong and consistent. The ending seems to leave room for a sequel, so perhaps we’ll yet get to see Zachary play with some of the things in Brian’s toy box. -
In The Red was a good book, which never quite reached that great book status. It may be fun to read again (after I've put it away for a year or so). The chemistry between Brian and Zachary was phenomenal. They definitely clicked and it showed in the sex scenes, which made me want to find a fan. The major issues I found with Kari Gregg's novel was that the writing was a tad shaky and at times very confusing. This could have been from poor editing or from the author, but either way there were moments where I had to reread a paragraph to make sure I read it correctly. It also seemed like most of her facts and technicalities were pulled from thin air, like a badly written cop drama.
The premise that she had for In The Red was a good one, and I was excited to find it. Definitely an uber fantasy/guilty pleasure, and on top of it there aren't that many BDSM LGBT out there. So I thought I found a gem. I just didn't realize that the gem was slightly scratched. Ms. Gregg failed to push the limits on this one. I thought we'd be getting into some serious fun and while her sex scenes got HOT they didn't always push the limits. She kind of taunted us with what could be.
I'd give this novel a 3.0. I thought of a 3.5 because while the writing was confusion and it didn't quite reach that super novel status, it did give me a fun ride. But the abrupt ending just dropped it down that half-a-star. As soon as some serious drama started to pick up and take place (and half of what Brian was rambling about started to make sense), she ended it. Granted this is probably to give way to a second novel, but the ending was at such a random spot that it really infuriated me more so than left me feeling resolved. There probably could have been a better place to stop In The Red. So 3.0 stars. A fun read, definitely steamy, and worth a try if you like LIGHT BDSM. I think I'd get this one from my library though if I had a second chance. -
I really liked this. Very, very intense story about a paranoid genius on the verge of a mental collapse. Brian has lots of intense sex with his FBI handler, Zachery who falls in love with him.
What I didn't like was the ending. Found it to abrupt. Before I could really get to know the characters, Brian and Zachery, it was over. Is there a sequel I don't know about. If not, I hope there is one planned. The plot about money laundering could have been more detailed, but maybe that's for another time.
It's definitely worth reading, but I just wish there were more development.
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Zachary is picked by the FBI to put Brian back together after he was kidnapped and tortured due his job as an FBI forensic accountant.
I liked this story. Seeing Brian fall apart wasn't pretty but Zachary did a great job of trying to heal him.
Unfortunately, I thought the ending let the book down. -
This says it all!
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I really liked the main characters, the back-story and the promise of this as an ongoing series. Brian's geeky vulnerability and Zach's "tough love" approach pushed all my comfort kink buttons. I hope the next book is not too far away.
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Fantastic and action packed story! Loved it.
