Chokehold

Guns n' Boys, Book 5

By: K.A. Merikan

Narrated by: Nathan Kelly

This book is part of a series about a single couple that needs to be heard in order.

The ugliest truths blossom into the prettiest lies.

A year into the relationship with Domenico, Seth still wants him as desperately as ever. Nothing is better than being intoxicated with lust for his deadly man and feeling his steady hands all over.

No matter the misunderstandings, the fights...the crash. The burn.

Crossing the Mexican border has been a goal for Seth and Domenico for a few months, but the trip couldn’t have ended in more of a disaster. While Domenico is stuck at home, for Seth, each passing day becomes more difficult. Desperate to keep his family afloat, he accepts a job offer from Los Sepultureros. The Gravediggers.

When Domenico’s need for control starts eroding their trust, Seth is sure their love can conquer all. But when Domenico rips open the wound left after the violence at the beginning of their relationship, it gushes blood all over their cozy lies, and this time, there may be no way to seal it.

Possible spoilers.

Themes: Mafia, cartel, assassin, organized crime, trust issues, religion, love

Genre: Dark, twisted romance / crime thriller

Warning: Adult content. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you.

Guns n’ Boys is a gritty series of extreme violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid façade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.

©2015-2022 K.A. Merikan (P)2024 Acerbi & Villani ltd.

loved!

I am dying for more of Miguel! I NEED more of him. so I am looking forward to the next book cause I am hoping we get to see more of him.

as also I loved this book and highly recommend the whole seires!

Enjoyed It a Lot

This is such an entertaining series, every book tells a new story with Seth and Domenico as main force driving the plot. Its not easy to run from " The Family" and they do the best they can, get into testing adventures and risky situations along the way. I love following how both Seth and Dom grew and developed through the books, their love and devotion is constantly challenged and they never able to stop fighting to be with each other. Narrator did a great job with this story, his voice and talent made this a perfect listening experience.

The saga continues in my third re-listen of this epic love story

Poor Dom. It’s hilarious and a bit sad to watch how he contorts himself into knots to reconcile his deeply-held Catholic beliefs with his soul-burning love for Seth. Not to mention his toxic obsession about being The Provider in their relationship.

But, I still adore him. So sue me.

A Gripping and Intense Rollercoaster

In "Guns N' Boys: Chokehold," K.A. Merikan unleashes another gripping and intense installment in their thrilling series. This book offers a riveting combination of action, passion, and complex characters that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Set in the dark underbelly of organized crime, the story follows the dangerous and captivating relationship between Seth and Domenico. Merikan expertly weaves together a multifaceted narrative that explores the depths of their feelings while immersing readers in a world filled with danger and intrigue. The authors' ability to create a palpable and vivid atmosphere adds an extra layer of suspense, making readers feel as though they are right beside the characters in their adrenaline-fueled journey.

One of the strengths of this book is Merikan's skill in crafting complex and flawed characters that captivate readers. Seth and Domenico's struggles with their pasts and with each other make them relatable and engrossing, allowing readers to connect with their journey of self-discovery, redemption, and acceptance. Merikan fearlessly delves into the emotional depths of these characters, creating a story that is as emotionally charged as it is thrilling.

Merikan's writing style is fast-paced and exhilarating, keeping readers hooked with each twist and turn. The authors' ability to balance heart-pounding action scenes with tender and passionate moments is commendable, creating a narrative that is both pulse-pounding and deeply moving. The chemistry between Seth and Domenico crackles with intensity, adding an extra layer of electricity that will leave readers wanting more.

The plot of "Guns N' Boys: Chokehold" is intricately crafted, filled with unexpected surprises and heart-stopping moments. Merikan's meticulous attention to detail and intricate storytelling keep the tension high, ensuring that readers will be hooked from the very first page. The cleverly interwoven plot threads and complex character dynamics make for a captivating and satisfying read.

Beyond the gripping plot, this book also delves into deeper themes of love, trust, and personal growth. Merikan's exploration of these complex ideas adds depth and complexity to the story, elevating it beyond a simple crime romance. The authors' ability to tackle both the thrilling and the introspective aspects of the narrative is commendable.

Overall, K.A. Merikan's "Guns N' Boys: Chokehold" is a gripping and intense read that will leave fans of the series craving more. With its complex characters, heart-pounding action, and emotionally charged storyline, this book is a must-read for those seeking an enthralling and unforgettable experience. Merikan's talent for crafting a compelling and deeply immersive narrative shines through in this installment, further solidifying their place as master storytellers in the genre. Readers will eagerly anticipate what the authors have in store for Seth and Domenico in future books.

Excellent storyline

Have read this series more than once. These characters are very real , well developed ,and enjoyable . Wyatt Bakers narration really brings them to life. Can’t wait for the rest of the series..

Story is very intense and we finally meet Miguel!

It was so much fun to return to this book as an audiobook. It's been a hot minute (three years) since I've read this, and I've forgotten a LOT. I remember the characters as they are at the end of the series, and you could say I've forgotten their journey there. This is the book where we first meet Miguel, and the Miguel I know at the end of the series and through shorts the authors have written is not necessarily the super intimidating guy we meet here. So, I find it interesting to be going back to this book now that I've read the series and see how the characters are introduced and first come to interact with Dom and Seth.

Content notes include homomisia, bimisia, violence, gore, murder, deaths, tunnel collapse, mentions of torture, claustrophobia, forced drug use, hints of alcoholism, mentions of child sexual assault, and mentions of rape.

This book is very intense, especially if you're reading this book for the first time. I think there's a lot more moments where I could find humor in what's happening reading this the second time around only because I know where the series ends up? But the first read for this was definitely rough. Dom and Seth are on the run, and this time they have a teenager traveling with them (Mark). At this point, they've basically adopted Mark as their son. Mark has never had great parental figures, and even though Dom and Seth have never really talked about having children together, they do feel very responsible for him and I think they're a cute little family. Mark comes out of seemingly nowhere and now they're all family.

Most of this book does take place in a small border town in Mexico, and I WAS worried how the audiobook narration was going to go for this. Wyatt Baker is a fabulous narrator, so I shouldn't have worried. He's done brilliantly with the Italian, German, British, (okay maybe a little shaky) southern US accent, and I think half a second of Russian, but he has blessedly been smart to stay away from Chinese accents in book 1 and now stays away from accents for all the Mexican characters in this book. It's more of a neutral American accent for the characters and I really like that. I want to say the next two books take place in Columbia if I remember correctly, which hopefully also continues this neutral accent for. I'm really excited to hear what the voice will be for Nero and hear his scenes specifically with Miguel. And then other books will have British characters (Charlotte and Griffith) who I do hope we will have the posh British accents for. All this to say Wyatt Baker continues to do a great job with the narration and I have nothing bad to say.

So, I mentioned a character named Miguel and it does take awhile before we meet him in this book, but I forgot how SCARY he can be. The tunnel scene was scary. But reading his first encounters with Seth is unnerving. I think the one question I have about him in this series is whether or not it's possible he's asexual? He's obviously attracted to men, and I don't know if it's because he's asexual or maybe it's due to his childhood trauma that we never see him WITH anyone (that I can remember). It's already been confirmed that him and another character we meet later on will get a book together, so I'm looking forward to seeing Miguel's sexuality explored more. I've gotten confirmation from the authors that Dana IS asexual, which I really love, so it'll be interesting to see where the story goes with Miguel.

And speaking about Dana...she is out of the picture in this book. In the last book, she was left in Louisiana with the Coffin Nails motorcycle club and to find out more about what she's going through while everyone else has headed to Mexico, I would recommend reading One Step Too Close, which is book 6 in the Sex & Mayhem series. Unlike this series, you don't need to read that series in order. That book ties more closely with the events of the Guns n' Boys series than the rest of the Sex & Mayhem series in my opinion.

I think the only point I would make about this book that I found odd is how much Seth put his trust in Dom to get them to Mexico. Like, he didn't ask Dom for any of the particulars and let Dom handle everything. I thought after what happened in book 3 where Dom lost all his memories that Seth was determined to never let that happen again and to be included in all the planning. But here, we see where everything goes awry again because Seth let Dom take care of it all. So this I did find a bit confusing.

Outside of that, I do like that this series does circle back to a very important point. Here, we go back to book 1 and how Seth and Dom's relationship really began. It was NOT a pretty start. I was really surprised that we do hear Seth call what happened between them was rape and that it wasn't consensual, and this is something that Dom has to address and apologize for. It was a topic that's been hinted at from time to time throughout the books up until now, but never confronted head-on. I do like how this was handled and that Dom is greatly ashamed of his actions and truly regrets it, and apologizes to Seth for what he did. Obviously, this is a dark romance mafia series so how things are resolved between them I do find acceptable for what this subgenre is. If this was a normal contemporary romance, I would've been screaming at Seth to leave Dom. And even in a blink-and-you-miss-it scene, we do see that Dom gets tested to see if he has STDs and realizes how incredibly careless he's been with unprotected sex. This is a book of revelations. We never really see these kind of moments where a character reflects and truly regrets their actions from other dark romance books, and I think it's important to acknowledge what important moments these are in this book. So, major props to the authors for circling back to these issues.

This book does have SOME lighthearted moments where we see Dom trying to be a role model to Mark, and just seeing Mark be a teenager. I feel like this sereis is mainly dark humor, and that's my thing so YMMV. Like, I find the fact that Dom is so wholeheartedly Catholic and wants to confess to all his sins to the priest so funny? Despite all the things going on in the town, the priest is not at all prepared for Dom's confessions and how could he be? Then we see some of MY favorite characters again - Santo and Lucrezia. I think the voice Wyatt Baker chose for Santo is not quite as gruff as I associate in my mind with Santo, but it's acceptable. It's not like the man speaks much in Dom and Seth's presence. I think it's fun we get to see Santo and Lucrezia in a new light, and it's nice to see new alliances formed with the new generation. Don't quote me, but I think Santo is the oldest? So him looking on at his family of misfits (Seth, Dom, and Mark) is really funny to me. Like, he is in charge of these fools. I think he is equal parts wary and exasperated by them. Can you all tell that I just really, really like Santo?

I enjoyed this book immensely. And as intense as I found this book, I know that there's MUCH worse for our faves to come. I'm worried about all the things to come in the next book, but I can't wait to see what Wyatt Baker does with the narration and I can't wait to listen to it!