Unstable Connections

Valor and Doyle Book 3

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Missing children are reappearing, and the ties to a 30-year-old cold case can’t be ignored.

Detective Quaid Valor has too much on his plate. Between his shaky, brand-new relationship with reformed office playboy Detective Aslan Doyle, his sister’s case going from cold to hot overnight, his father insisting on being involved, and his boss breathing down his neck, Quaid is on edge.

The stress of the case is impacting Quaid’s whole life. He isn’t eating or sleeping, and every time he and Aslan are together, he is overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy which threaten to ruin the one good thing he has. Aslan’s patience seems unending until something happens to turn his life upside down too.

Can their relationship survive the personal and professional pressures they’re facing, or will it crash and burn?

Between media rumors and unstable connections, Quaid and his team need to hustle and piece together a complicated case before more children fall victim to their unknown serial kidnapper. Maybe once everything is solved, Aslan and Quaid will have time to work on their rocky relationship and find stable ground once again.

*Unstable Connections is the third book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliffhangers, the romance is over-arching and progressive throughout the series.

©2022 Nicky James (P)2022 2022

Great series

This is a fabulous series and I hope we haven’t heard the last of Valor and Doyle

Outstanding!

Nick J. Russo does an amazing job of bringing this story to life.
Let me start by stating that I am addicted to the Valor and Doyle series. I can't get enough of Quaid and Aslan. These two imperfectly perfect men who are made for each other.

Unstable Connections will take you on an emotional ride that will leave you breathless.
The pain that Quaid feels is palpable and runs so deeply to his core. Seeing Aslan care for and about Quaid is beautiful. For someone who has never been in a relationship he is all in with Quaid. He sees all the broken pieces and loves each and every one. Quaid allows himself to show his vulnerabilities to Aslan and that is a huge sign of trust.

The mystery will keep you guessing. The twists and turns will keep you turning page after page. I was convinced I knew who the bad guy was but loved being proven wrong.
Watching the relationship develop over this series has been amazing. I can't wait to see what is next in store for these two!

Amazing third book

This series is turning out to be one of my all time favorite.

I just love the dynamic between these two. And while we have found the conclusion of the missing sister, I really hope that is not the end of the story for these characters. (plus we never found out the father of the 'nephew')

Nick J. Russo once again does a phenomenal job with all these voices and characters.

Yaaaas

Ohhhhhh, dang! That was good...

I'll admit, I had my doubts for a little bit because of how obvious things seemed... and then Nicky James slapped me upside the head. Which I appreciate immensely! This series just gets better and better. Please, just don't end.

Obsessed with this series

I can’t get enough of Quaid and Azlan and the rest of the gang.

Very well-written story with plot twists and turns, tying past to present. Not too angsty but it packs a punch. I love the humor and snark sprinkled all over as well.

Nick J Russo did an incredible job with his narration.

I can’t wait to listen to the next one.

Great series

Great series. Enjoyable listen. It was hard to stop listening and found myself looking for reasons to put in my headphones to listen.

Perfect couple!!

Poor Quaid!! These last few months have been quite the adventure for him and all this stress is not good!! We finally get answers we’ve long been waiting for and it was such a ride to get there. I thought it was one thing but of course it wasn’t!

I stand with Aslan in the fact that Jack needs a beating for what he did emotionally and mentally to Quaid! But oh how I love that Aslan doesn’t give up or give in and shows Quaid he is worthy of sooooooooo much!! These two are are so opposites it almost makes you wonder what they see in each other but then Aslan gets all emotional and sentimental and yep! There you go….perfect couple!!

Nicky!!! Those three little words from Aslan…I needed to hear them for real almost as much as Quaid did and now we both have to wait even longer….ugh!!!! LoL!! I love these two ❤️❤️

not me screaming " Nicky you fiend" at 2 am.

I . LOVE, THESE. TWO!!!!
When they say that your partner should make you want to be a better person. That's these two in a nutshell. Quade is great for Aslin and Aslin is great for Quade. Each one has their own struggles and fights that they have to deal with and the other helps them through it, I was kinda hoping to see Quade get his ass kicked by a child in chess again, As a fellow Aspy it was nice to see that portrial in books.
The mystery in this one was causing me to guess left and right, to and frow and even when down some paths where i screamed " Nicky you fiend" at 2 am. If you think she has gone soft on her boys, HA, you're wrong.

*Spoiler*

Aslin high off his gord singing off key, is probably the best part of this book. I said what i said.

Another winning collaboration

Nick J. Russo is the perfect narrator for the Valor&Doyle books, the way he uses different voices for each character, and Quaid and Aslan in particular. I love the way he performs the tension within Quaid while working on this case, the nerves. I love the intimate moments between Aslan and Quaid, and the desperation when Aslan was not okay.
But what a ride!! We finally get some answers here, but this book is intense, both the romance and the mystery. I couldn’t put it down before I knew how the case was solved and that Aslan and Quaid were good.

And for this once, can I gush again over how much I love Nicky James's writing?! I feel so privileged to be part of her ARC team and to have the possibility to read her upcoming releases before most readers do. And seeing as I love her new Valor&Doyle series, I feel extra thrilled about that.

This series, my friends, is a must read if you enjoy mm romance combined with a thrilling mystery. This here is Nicky James at her best. Each book in this series shows us a beautiful character development and both Quaid and Aslan have sneaked their way under my skin when I wasn't paying attention. They occupy my mind even when I'm not reading and there's not a lot of characters who manage to do that. I love how their relationship develops, at just the exact right pace and in the most natural way.
In this third book that same relationship gets ultimately tested. Aslan surprised me in the most positive ways and I just wanted to wrap my arms around Quaid and let him feel how worthy he is. His lack of confidence and trust tug at my heartstrings repeatedly and it almost broke my heart.
These two men are so good together, and I already look forward to read about how they continue from here.

The mystery in this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I think it was the most intense, thrilling story in this series up til now. We finally get some answers from the past and Nicky once again took us on a wild rollercoaster ride to get them. I just had to keep on reading until I knew how things were solved and that Aslan and Quaid were okay.

Another thing I absolutely love about this series is how perfectly balanced the romance and the mystery is. The mystery is a big part of each book, but it doesn't take away from the growing romance between Aslan and Quaid. Their relationship still takes the center stage, even when they are busy solving the case. It's in the little things, the small gestures, the sweet words and the whispering, the stolen kisses. Their growing love is palpable, their feelings for one another obvious. These guys belong together and I'm really, really curious to where Nicky James will take them (and us readers!)

Loved it

This series is really taking shape. I loved this one more than the first two, which I didn't think was possible. Nicky James and Nick J Russo are magic together. The case is heartbreaking, the characters are complex and wonderful, and every second hand me enthralled.