Review Tour: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens

Title: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens

Author: Julie Lynn Hayes

Series: Rose & Thorne #1

Pages: 138

Date Published: 2020

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Format: Kindle

Genre: LGBT Romance

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
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Synopsis:

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

~My Thoughts~

Sorry y'all! Had the review drafted last night but never hit GO! Here you are...

If you like capers and witty comebacks along with a sassy canine with both bark and bite, this may be the book for you!

We jump right into the action with Vinnie and Ethan taking down a mugger - of course, Vinne HAD to be the bait and be wearing fishnets and heels! Something that Ethan can't help but appreciate the view! Vinnie gets tripped up by a tiny pup who helps him distract the mugger in time to solve the case. 

After completing their mission flawlessly (what's a few broken heels, or ripped stockings?) the duo get pulled into a new case, one that hits much closer to home. 

I enjoyed that both Vinnie and Ethan had defined personalities outside of just being LGBT. That is actually a huge marker to me as to whether or not I want to keep reading a book. Are they real people or does this book just focus on the gay aspect? And Bad Dogs and Drag Queens succeded! The fluff of the banter was met well with the intrigue of the mystery and all tied together nicely with some steamy romance (admittedly a bit steamier than I usually prefer in any of my romances!) to make for a light, satisfying read!

~Try an Excerpt!~

“Remind me again whose stupid idea this lipstick was,” I huffed under my breath. Without thinking, I licked my lips. They felt greasy, and tasted even worse. I forced myself not to grimace, afraid it might crack the foundation I’d slathered on my face.

“Mine, you sexy beast,” came the smart-ass reply in my ear. “I think you got purty lips, mmhmmm.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “You should be doing this, not me, and you know it. I did it last time.”

And the time before that. And the time before that. Wait, did I detect a pattern here?

“What I know is you look better in a skirt than I do. And you look damn good out of it too.”

My cheeks filled with heat at Ethan’s words. Luckily the darkness hid a multitude of sins, my embarrassment being the least of them. Hopefully, no one else was listening—I knew I’d never hear the end of it. Just what I needed—to be the object of ridicule of the Roanoke PD.

I pulled a compact from the purple paisley cloth purse slung over my shoulder and flipped open the mirror so I could assess my surroundings. I couldn’t see a damn thing. I growled again. I’d have to move closer to the half-assed excuse for a light this park possessed if I wanted to scope out the situation. The city fathers had been too cheap to install proper lighting, which is why they had this mugging problem to begin with.

“What’s wrong, Vinnie?” Ethan’s concern came through my earpiece loud and clear. He might aggravate me some of the time—or most of the time—but he always had my back.

“Nothing,” I muttered as I wobbled toward the light. These heels were ridiculous. How did women do it? Since I’d started having to wear women’s shoes in the line of duty, I’d gained a new respect for the fairer sex. They made it seem so effortless, while I possessed all of the grace of a wounded water buffalo. I’d tried opting for flats, but Ethan had nixed the idea. Said they wouldn’t go with the skirt. Plus he said the heels made my legs look longer.

Pervert.

~Meet Julie!~ 

Julie Lynn Hayes was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, and still calls that city home. She first began to write over fifty years ago, and doesn’t see that stopping anytime soon. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. When someone tells her something can’t be done, she feels compelled to do it. Much of her writing is in the m/m romance category.

When she isn’t writing, or working at her day job with a third party elevator inspection company, she enjoys crafts, such as cross stitch and crochet, and watching her favorite programs. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian, and her favorite historical character is Aaron Burr—she is obsessed with all things Hamilton!  Never say never is her motto!

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Julie will be awarding a $15Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via a Rafflecopter giveaway