Managing the bar at Joker’s Sin, a gay nightclub, is Max’s dream job. Where many seek fame or fortune, he’s living his best life, surrounded by family and friends. The only thing he doesn’t have is the guy to complete him.
Lane, AKA Sparkles, sees too much of the person he used to be when he looks at Max, and none of it is good. But the stubborn man won’t let up, and when Sparkles’s past threatens to unravel his whole life, it’s Max who steps in to save him.
Can these two opposites push past their differences to see just how right they are for each other? Will they get a chance before it all falls down around them? Or is their love one to die for?
👀While it is book 2 in the Joker’s Sin Series, it can be read as a standalone👀
Once again Davidson King has stomped on my heart, kicked me in the gut, Mama Bear Hugged me into submission, and all around bedazzled the beejeesus out of me.
From Max deciding whether or not to apply a little self-love before his sister walks in to the satisfying ending to Sparkles' past hiccup(and yes it's far, far worse and heartwrenching than a hiccup but I don't want to give any details away so let's go with "past hiccup"), To Die For is certainly worthy of the Joker's Sin tag, the Haven Hart Universe, and the storytelling stamp of the incredibly talented Davidson King. Just Yummy!
When we met Max in book 1, My Whole World, I'll admit I was less than impressed with him but I also knew there was more to the man than bedding anyone and everyone on two legs so I held back any permanent judgement. Boy was I right to do so. So much more to him. Again, I won't give anything away but just know that if you are familiar with Miss King's work than you know nothing is as it seems at first glance but getting to watch what makes her characters tick is an absolute dream.
As for Sparkles(Or Lane as he is known in his day job)? He is the kind of character you really need to experience for yourself to grasp. He too is more than what many see: club patron and dancer, I don't like to label people too much but I will say he has this aura around him that make some see only the outside and not the inside, see his moves but not what makes him move. I said "aura" well that may seem a bit flowery, but it certainly understandable why they call him Sparkles, when he's dancing he literally sparkles, he shines, because that is where he can "be free". Will he let people see(and yes by people I mainly mean Max) that aura, that sparkle goes far deeper than appearance and moves, it's just part of who he is.
Together Max and Sparkles have the potential to exude brilliance but will they live up to what each thinks the other needs? You know the answer to that: read to find out. You won't regret it. Do I want to say they evolve before my eyes once they found "the one"? No, but they certainly grow, they seem to find their spot in this world, not because they had to have someone to make themselves special or complete but because once they find each other there's this desire within to be what the other needs and in turn it gives them a focus to see other things around them and inside themselves clearer too.
Once again, we see that Joker's Sin is not just a place of employment, a club to let go, it is a family and as it should be, family looks out for each other. As in My Whole World, this family comes together to help Max and Sparkles with the previously mentioned "hiccup", to keep them safe. I don't do spoilers and I don't really think I am spoiling anything with these vague mentions because Davidson King always has heart, a HEA in her stories but it's the journey that is the where it all comes together and I'll never spoil that.
Is To Die For as brilliant as My Whole World? Definitely. Did I love Max and Sparkles as much as Atlas and Toby? Probably not quite. Is the difference even worth rating? Hell no. The men who work and play at Joker's Sin will grab you until you can't let go, they are characters that remain long after you've swiped/turned that last page. If you haven't read Davidson King before, don't wait another minute! She is definitely on my Top 10 All-Time Favorite Authors list, if there was an All Star game for authors she would be a shoe-in. Truth is(and I know I've said it before but I just can't stress this point enough) she is a genuine storyteller. What is the difference you ask? For me, an author spins a good yarn, entertains you, makes you see other aspects of life but a storyteller will create a world you not only read but you find yourself living within the covers of the book, you become part of the story, your senses come alive and in the case of her Joker's Sin series, you are sitting at the next table, you are standing on the street corner waiting for the light to change so you aren't late to get in the doors, so much so that there is a level of grief when you reach the last page and have to say goodbye(for now) to the people and the places.
RATING:
“Excuse me, can I have a strawberry martini?” I looked up from making a mojito and locked eyes with Sparkles himself. He generally went to other bartenders, but he knew if he asked me, I’d get his drink to him right away. He knew how much I wanted him, and I suspected he used that to his advantage.
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Let me get this one out, and I’ll get you yours.” I winked and was met with an eye roll.
After passing the mojito off to the customer, they handed me their number. I slipped the piece of paper into my back pocket and quickly went over to Sparkles. He stood, eyes wandering over the place while I made his drink. He wore an emerald-green shirt that shimmered when he moved. I couldn’t see his pants, but I had no doubt they matched. His fingers were painted black and he tapped them along the bar. His always hot-pink hair stood out like nothing else, and his face was done up to compliment it all. I had no idea how he did it, but he was a work of art.
“Here you go.”
He dropped a ten on the bar and said to keep it. “Hang on.” I couldn’t hear him huff when I stopped him, but I knew he did. “How is this outfit disco?” I gestured to his garb.
“This masterpiece is the epitome of disco. Look at these pants.” He lifted his leg so gracefully, it was as if he’d done it a million times. Large pieces of what I assumed were sequins were sewn onto the seams of the pants. They were some sort of fancy bell bottoms. “And this top? Are you even being serious right now?” He had a martini in one hand, the other on his hip. “I’m disco inferno up in this shit.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I smiled and answered, “My apologies. I can clearly see you’re all about funky town.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Let me get this one out, and I’ll get you yours.” I winked and was met with an eye roll.
After passing the mojito off to the customer, they handed me their number. I slipped the piece of paper into my back pocket and quickly went over to Sparkles. He stood, eyes wandering over the place while I made his drink. He wore an emerald-green shirt that shimmered when he moved. I couldn’t see his pants, but I had no doubt they matched. His fingers were painted black and he tapped them along the bar. His always hot-pink hair stood out like nothing else, and his face was done up to compliment it all. I had no idea how he did it, but he was a work of art.
“Here you go.”
He dropped a ten on the bar and said to keep it. “Hang on.” I couldn’t hear him huff when I stopped him, but I knew he did. “How is this outfit disco?” I gestured to his garb.
“This masterpiece is the epitome of disco. Look at these pants.” He lifted his leg so gracefully, it was as if he’d done it a million times. Large pieces of what I assumed were sequins were sewn onto the seams of the pants. They were some sort of fancy bell bottoms. “And this top? Are you even being serious right now?” He had a martini in one hand, the other on his hip. “I’m disco inferno up in this shit.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I smiled and answered, “My apologies. I can clearly see you’re all about funky town.”
May Book of the Month: My Whole World
Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.
When she's not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.
If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she'd tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you're afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.
EMAIL: davidsonkingauthor@yahoo.com
To Die For #2
Joker's Sin Series
Haven Hart Universe
