by Brooke (link)
Genre slash/cest, erotica, romance, drama/angst
Pairings Bob/Clint Moffatt, Taylor/Scott Moffatt, Zac/Dave Moffatt
Length 10 chapters
Status Unfinished (unauthorized sequel to Devil Angel)
In the days of Devil Angel, and especially following its discontinuation, lost chapters and sequels were a dime a dozen. A few of them tried to answer the stalker question, but most focused on the smutty stuff. Lovers In A Dangerous Time falls into the latter category, with characters and a plot that largely don’t resemble the original at all.
The story begins two years after Devil Angel with no mention of the stalker at all. Instead, we learn that Taylor and Scott are still going strong, with a plan to eventually come out to the world. Their romanticism and soulmate shtick are right in line with Devil Angel, and there are a few moments, particularly when they are observed by outsiders, a writing quirk I would hate if it didn’t feature some of Brooke’s best prose.
Zac and Dave, on the other hand, have a completely different dynamic than I would expect. Leaving aside the fact that Brooke couldn’t have known at that time that Dave was actually gay, she writes Dave as a notorious ladies man, and Zac as far more attached to their relationship, even though he was the one to suggest they keep it casual. At least that is in keeping with Zac’s reluctance in Devil Angel, but nothing can account for his behavior when he becomes insanely jealous that Dave is sleeping around.
And that’s to say nothing of the relationship between Bob and Clint, which has no basis in Aspen’s “canon” at all. It’s clear that Brooke has put a lot of thought into her characters and their backstory, but that often bears no resemblance to the story she ostensibly based hers on. Still, her smut is just as hot as Aspen’s, so I almost don’t mind that it outweighs the plot at times. I also adjusted surprisingly quickly to her switches from third to first person. Read as a standalone story, ignoring the loose connection to Devil Angel, this still isn’t the strongest story I’ve ever read, but there’s clearly a lot of unfulfilled potential in Lovers In A Dangerous Time.
Review by Bethany (website)