Rating: 
Summary: A sequel as fine as "Gun Shy"
Review: A continuation of her excellent first novel and just as good. Along with all of the romance and relationship angst and suspense and a well relayed tactile sense for her setting (I would actually get cold at times while reading from her description of the environment) the thing I liked most about this novel was the presentation of an empathetic, funny, real, genuinely helpful shrink, if only they could all be as intelligent and insightful.
Rating:
Summary: Another winner for Lori L. Lake and her fans!
Review: Fans of Lori L. Lake are in for another major treat when they read the sequel to Gun Shy. The further adventures and misadventures of Dez Reilly and her partner, Jaylynn Savage are chronicled in Under the Gun. These two St. Paul Police Officers are faced with a double homocide that would have Sherlock puzzled. And though Dez knows her life is sweeter with Jaylynn by her side, old demons haunt her and make it difficult to accept love into her life. The supporting cast of warm-hearted friends and dastardly enemies make this an action story that will keep you reading until the end. Another wonderful story from an outstanding author.
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical sequel
Review: I find that most sequels aren't quite as good as the original story. In so many sequels, especially romances, the romance issue has been resolved and now there is just some external conflict to be solved by both. This is definitely NOT the case with "Under the Gun." As in any story, "Under the Gun" brings in some new external conflicts. But I was also caught up once again with their romance. It was not the complete and "happily ever after" I had thought. I found myself once again pulling for them and at the same time wondering if it would be possible for them to remain a couple. I was also caught up in the complex story-line. I cannot say much that isn't in the editorial without giving away too much. But the external events were just as spellbinding as what was going on between the two of them. We get a better look at some of the primary characters from "Gun Shy." Some are colorful and interesting. Some are...just as bad as you thought they were.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! and other exclamations for an amazing writer
Review: I finished Under the Gun and it was great. I actually pulled a 3am couldn't put it down sorta thing in order to finish it. Lori is just that amazing when it comes to writing. She can hit every emotion a reader would want to experience and even those one wouldn't. For example, I was frustrated when the book started off and Dez wasn't sleeping and the world wasn't all perfect and peaceful the way I imagined it would continue at the conclusion of Gun Shy- I mean Dez had found the love of her life how much luckier can a woman get? I did manage to work through THIS frustration and on to the point were I was getting frustrated when people were interrupting me and my time with this incredible book. It was a great novel, and I'm
glad that Lori has decided to continue the story into several books (she did mentioned a third one right?). Her characters are so well developed that I started to sympathize with them beyond what was good for me, I mean poor Jay- could anyone else take out some aggression on her? The story, the characters the overall flow of the writing is amazing and very deceptive between the covers of a thick novel. Size matters thats for sure, and this book isn't long enough. It sucked me in to the point where I was always floored when I DID have to take a break for something stupid (like work or sleep or whatever) that the book was going by so quickly and then near the end that it was going by TOO quickly. Lori- you better hurry up with that third book- PLEASE.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! and other exclamations for an amazing writer
Review: I finished Under the Gun and it was great. I actually pulled a 3am couldn't put it down sorta thing in order to finish it. Lori is just that amazing when it comes to writing. She can hit every emotion a reader would want to experience and even those one wouldn't. For example, I was frustrated when the book started off and Dez wasn't sleeping and the world wasn't all perfect and peaceful the way I imagined it would continue at the conclusion of Gun Shy- I mean Dez had found the love of her life how much luckier can a woman get? I did manage to work through THIS frustration and on to the point were I was getting frustrated when people were interrupting me and my time with this incredible book. It was a great novel, and I'm
glad that Lori has decided to continue the story into several books (she did mentioned a third one right?). Her characters are so well developed that I started to sympathize with them beyond what was good for me, I mean poor Jay- could anyone else take out some aggression on her? The story, the characters the overall flow of the writing is amazing and very deceptive between the covers of a thick novel. Size matters thats for sure, and this book isn't long enough. It sucked me in to the point where I was always floored when I DID have to take a break for something stupid (like work or sleep or whatever) that the book was going by so quickly and then near the end that it was going by TOO quickly. Lori- you better hurry up with that third book- PLEASE.
Rating:
Summary: Just as good as "Gun Shy"
Review: I read the first story of Dez and Jaylynn, and then this one. I was very impressed with Gun Shy, and this sequel is as good. I have read a fair amount of lesbian fiction, and what I liked about these two books is that they have a nice balance between general life drama and romance. There's a nice balance between real life and the cop world the two characters inhabit, and there's also a such good writing that the story flows by. I thought I might find such a long book daunting, but it wasn't that way at all. I'm no English scholar or critic, but I can't say enough good things about these books. They really touched me in every way and made me feel for Dez's painful struggles and Jay's efforts to help and keep hope. I don't generally save many of these books after I have read them, but both of these are ones I will keep to revisit in a few years.
Rating: 
Summary: Great plot, poor character interaction
Review: I will start by saying Dez and Jay are wonderful characters. The personal and professional struggles they go through are well-written and touching. That said, the interaction between Dez and Jay was rather hackneyed. It almost felt like Lake wrote the story, then realized she needed to have some sex scenes, so threw them in as an afterthought. (It got to the point that as soon as Jay and Dez went to bed, I skipped until they got out of bed.) I also didn't like how Sara, Tim, and Kevin disappeared from this book. They played a major role in "Gun Shy," then became cardboard walk-ons in this book.
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Rollercoaster Ride
Review: It took me a while to get to this book--it's a big one. But I was shocked at how fast it rolled by, and when I finished the last page, I felt like I'd been on a rollercoaster ride. Wow. I've read "Gun Shy" three times in the last four years, and very few books have affected me the way that one did. I sort of thought the writer couldn't top "Gun Shy," but this one does that in amazing ways. The struggle Dez has to go through, and the difficulties that she and Jaylynn face are so REAL. Unlike so many unrealistic romances where it's all about getting to the sex scenes, this one is all about getting a window into Dez's soul. There are several interesting subplots of the novel. The biggest one has to do with a murder mystery Jaylynn ends up working on, so as in "Gun Shy" some of the story is grounded in the day-to-day world of police work. Up until the end, I wasn't sure if Dez would stay a cop. That whole piece was handled well. I have a police friend who got post traumatic stress from seeing one too many murder scenes, and everything Dez goes through, he says is exactly right on. The healing process Dez goes through is just breathtaking. I couldn't believe how powerful it was. The way that Dez and Jaylynn finally come together was touching and wonderful. Bottom line is that this is a terrific book. One I will revisit. It's worth the time and money. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Stuff!! We want more!!
Review: This book definitely has a hook. Cops, romance, action, mystery, facing one's past demons -- it's all here. Here's a sample: Chapter Six, page 73, first edition. "An energetic, blonde-headed dynamo whisked into the room, and Dez's gaze was drawn to her, soaking in the intensity of her presence. All the veteran cop's past griefs had been made bearable because of this smiling being. It was a wonder that everyone in the room didn't sense the energy that so often passed back and forth between the two of them. She felt the heat rise up her neck to her ears, and she grabbed up her water bottle from the floor and drank from it, hoping no one noticed her red face." Aaaawwww!!!!! I really like the two protagonists, Dez Reilly and Jaylynn Savage, and I like what Lori Lake does with this story. She skillfully crafts the believable backdrops of their daily work and personal lives, and uses realistic life dynamics to develop two very endearing and strong personalities. She also shows Jay and Dez's evolving relationship in the midst of some growth pains and restructuring. It all rings real and true, and Lori writes with an impressive maturity. In particular, there is a theme involving some poignant scenes of self-insight for Dez, as she struggles to come to grips with the terror of love and need. Her orderly, Spartan and emotionally pristine life, (or how she lived Before-Jay) is gone, and with the passing of that way of coping, the sense of firm self-control Dez had established seems to be going, too. Dez has to find another way to live, a way that allows her to need and embrace fully Jay's presence in her life. Dez has an additional dilemma in recognizing and dealing with what is eventually diagnosed as post-traumatic stress. Dez endures an internal wrestling match with these twin tigers in a compelling series of scenes rich with both complex plotting and inner dialogue. It's good, evocative writing. Does this sound ever-so-Isben-esque? Well, Lori manages at the same time to make you want to turn to the next page. I think Jaylynn's involvement with trying to solve a puzzling murder mystery has something to do with that. It's an intriguing and competent rendering of what detective work is: the monotonous hours of making lists and comparing obscure, unrelated facts, the mountains of notes an investigation amasses, and the human foibles that add nuances to the job. (There are two well-drawn, middle-aged guys who like what Jay can make the computer data bank do, but have no interest in learning how to do it for themselves.) The plot portrays the odd incongruities the detectives come across during their search; weird things that sometimes mean nothing and sometimes hold a thread that needs a mere tug to unravel the weave which obscures the truth. This is a very solid exposition on police work, police officers and an unvarnished examination of the grunt work involved in being a detective. And I didn't figure out the ending -- so I think this is some deft mystery writing. Two things are obvious to me. This book took a great deal of research, and at the same time, the plotline that delved deeply into Dez's psyche caused Ms. Lake to stretch her craft. It is a book of grace and power. Bravo.
Rating:
Summary: Great Stuff!! We want more!!
Review: This book definitely has a hook. Cops, romance, action, mystery, facing one's past demons -- it's all here. Here's a sample: Chapter Six, page 73, first edition. "An energetic, blonde-headed dynamo whisked into the room, and Dez's gaze was drawn to her, soaking in the intensity of her presence. All the veteran cop's past griefs had been made bearable because of this smiling being. It was a wonder that everyone in the room didn't sense the energy that so often passed back and forth between the two of them. She felt the heat rise up her neck to her ears, and she grabbed up her water bottle from the floor and drank from it, hoping no one noticed her red face." Aaaawwww!!!!! I really like the two protagonists, Dez Reilly and Jaylynn Savage, and I like what Lori Lake does with this story. She skillfully crafts the believable backdrops of their daily work and personal lives, and uses realistic life dynamics to develop two very endearing and strong personalities. She also shows Jay and Dez's evolving relationship in the midst of some growth pains and restructuring. It all rings real and true, and Lori writes with an impressive maturity. In particular, there is a theme involving some poignant scenes of self-insight for Dez, as she struggles to come to grips with the terror of love and need. Her orderly, Spartan and emotionally pristine life, (or how she lived Before-Jay) is gone, and with the passing of that way of coping, the sense of firm self-control Dez had established seems to be going, too. Dez has to find another way to live, a way that allows her to need and embrace fully Jay's presence in her life. Dez has an additional dilemma in recognizing and dealing with what is eventually diagnosed as post-traumatic stress. Dez endures an internal wrestling match with these twin tigers in a compelling series of scenes rich with both complex plotting and inner dialogue. It's good, evocative writing. Does this sound ever-so-Isben-esque? Well, Lori manages at the same time to make you want to turn to the next page. I think Jaylynn's involvement with trying to solve a puzzling murder mystery has something to do with that. It's an intriguing and competent rendering of what detective work is: the monotonous hours of making lists and comparing obscure, unrelated facts, the mountains of notes an investigation amasses, and the human foibles that add nuances to the job. (There are two well-drawn, middle-aged guys who like what Jay can make the computer data bank do, but have no interest in learning how to do it for themselves.) The plot portrays the odd incongruities the detectives come across during their search; weird things that sometimes mean nothing and sometimes hold a thread that needs a mere tug to unravel the weave which obscures the truth. This is a very solid exposition on police work, police officers and an unvarnished examination of the grunt work involved in being a detective. And I didn't figure out the ending -- so I think this is some deft mystery writing. Two things are obvious to me. This book took a great deal of research, and at the same time, the plotline that delved deeply into Dez's psyche caused Ms. Lake to stretch her craft. It is a book of grace and power. Bravo.
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