Series review: Mockingbird Place by Kris Cook

Series: A Mockingbird Place

Novels Included:  The Marine in Unit A, The Cowboy in Unit E, The Fireman in Unit C, The Doctor in Unit H, The Fighter in Unit J

Author: Kris Cook

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: Available Now

The Marine in Unit A: “A very nice read that I totally enjoyed. I will read more by this author especially this series.” - Inked Rainbow Reads The Cowboy in Unit E: “Yes, I recommend the series. Smokin' hot and smart men who are not afraid to expose their feelings or get in touch with their emotional side. Well done, again, Mr. Cook! I look forward to the next book - impatiently!“  - Happily Ever Chapter The Fireman in Unit C: “Kris Cook gives us another issues driven story that his Mockingbird Place Guys must deal with to get their lives settled.” - Amazon Review The Doctor in Unit H: “This story is riveting and I read it from start to finish without putting it down! Kris takes you on a journey with his words - enjoy!!!!!!!” - Amazon Review The Fighter in Unit J: “A story of love triumphing over the sorrows of the past!! From the beginning to the end there are surprises that you don't see coming. Mockingbird Place is my dream home!” - Amazon Review

The man who has been more of a dad to me than my biological father is dead.

He rescued me from the streets six years ago—a runaway teenage boy, escaping a family who thought I was an abomination.

Now what do I do? I have no one.

My life might look great from the outside. I’m in college. I have my own apartment. I have lots of friends.

But I’m dying on the inside.

I feel so alone. Lost. Hopeless.

I’m not the kind of person to wallow in self-pity. I need a distraction.

The guy moving into Unit A may be just what I need to take my mind off of losing my dad.

****

21-year old Oliver Lancaster is attracted to 22-year old Adam Stockton, the former-Marine moving into Unit A. But attraction for the closeted man morphs quickly into something deeper, something meaningful, something that terrifies Oliver. What will happen if Adam learns about the secret from his past?

Warning: contains skinny dipping, two hot men kissing, and sexual situations taking place in a 10-unit Mediterranean complex filled with college-aged hotties.

 

The good news is the most gorgeous cowboy I've ever seen is moving in next door to me. The bad news? He's not alone. Hanging on his arm is a very pregnant woman. Are they a couple? It sure looks like they are. So not only is he not gay, but he also has a girlfriend, or a wife, or whatever. Just my luck.

**** 

21-year old Trace Cotton is an artist who never shows his paintings to anyone. When cowboy Luke Wagner moves into Mockingbird Place with a very pregnant Ava, Trace believes he must fight his attraction to Luke since he’s taken.

When Ava collapses outside Trace’s apartment, he comes to her rescue. Things aren’t what they seem on the surface, but when Trace finds out the truth will it be too late for a chance at something real with Luke? 

Warning: contains hot showers with singing, two sexy men kissing, and sexual situations taking place in a 10-unit Mediterranean complex filled with college-aged hotties.
 

A serial arsonist sets fire to the unit next to Jackson’s apartment—the unit the sexy fireman Eli lives in. 

Things really heat up when Jackson offers Eli a place to stay until Unit C is livable again. Jackson, being OCD, requires everything in his life to be neat and orderly, but Eli’s life is chaotic and messy, especially because of the man’s ex, who keeps pushing his way back into the fireman’s life. Living with Eli turns out to be much more than he bargained for. As much as he would love to just throw caution to the wind, Jackson believes it is best to keep things between him an Eli on the friend level. Nothing more. But an unexpected kiss rocks his world and he must figure out the real reason he’s terrified of the feelings Eli is bringing out in him. 

Will Jackson see that a future with Eli can help him let go of the guilt from his troubled past?

Jackson McAllen – Unit D

After spending several hours at the university’s library studying for my forensic psychology test next week, I drive away from the campus, anxious to get into my apartment and warm bed. Though I love the class, the amount of required reading has kept me very busy.

Thankfully, I don’t have any classes on Fridays this semester, so I can sleep in tomorrow. I’ll need the rest for Saturday’s tennis match. The new coach doesn’t believe in canceling no matter the weather. I really hope the forecast for the weekend is correct. We’re supposed to have clear skies and temperatures in the sixties. That will be a relief since this entire week has been so cold, especially today, which is the coldest.

The car is registering the outside temperature at ten degrees below freezing. It gives me a chill just looking at it.

I pull into my parking space at Mockingbird Place, my home sweet home. Bracing myself to face the cold, I open my car door and immediately smell smoke.

I look around and see where it’s coming from. Shit. It’s Eli’s apartment.

God, I hope he’s at the fire station working and not inside.

I call 9-1-1.

The dispatcher answers, “9-1-1. What’s your emergency?”

“I’m reporting a fire at Mockingbird Place.” I give her the address. “Unit C. I’m going to run to the door and make sure no one is inside.”

“Sir, for your safety you need to wait until the fire department gets there,” she says in a stern voice.

As I’m running, I tell her, “No way am I waiting.” At Eli’s door, I try to turn the knob. It’s locked. I pound as hard as I can. “Eli! Eli! Are you in there?”

My neighbors come out of their apartments. More smoke billows out the front window. I see that it’s broken. This could be arson. That realization multiplies my worry. Where the hell are you, Eli?

“I know I’m not supposed to hang up on you, ma’am, but I have to call my friend to make sure he’s okay.” Not waiting for her to respond, I click off of 9-1-1 and call Eli’s phone.

Sirens begin to wail in the distance.

Fuck. No answer.

Out of the corner of my eye I see something move. Hoping that it’s Eli, I turn and see the white stray cat that we’ve all adopted running down the sidewalk.

I knock even louder. “Eli!”

Suddenly, the door opens, releasing a massive amount of smoke. Eli rushes out with a towel around his waist and another covering his mouth. 

“Eli, are you okay?”

Coughing, he puts his arms around me. “Yes, I am.”

I’m overwhelmed with relief that he is safe, but I’m feeling so much more that I can’t explain. There’s no time to sort out these thoughts right now.

Eli coughs a few more times and then his demeanor goes into fireman mode. “Jackson, we need to step away from the building. It’s too dangerous. Please help me get everyone back.” He doesn’t wait for me but begins lifting his hands and motioning everyone to the other side of the pool. Following his lead, I do the same, directing our neighbors away from the fire.

Once he’s satisfied that everyone is safely away from the blaze, I take off my coat and give it to him. Then he and I run around to the back of Mockingbird Place and meet a fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car, which are pulling into the parking lot next to our units.

The firemen jump out and get to work like a well-oiled machine, pulling out the hoses and other equipment.

Still coughing, Eli steps over to the man in charge, who is broad shouldered with salt and pepper hair.

“Grayson? What the hell are you doing here wrapped in a towel?” the man asks.

“It’s my place, Captain,” Eli chokes out. “I was in the shower when I heard glass breaking and smelled gasoline. I ran downstairs and saw my sofa and curtains go up in flames. I grabbed my fire extinguisher from under the kitchen sink and tried to put out the blaze but it was already out of control.”

“Damn arsonists. This is the fifth fire we’ve had to deal with in the past two weeks.”

I curl my hands into fists, angry about the attacks on gays that have occurred in the area. First it started out as bashing. Eleven LGBT people ended up in the hospital. After the police increased their presence down on Cedar Springs, that’s when small apartment complexes around the area, like ours, were set on fire. Although there has been no evidence connecting the bashings to the arsons, the entire community is on edge.

The captain motions to the EMTs to come over. “He’s one of ours. Inhaled some smoke. Take good care of him.” He turns to Eli. “We are getting this under control. You know the drill. Stay put.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the EMTs give Eli oxygen and provide him blankets, the captain and his team put out the blaze.

“I’m fine, fellas.” Eli seems far from fine to me, at least not emotionally, which is no surprise considering all he’s gone through.

Even so, he’s still the perfect example of male beauty. He’s six-foot-one, just like me. Muscles for days. Piercing blue eyes. Thick, dark hair. Just like the old cliché says—tall, dark, and handsome. He looks like a very strong, tough guy, but still, who would be fine after their home caught on fire? I hate that this has happened to him.

A little while later, the captain walks over to us. “Eli, the good news is we were able to keep the fire from spreading to your second floor. The bad news is everything in your living room is toast. And you know the kind of water damage you’re going to have to deal with.”

“Yes, sir.” He sighs. “And the smoke damage too. The adjoining unit has a couple who are expecting a baby. I’m going to need help finding them a place to stay. Lashaya can’t take a chance breathing in the residual smoke.”

“You may be jumping the gun,” I tell him. I know how terrific a guy Eli is—always concerned about everyone else more than himself. “There might not be any smoke in their place. If there is, we’ll all work on getting them settled until it’s safe for her to return to their apartment.”

He nods. “I’m just glad no one got hurt.”

“We did find the remains of what looks to be a Molotov cocktail in the middle of your apartment,” the captain says. “Before you can get inside the investigators will have to go over your place first.”

Eli closes his eyes. “Maybe they’ll find a clue to who did this.”

Of course he’s still struggling with what has happened. Who wouldn’t be?

“I’m sorry but you’re not going to be able to stay here.” The captain puts his arm around him. “You can stay at the station until this gets all sorted out. I know it might be hard to get much rest but at least you’ll have a clean bed and a shower.”

Everything inside me wants to help Eli. “Why don’t you stay with me? I have the extra bedroom now that Trace is living with Luke, Ava, and the baby. And you and I are about the same size. I have plenty of clothes you can wear.” I don’t want him to think I’m only offering as a gesture of charity, so I add, “And quite frankly, I could use the company. I’ve been a little lonely since Trace moved out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. The first thing we need to do is get you out of the cold.”

He shakes his head. “I’d rather stay here until the fire is completely out.”

Knowing I would feel the same way if it were my place on fire, I nod. “Okay. But I’m going to get something for your bare feet. I’ll be right back.”

I run into my place and up the stairs. I pull out a pair of slippers from my closet. 

As I rush back to Eli, I see the fire is already under control. The captain is talking with two police officers, a male and female. I also spot Sarah and Martha, who we lovingly call S & M, giving the firemen coffee and hot chocolate.

I hand the slippers to Eli. “I hope these fit you.”

“My feet feel like icicles. Thanks, Jackson.” Putting them on, he smiles. “Perfect, buddy. Already feel better. But let me give your coat back. You must be freezing too.”

I was so concerned with getting him the slippers I didn’t think about grabbing a coat for myself. “I’m fine. Keep it, Eli.”

The captain leads the police officers to us. “This is Eli Grayson. Eli, they have a few questions they need to ask you.”

“I’m Detective Soliz,” the female officer says, and then motions to her partner. “And this is Detective Morrison.”

I recall what the outside temperature registered on my car earlier. Ten degrees below freezing. “Officers, I know you have to ask him questions but could we please go inside my place so he can warm up?” I point to my back door. “I live next door to him.”

Soliz nods. “Of course. Lead the way.”

Once we’re all settled into my apartment, I turn up the heat and put on a pot of coffee. I wish my friend Detective Derek Stone could take Eli’s statement. But Derek only works homicides.

“Mr. Grayson, I understand Captain Murphy told you about his suspicions that this could be arson,” Soliz says.

“Yes he did.”

“Do you have any idea who might have done this?”

“No. I don’t have any enemies that I know of.”

Morrison asks, “Have you had an argument with anyone recently?”

Eli shrugs. “I did have an argument with my friend Scott a couple of days ago, but that’s not unusual. We’ve been arguing with each other since I kicked him out, but I’m certain Scott’s not capable of this.”

Of course the bastard is capable of this and so much more. Why can’t Eli see the guy for who he truly is?

Soliz looks directly at Eli. “What were you arguing about, Mr. Grayson?”

“Same old thing. He wants me to forgive him and take him back.”

We all know the asshole cheated on him, even if Eli has never said so. I saw Scott making out with a guy at a club when he was still living with Eli. And despite Eli breaking it off with the bastard and kicking him out, the creep somehow is able to make Eli feel sorry for him.

I bring out a tray with coffee, cups,  cream, and sugar. “Officers, would you like some coffee? It’s freezing out there.”

“I sure would,” Morrison says.

Soliz smiles. “Me, too. Thank you.”

“What about you, Eli?” I ask him.

“Please. I’m still cold.”

After taking a sip of coffee, Soliz turns back to Eli. “What’s your friend’s full name, Mr. Grayson?”

“Scott Foster.”

“Do you have his address and phone number?” she asks.

“I do. In my cell.” Eli frowns. “Oh shit. It was on the table next to my sofa. Um…Scott lives in a condo on Cedar Springs not far from Oak Lawn. I think they’re called Whispering Pines.”

“Whispering Pines?” I’m stunned. “Those are really nice.”

“Where does Mr. Foster work?” Soliz asks Eli.

“He just started working part time at the 7-Eleven on Lemmon a couple of weeks ago.”

I wonder how in the hell his ex can afford to live in an upscale condo. Is Eli subsidizing him?

Eli takes a sip of his coffee. “But like I said before, Scott isn’t capable of such a crime.”

“But he certainly is a big jerk,” I blurt out and immediately wish I could take it back. “Sorry, Eli. You know none of us here like Scott after all he did to you.”

“What is your name?” Soliz asks me.

Damn it. I should have kept my mouth shut. “Jackson McAllen.

“What can you tell us about Mr. Foster?”

“I don’t really know him. I only saw him a few times when he and Eli were still together.”

She leans forward. “And?”

“And I don’t care for him.”

“Can you elaborate?” Morrison asks in a I-mean-business-so-don’t-try-to-bullshit-me tone.

“I’ve seen him throw a drink in Eli’s face, scream at Eli at a club, and throw Eli’s clothes in the pool.” Rage rolls up inside me. Why can’t Eli see his ex is a useless piece of shit? “Scott Foster is a total asshole.”

Soliz glances at her partner and then turns back to me. “Are you and Mr. Grayson dating now?”

“No, we are not,” Eli jumps in. “Jackson and I are only friends.”

His words sting me. “Right. Just friends.”

“I don’t understand why you’re wasting time, officers,” Eli says. “Stop trying to pin this on Scott. I told you, he’s not capable of this.”

The male officer’s eyebrows rise. “Have you heard the saying from Hamlet ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’?”

Is Morrison referring to Eli’s ex being the arsonist or that Eli and I should be together? God, I wish Eli and I could be more than friends. I like him. I like him a lot. But he and I wouldn’t work. His life is too complicated and messy for me. Blame it on my OCD. I must have things simple and orderly.

Maddox Butler

Some people say you can’t fall in love at 18. But I did. And the man of my dreams? Jaris Black. He was also 18.

Our first year at medical school we moved in together. It was…perfect.

Until…

I haven’t seen or talked to him in six years. But I’ve never stopped thinking about him. Jaris is a very successful doctor, which is no surprise to me. Still living in Unit H at Mockingbird Place.

God, how I’ve missed him.

I won’t drag Jaris into the chaos that is my life. No. I won’t. But my mother who is dying has requested to see him. They were so close. Still are.

I had to honor Mom’s wish. I called him and he’s arriving in an hour. Can I keep my feelings hidden from him? I need to, for his sake.

Will it take a miracle for this Episcopal priest and MMA fighter to fall in love? 

Stephen 

I call him Anthony, though everyone else calls him Tony. Why? Because I know there’s more to this rude, obnoxious, sullen, sexy man. Anthony totally mesmerizes me. He’s like a drug habit I can’t quit. I’m a priest. I should know better. 

We are friends. Or were. I guess he felt safe with me since I’m a priest. But when he learned that my church is welcoming to gays and that it even has gay priests, he backed off. I haven’t been totally honest with him about my feelings, but I’m sure he senses them. 

He’s incredible in the fighting cage and wins all his fights. Before Anthony, I never cared for boxing, let alone mixed-martial arts fights. But now? I’m enthralled every time I see him battle it out with an opponent. What does he whisper to them before he pummels them to the mat? I wonder. 

Why does he keep his guard up with everyone, especially me? He’s pushed me away at every turn. He’s made it crystal clear that he doesn’t believe in anything. Not God. Not anyone. Not even me. 

I should just walk away. But I just can’t. Every time I look into his eyes something overwhelming and undeniable pushes me to keep holding on to hope. Is there a chance for us or is it just a fool’s fantasy? 

—— 

Anthony 

I like sex, but making love? That’s not in the cards for me. If a guy wants more from me than wild, sweaty sex… I move on. There’s plenty of others to choose from. 

I don’t let people in. It never works out. Never. 

I made a mistake opening up to Stephen when he moved into Mockingbird Place. Why do I like him so much? He’s a priest. Father Stephen. And he believes in things I see as fairy tales. I have my reasons. I’ve seen the darkest parts of humanity, and I didn’t see any divine light breaking through. 

I’ve iced him out. I know what he wants, and I can’t give it to him. I’m not white-picket anything. Never will be. But I can’t get him out of my mind. It’s driving me crazy. The only thing I know to do is to shut out everything and jump back into the cage. That’s the only place it gets really quiet for me and I can forget for a few precious moments.

Though starting in straight erotic romance, Kris's total focus now is on gay romance. When asked why recently, his answer was "My muse finally came out of the closet. Isn't it about time? I’ve been out since I was twenty-five." A voracious reader, Kris loves many genres of fiction, but this writer's favorite books are romances that are edgy, sexy, with rich characters and unique challenges. Kris' influences include Anne Rice, JR Ward, Lexi Blake and Shayla Black. Last year, Kris married the love of his life Stephen.

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The Marine In Unit A

Looking for a book with realistic, complex, multi-layered characters, you've definitely found one. A masterpiece of a story.

Mockingbird Place, with it's awesome, close-knit, and welcoming family of residents, is a place I would definitely love to live in. Everyone looks out for each other, even through tragedy.

As a veteran, albeit Air Force, I can easily identify with Adam the Marine, trying to adjust to civilian life which is different from what he expected to be. While it's not mentioned specifically, I can easily see it, which attests to the author's skill in creating and developing Adam's character.

Enter Oliver, an out loud and proud college student and president of the university's Rainbow Student Coalition, who lives a few units down from Adam. From the mixed signals he receives from Adam the question in his mind is simple. Is Adam gay or straight?

I'm definitely no stranger to receiving mixed signals, but it was no easy task to figure out Adam's signals. In fact, I didn't figure it out until it was made clearer. Well done, Kris.

Digging into the pasts of both Adam and Oliver, Oliver's story is one that I read about from time to time. However, I was not expecting Adam's story, which pulled at my heartstrings. His bravery is incredible.

Add in a strong supporting cast and a recent (real) current event, and you have an engrossing page-turner.

One of the best things I like about this book is that the story arcs are realistic, almost if they'd been taken from news headlines. It's more about life outside the bedroom. If you're looking for a book with lots of explicit sex scene's I'm afraid you're going to be in for a disappointment. In fact, there are only 2 sex scenes in the book. It's all about dealing with whatever life throws at you, especially with the support of friends and family.

The promotional group I blog for gives us a scale of 1 to 5 upon which to rate the pre-release books we review. If I could, I'd give this book a 100, but I have to settle for a 5.

This is clearly one of the finest pieces of literature I've ever had the pleasure to read. I strongly encourage EVERYONE to read it.

₪₪₪₪₪

The Cowboy In Unit E

The Cowboy in Unit E has the same realistic, complex, multi-layered characters we met in The Marine In Unit A, plus 2 new characters taking up residence in Mockingbird Place.

Readers are introduced to the very pregnant Eva Stone and the hunky cowboy Luke Wagner, who immediately catches the eye of resident artist Trace Cotton.

Even though signals coming off Luke are quite clear, tortured sole Trace is convinced of Luke's heterosexuality because of Anna.

How many times have people, both gay and straight been in this same situation? I know I have more than once. Clear cut signals can sometimes be easily misinterpreted. What am I talking about? Read The Cowboy In Unit E to find out.

The story is not without near tragedy and angst. The way that the residents of Mockingbird Place rally around and support Trace, Eva and Luke is exactly the way everyone should help out their neighbors.  Humanity at it's finest.

The question remains, is Luke straight or gay? The residents work to find out, and if he is, can Trace catch his interest? The author makes this happen without the appearance of the residents butting into the private lives of Trace, Anna and Luke, with unexpected results.

The way the author accomplishes this plot point the same way as he handles the rest of the story, pulling the readers in without excess wording or hyperbole, and those who know me personally know the word hyperbole is generally not in my vocabulary, but it's definitely called for here.

As I have stated previously, Mockingbird Place, with it's awesome, close-knit, and welcoming family of residents, is a place I would definitely love to live in. Everyone looks out for each other, even through tragedy.

All of the characters combine to create an engrossing page-turner.

The Cowboy in Unit E contains story arcs that are realistic, almost if they'd been taken from news headlines. It's more about life outside the bedroom. If you're looking for a book with lots of explicit sex scenes you are in for a disappointment. Instead it's all about dealing with whatever life throws at you, especially with the support of friends and family.

I really like the fact that you don't have to read The Marine in Unit A to understand what's happening in The Cowboy in Unit E. To me, those are the best kind of sequels.

The ending even hints at a possible third Mockingbird Place novel, possibly titled The ? in Unit ? (no, I don't know anything for sure. This is mere supposition (again, a word I never use) on my part.

The promotional group I blog for gives us a scale of 1 to 5 upon which to rate the pre-release books we review. If I could, I'd give this book a 100, but I have to settle for a 5.

This is clearly one of the finest pieces of literature I've ever had the pleasure to read. I will most definitely be reading it , and The Marine in Unit A again.

Bottom line:  read it!

The Fireman In Unit C

Going...going...GONE! Hit right out of the ballpark!

Once again we are transported to Mockingbird Place, a wonderful place to live, where all the close-knit residents genuinely care about each other and help each other out, including new residents.

The author does not introduce any new characters in this novel. Instead, he expands on the existing characters, adding even more depth and complexity to them and their interpersonal relationships, including a new relationship forming between two of the residents.

The plot and story arcs are like something you'd hear on the evening news. I won't go into any details. To do so would give out spoilers, which I won't do.

One of the things I like about the Mockingbird Place series is that you don't have to read any of the previous novels, which include The Marine In Unit A and The Cowboy In Unit E in order to understand what is happening in The Fireman In Unit C.

This is an engrossing story which I read in one sitting. It's just that good. I highly recommend The Fireman In Unit C, indeed the entire Mockingbird Place series, highly.

I will definitely be reading it again as I'm sure other readers will do also.

On a scale of 1 to 5 I give it a 5 and suggest that readers put it on their must read list.

The Doctor In Unit H

Kris Cook has done it again...he's blown my socks off. Every time I read a Mockingbird Place novel (this is #4) I wish I could find such a place and move there. The residents immediately open their arms and hearts to new tenants, making them feel welcome, loved and cared for. But it goes farther than that. The truly stand behind each other, REGARDLESS of the situation any of them find themselves in, as Maddox Butler finds out.

Kris gives readers a story that is so realistic it could have been taken straight from the 6:00 news. The characters are incredibly complex and determined to help Maddox out of the situation he finds himself in, a travesty of justice.

One of the greatest things about the Mockingbird Place novels is that you don't have to read any of them to understand what's going on in the novels, and The Doctor In Unit H is no exception. I can't recommend The Doctor In Unit H strongly enough. Or the entire series for that matter.

The Fighter In Unit J

 Once again we are transported to Mockingbird Place. In this visit we are going to look in on Mixed-Martial Arts Fighter Tony, or Anthony as Father Stephen calls him.

MMA fights aren't the only thing Tony fights. He's fighting his attraction to Father Stephen. There's a dark secret in his past which affects the way he fights, which is totally not what I had expected.

As usual, the gang from Mockingbird place rally around Tony and Father Stephen and help clear a path for the two of them to become a couple, or not.

There's not a lot I can say about The Fighter In Unit J that I haven't said about the other books in this series. One of the things I love about these books is the consistency of character behavior and interactions. I've read other series where the characters are different from book to book. Sometimes you can't even recognize them. Not so with these books. Kudos to Kris for that.

I'm sure some of you are thinking that it's the same 'ole story, just focusing on different characters. While I admit that there is some truth to that I emphasize the word SOME. Each story stands on it's own merits. Each brings more complexity to each character without overshadowing the main characters.

I have to give The Fighter In Unit J a 5 out of 5 and assure you that even if you're not into the MMA or Episcopal church scene, you WILL enjoy this book.

Read the Mockingbird Place series. You don't have to read them in order (which is an awesome thing about this series). Just read them. You most definitely will not be disappointed.

What's next for the residents of Mockingbird Place? I'm afraid only the author knows for sure. I would absolutely love to read more about these fine people.