REVIEW: Not What It Seems by Nicky James

NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

by Nicky James

Release Date: September 6, 2021

Audio Release Date: February 23, 2022

Review

This had me hooked from the first page. Absolutely fascinating. And I won’t give any spoilers, but let me just say…I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!

I’m still new to Nicky James, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was blown away. Utterly entranced with this psychological/mystery romance.

Both characters were super interesting and their pairing was captivating. Cyrus. The smart, older, successful Dr, who’s also lacking in self-esteem, no thanks to a cruel ex. He’s sensitive and kind and only wants to do what’s right. He made the mistake of looking for love in a hookup. Until his hook-up ends up being the man he’s called in to evaluate, being accused of murder.

River is young and brash. He’s caring, but he hides beneath his cocky veneer. Life in foster homes has taught him not to get too close. But the sensitive Dr. gets under his skin. He also needs him to help get to the bottom of the murders he is accused of.

This is a wild ride. The push and pull between these two. Cyrus wars with himself over protecting himself and doing what is right by River and the truth. River is caught in a web of lies that leave him feeling crazy.

I consumed this as an audiobook, and I struggled to get anything done while listening to it. It was that good. Nick J. Russo, did a fantastic job as the narrator. He really captured their personalities and the style of the book.

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Synopsis

They say I killed them. They say I’m sick. They’re wrong. Nothing is as it seems.

Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Cyrus Irvine takes his job and his life very seriously. He is well-respected in his field and has worked hard to get where he is.

But he’s lonely.

When called in to do a mental health evaluation on a murder suspect, the last thing he expects to find is the man he slept with a few months ago. The man who ghosted him and wounded his fragile heart. Ethically, he should turn around and walk away, but he doesn’t. For as much as Cyrus understands the human brain, he can’t understand the pull he feels to the patient.

One session with River Jenkins and Cyrus is sure of three facts:

One, River and everything about his preliminary diagnosis is a lie.

Two, his feelings toward River haven’t gone away.

And three, despite his professional code, he isn’t going anywhere.

Someone needs to get to the bottom of this.

Cyrus’s world is turned upside down as he and River team up to find the truth. During their quest for answers, Cyrus discovers, the hardest part of his decision isn’t the risk to his career, it’s the risk to his heart.

About Nicky James

I live in the small town of Petrolia, Ontario, Canada and I am a mother to a wonderful teenage boy (didn't think those words could be typed together...surprise) and wife to a truly supportive and understanding husband, who thankfully doesn't think I'm crazy.

I have always had two profound dreams in life. To fall back hundreds of years in time and live in a simpler world, not bogged down by technology and to write novels. Since only one of these was a possibility I decided to make the other come alive on paper.

I write mm romance novels that take place in fantastical medieval type settings and love to use the challenges of the times to give my stories and characters life.

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