Bargaining with the Devil

Reviews

• Frida

  Started September 22, 2026 · Finished September 22, 2026

  I'm hooked, and I love these novellas because I’m really understanding why these are necessary to the series, because this is where so much of the actual relationship development seems to happen. Jack and Ethan have technically made their little arrangement, but watching them slowly turn that arrangement into something neither of them is quite willing to name yet is probably my favourite part. There are so many small moments here that tell you how much closer they’re getting. Jack is very obviously developing feelings, Ethan is becoming increasingly comfortable with him, and they’re learning each other in ways that go far beyond sex. I especially love seeing Ethan’s trust in Jack grow because it makes some of his quieter moments of vulnerability hit surprisingly hard. At the same time, Ethan has apparently decided that Jack having a job is merely a suggestion and keeps finding ways to interfere whenever he thinks Jack might need him. The book itself basically frames their problem as neither man being particularly capable of sticking to the bargain they made. We already see how much emotion is sitting underneath all arguments, particularly when Jack realises that Ethan isn't simply inserting himself into his cases for fun. He is worried about him. I really liked this. It feels like we're being given these little snapshots of all the things that have to happen between the big books for their relationship to make sense. Nothing enormous needs to happen because the accumulation of those smaller moments is doing the work.

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