Dinner and Diatribes (Stay Grounded #2) by B.H. Lynn

Dinner with your partner's parents is stressful enough, but Trevor now has to investigate who might have it out for his boyfriend's parents. Some investigating, some relationship strain, and some healing of past hurts is the focus of Dinner and Diatribes, the second book from the Stay Grounded series.

From the blurb:

Trevor:

Meeting Alex O’Reilly has changed everything for me. In the past four months, I’ve found more

balance in work, life, and happiness than I thought was possible for me the night we met. My life is far from perfect, but I’m starting to recover from my past expectations, and form new, and exciting ones.

But when a dinner with Alex’s family turns into a crime scene, that newfound balance is thrown in a blender.

With the city being overrun by a swell of crime, the case falls to my partner Julie Rowen and I, and brings the weight of the world with it. Gone are the lines of Trevor the detective, and Trevor the man. I’m not only under the microscope of my Lieutenant, but I can’t help but feel the warranted expectations of the man I love.

As time passes by, it’s clear that this criminal won’t stop at one attempt to get to Alex’s family. If we’re going to keep everyone alive and well, Jules and I need to be at our sharpest, and solve this case before it escalates.

Can I hold it together long enough to survive this case with the safety of Alex’s family intact, and still hold my badge? And when both of our world’s are turned upside down, will I be able to keep my relationship with Alex in the process?

SNik's Review:

Second in series (Stay Grounded), best read in order. Established couple. Single POV. 

Dinner with Alex’s parents has Trevor on edge and when the night ends up starting an arson investigation, it causes all kinds of problems for Trevor to navigate an investigation involving Alex’s family. 

Again, there is a large amount of introspection by Trevor as he evaluates the differences between Trevor’s relationship with his family versus the non-existent one Trevor has with his parents. 

Juggling the investigation while trying to manage Alex’s expectations causes friction, but Alex and Trevor are committed to each other and thoroughly in love. 

This story is part police procedural and part emotional turmoil in the furtherance of Alex and Trevor’s relationship. Some steam, supportive secondary characters and a HFN kept this second installment of the series entertaining.

Rating: 4 Stars

Alyssagp's Review:

This is the second in the series and it starts where the first story left off. Alex and Trevor are in the honeymoon stage of their new relationship when something happens to cause a bump in the road.  While having dinner with Alex’s parents a situation happens that turns everything into chaos. 

While Trevor is doing his job, things cause him to strongly doubt himself and his ability to have a relationship. Alex is also going through a stressful time. Things happen to him that cause him to behave different than usual.  

I found I really liked this book better than the first. Trevor grew on me more as a real person with problems that are hard to deal with. In the first book he just didn’t seem to fit a detective personality.  

After this story I really look forward to the next in the series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Lori C's Review:

This book really captured my heart for multiple reasons. One, May is Mental Health awareness month. While the author wrote the story in January, May is the perfect month to read about Trevor deciding to seek counseling for his PTSD. Two, no matter their troubles, Alex and Trevor circle back to and hold tight to each other. Three, I loved, absolutely loved, the addition of Alex’s parents into the storyline. 

Alex and Trevor are building a family around themselves and it is beautiful to read! The mystery itself was a bit difficult to read as it had elements of homophobia and racism in it; however, that was the point of the story I think. 

To be truthful, this type of behavior happens in real life in some form and so to not have it happen in the books we read would be disingenuous. 

With the epilogue of Dinner and Diatribes fresh in my thoughts, I am ready to jump into Foreigner’s God! 

Rating: 4 Stars

Dinner and Diatribes is available to buy as an ebook.