Rating: 4.25 stars
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Length: Novel

Miki St. John is in a pretty good place in life — or at least a better place than he ever expected to be. He has found love and a solid relationship with Kane Morgan and has become the adoptive son of the Morgan clan. His best friend Damien is back from the dead, and along with the other members of their band, Crossroads Gin, their music careers are back on track. Miki still has a lot of personal demons to handle, but his life is good and his love with Kane is strong.

Things get shaken up, however, when Miki’s past resurfaces. Miki never knew anything about his parents, having been found abandoned as a toddler. His childhood is best left unremembered and moving forward from his difficult past has always been a struggle. Suddenly, the mystery of his parents and what happened to them is being blown open and Kane is in the middle of the case. Learning the truth isn’t easy for Miki, and the fact that once again there seems to be someone out there looking to kill him is making matters worse. Kane is determined to find out the truth and protect his man, but learning about Miki’s past is both helpful and bittersweet. However, with Kane by his side and help from his found family of Morgans and bandmates, Miki is ready to face the past and move forward in his future with Kane.

Sin and Tonic is the culmination of Rhys Ford’s fabulous Sinner’s Gin series and, as is fitting, we are back to where we started with Miki and Kane. Even though this series each features stories for the Morgan brothers, Sinner’s Gin has always felt like Miki’s series to me and he and Kane are the heart of these books. So I loved that here we get some closure on Miki’s past, as well as moving things forward between the men and really seeing the connections that have grown between Miki and the Morgan family.

The mystery/suspense side of things in the book is a little quieter than in others in the series, but we still do dig into the mystery of what happened to Miki’s parents, as well as dealing with someone who once again wants to see Miki dead. The truth behind his past turns out to be both tragic and fascinating and Ford does a nice job developing this side of things. I particularly liked how Kane must walk the line between his role as a cop investigating a murder and that of Miki’s partner learning things about his lover’s past in the course of the investigation. The case isn’t quite as high octane as in past books, but I found it interesting and Ford does a great job of tying the mystery side of things with the personal.

What really stands out for me here are the bonds that Miki has formed and the contrast between learning about his biological family and the connection he has with his bandmates and the Morgans. While learning about his past is important to him and brings him some closure, as well as hope for some future ties, what gives Miki the strength to deal with all of this is really the bonds he has with his found family. I love how Miki has come to accept the love and care from the Morgans, when that wasn’t always easy for him. Not only that, but how much he relies on them, particularly Donal. Sigh. Donal. I love him so much. And here we really see how he has become a father to Miki, how much he loves him, and how fiercely he will protect him. It is so lovely and seeing how far Miki has come over the course of the series is really rewarding.

Once again, we also see the strength of the connection between Miki and Kane. I appreciate that Ford doesn’t use this final book to shake things up between the men, but instead we see just how solid they are, how much they rely on one another, and how much they love each other. Fans of the couple will enjoy the way their happy ending plays out and things tie up nicely here for the two of them. While I will definitely miss these characters and this series, this book is a really nice ending for both and I found it quite rewarding.

So fans of the Sinner’s Gin series are not going to want to miss this final book. And for those who enjoy troubled rock stars, hunky cops, overbearing but loving families, and some mystery and suspense, I can definitely recommend the whole Sinner’s Gin series.

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.