Keeping Casey is another terrific contemporary romance from Amy Aislin. Loosely connected to her hockey series through the Glen Hill College Mountaineers hockey team, which has made its appearances in other stories , this novel is the first in a new Keeping Him series.
In Keeping Casey the author weaves many of my favorite tropes together to form a sweet and moving romance. Here we have a nerd/jock relationship thatās a friends to lovers with elements of slow burn, hurt/comfort, even LGBTQIA bullying within a fake boyfriend storyline.
Yep, all that and it works so well together.
Of course it helps tremendously if you have adorable, layered characters with realistic chemistry that whenever theyāre together the warmth and love just flows off the pages.
Thereās a bullying aspect here but on the jock side which is unexpected but again completely realistic. Also twinned painful pasts for both men where each has taken that trauma and emotionally internalized it in vastly different ways.
These elements, two incredibly different characters and one amazing relationship. It all makes for a fantastic romance and terrific secondary characters whose stories will be appearing shortly.
Another aspect I loved is that people, hockey players and their partners, from her other books and series , pop up here as supporters. It works beautifully. And itās great to see them all again.
Iām highly recommending this story and Iām onto the next!
Keeping Him series:
Keeping Casey #1
Keeping Kellen #2
Synopsis:
Casey Preston is the guy with the plan. The list-maker. The one who micromanages his own life.
Spontaneously offering to be his best friendās fake boyfriend to get Ethanās annoying team captain off his back?
Thatās not thinking things through. Itās not even smart given Caseyās been fighting his feelings for Ethan for years.
Ethan Rain just wants to play hockey and get his college degree. Adding a fake boyfriend to the mix? He doesnāt need that complication.
If Casey were his real boyfriend, though? If he got to keep Casey forever? Now weāre talking.
Yes, my holiday reading is in full swing! And hereās another book guaranteed to bring about an onslaught of the Christmas cozies and a need to bake a gazillion sugar holiday cookies!
Itās N. R. Walkerās Tic-Tac Mistletoe! What a Christmas heartwarmer!
It will, as it itself will tell you, bring up the imagery of every great Hallmark Christmas movie, including all the spot on elements we expect to see in those holiday stories and happily delivers us a Walker Hallmark Christmas story that exudes so much heart, Christmas cheer as well as poignancy, family, and love that you will want to include this as a holiday story to return to.
It even has an adorable doggy character and memorable quotes from one of my favorite movies. And no, surprisingly, itās not a holiday one.
Walkerās characters are perfectly imperfect, layered and connectable. And so easy to love. Here it also includes a town straight out of every Hallmark tale and itās citizens.
My only issue is that stories like these end far sooner then Iām ready for. I can always linger a tad longer than the pages allow.
Maybe next season there will be a return and a wedding. I can always hope.
Til then, make this a part of your holiday reading list. Yes Iām highly recommending it.
Synopsis:
Hamish Kenneally is moving from Australia to the US for a fresh start, starting with Christmas at his sisterās place in Idaho. When a snowstorm diverts his plane to Montana and leaves him stranded two days before Christmas, he hires a car and drives right into a blizzard.
Ren Brooks has always called Hartbridge, Montana, and his family hardware store, home. After a few failed attempts at love, heās resigned to being single foreverāafter all, no guy wants to stay in his sleepy little town for long. And after his dadās passing earlier in the year, Renās Christmas is looking bleak. But when a car runs off the road in front of his property, Ren pulls the driver out and takes him home to get out of the cold.
With the storm and the holidays leaving Hamish with nowhere else to go, Ren kindly offers a place to stay. Hamish is certain heās crashed right into a Hallmark Christmas movie, despite more car delays and road closures and the prospect of not seeing his sister for Christmas. And with help from Hamish, Ren is beginning to feel a little Christmas cheer.
These two unlikely strangers have more in common than they first realise, and after two days of Christmas decorations, cookies, and non-stop conversation, it looks like Christmas might be saved after all
As we head into November, itās time for the Holiday stories (and movies) to start being released.
And for those of us who love to read them (and watch them) to start our holiday feasting!
First up for me was the first in this adorable Amy Aislin Christmas series Lighthouse Bay. Currently running at two books, both holiday novels, itās a great way to dive into your seasonal reading.
Christmas Lane is a heartwarming age gap, friends to lovers romance set in the appropriately snowy New England (and Hallmarky) town getting ready for its Christmas parade! It doesnāt get more holidayish ( Iām on a roll with yes, those absolutely should be words thing) then that.
Zach Greenfeldās helping out his sister in the familyās, now hers, store while figuring out his next step. Turns out he gets roped into running the townās parade, since event planning is his specialty, and ends up next to his forever crush.
Holland Stone, former teacher, now exclusive dollhouse maker and float designer ⦠of his own. And Zachās crush.
The slow burn romance between Zach and Holland occurs through a parade day countdown format which I love. Day by day as we get closer to the actual parade, the men grow closer through planning the parade, the details of each float, the disasters the arise, the community as it works together and the overall sense of achievement and love that pervades this story.
Everyone and everything has such warmth and depth to it. It may all be covered with the rosy glow of Christmas but by the end thereās no place or town and with no couple youād rather be spending your time with.
Christmas Lane is charming, heartwarming and romantic. Just a marvelous way to start your holiday reading. I highly recommending it.
Lighthouse Bay series:
Christmas Lane #1
Gingerbread Mistletoe #2
Synopsis:
It’s recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld’s favorite time of the year and he’s just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush–Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float–Santa’s sleigh–gets damaged.
Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa’s sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.
Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.
Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!
Lane Hayes is at her best when it comes to characters deeply anguished by choices theyāve made or failed to make in their lives. People who are now failing under the pressure, stress, and pain the situation they now find themselves in.
Hayes has that ability to deliver that pain, that shame and doubt directly into the readers hearts, connecting us to the characters and their life choices.
Here in book 3, the angst has never been so apparent, the pain of repression and itās repercussions so widespread.
We start off with Asher Fitzgibbons,genius, works at NASA, immediate-goal to work at the JPL. Heās decided to, one time only, to hook up with a app for a one night stand.
Asher, diminutive blonde genius, has made a number of impactful appearances in the prior stories but here the tiny perfectionist is given his due.
Oh, what a complicated man he turns out to be, with a heartbreak of a past as a foundation.
The man on the other side of the app? That would be Blake Johnson, coach of girls LaCrosse at a posh private school , and very closeted bisexual.
At first you believe that all the anguish, the repression, and the pain is coming from Blake as he deals with years of self denial and the situations at school. This is heartbreaking stuff here.
But slowly it becomes apparent that Asher too is suffering from some deep emotional issues, and past trauma.
How both men work through all the issues and barriers to arrive at a satisfying relationship is a richly rewarding journey and wonderful read.
I adore these uniquely nerdy geniuses and the men they come to love. Apparently the series isnāt over yet. Another holiday novel and book four is coming.
Great characters, well written storylines, including some deep elements all leading up to heartwarming romances.
Swipe left, swipe left, swipe left. Sure, the idea of a quick, no-strings intimate rendezvous via hookup app sounds oddly thrilling, but itās simply not me. Or maybe it is me, because it happenedā¦and I liked it. Until I realized he looked familiar for a reason. A bad reason. Now Iāve made a faux pas with the sexiest man on planet Earth, and my internal karma system requires me to fix it. Help!
Blake-
I may seem like I have it together, but the truth is, Iām a hot mess. Iām so deep in the closet that I canāt remember my real name some days. Thatās okay. The benefit of one-night stands is anonymity. Until Asher. Not a total surprise. Iāve always had a thing for geeks, but Iāve never met anyone like him. Heās a pint-sized dynamo on a quest for perfection who can help me come outā¦if I follow his script.
Hmm. Iām in.
The Jock Script is an MM bisexual, geek/jock romance starring a bowtie wearing nerd, a sexy lacrosse coach, and a shenanigan inducing script!
I really wondered about this story because of the character of George.
Thatās tall, cape wearing, genius whoās been a bit of an enigma although heās gotten a lot of page time within the series to date.
Nice trick. Very vampire like.
So whoās heās paired up with becomes as much as a surprise as he is . And that makes this story more satisfying all the way.
Rules of Play helps fill in Georgeās important adolescence stage as well as advance the timeline for the focus group of friends. We get his past and see the entire group more settled into jobs or relationships.
Maturity is advancing,,,, somewhatā¦
But the person about to come back into Georgeās life is someone very familiar and close to Georgeās family.
Aiden is one of Simonās best friends, and Simon is one of Georgeās older brothers. Aiden also spent much of his younger years at the Murphy house because of his parents dysfunction and love of alcohol.
A broken down car and a night rescue is all it takes to bring Aiden ,as a mechanic, back into Georgeās life. Georgeās bossās unfortunate love life will keep him there as they plot a way for Newton to romance the girl of his dreams.
Close proximity and really heated libidos bring about all sorts of changes in their relationship, including ones Aiden never anticipated. One where he just might be bisexual.
Complicated characters, realistic situations, emotionally charged conversations about sexuality, and, friendship. All those elements wrapped up in a great romance.
Lane Hayes delivers a marvelous tale full of humor, lusty scenes, warmth and love.
This series continues to evolve and get better with each story.
Love this and everyone novel. Recommending them all.
My brotherās friend is hotāif youāre into flannel-wearing lumbersexual former jocks who eat donuts for dinner and still scribble to-do lists on their palms. Iām not. Iām a serious scientist in my final year of grad school. Okay, I admit I have few quirks of my own. I also have a broken truck and a boss who thinks I can help him find love. Iām in over my head. Help!
Aiden-
A few quirks? Really? George is the weirdest dude I know. He wears capes in public, brings a book everywhere he goes, and loves all things spooky. Heās also the smartest person on the planetāwho somehow thinks I can help him write a How-To-Get-A-Date playbook for his boss. Yeah, that sounds suspicious. I know baseball; I donāt know anything about love. But I canāt say no. The thing isā¦Iāve always had a soft spot for George. But falling for my best friendās brother is against the rules, isnāt it?
Rules of Play is an MM bisexual awakening story where opposites attract and shenanigans ensue!
Lane Hayes has another great series in The Script Club, winning me over immediately with the first novel which introduces us to the central characters and universe.
Following the Rules also sets out the formal by which all the rest of the romances and stories will follow.
There is a main group of geniusā friends in their last semester of grad school. They have similar intellects and are pursuing careers in Aerospace engineering generally, but more complicated. Iāll let each character describe it. Take my word for it⦠space, NASA, ā¦.
All are huge nerds in different ways, which makes each a vastly unique personality.
First up is Christopher āTopherā Thornton, aerospace engineer studying Astrodynamics⦠and Iāll leave the rest to him. Heās in need of money as a grant and summer job fell through. His friend, George (and roommate) suggests that his brother Simon needs help to make it through his college courses while he waits to see if heāll return to the NFL.
That brings up all sorts of issues for Topher as ājocksā both attract him and end up being his Kryptonite.
Simon Murphy, ex NFL player, Georgeās brother, was cut by his NFL team after a series of injuries, including a number of concussions. Now that heās finished rehab, heās enrolled in college to finish his degree while waiting to see if his agent can get him back in a NFL team.
But heās having trouble with his courses, especially the math snd science so itās George or more specifically Topher to the rescue.
Except straight Simon starts to realize heās extremely attracted to Topher in every way.
This is a terrific series that deals a lot with a person examining their perceptions about their own sexuality and then realizing that perhaps theyāve either been repressing or denying their true selves until now.
That meeting, here itās Topher, the person that makes them able to want to ācome outā for themselves and live their truth is everything.
Hayesā characters are always so well done. They feel so unique but never stray into the cartoonish. Like Topher and Simon, they are opposite personalities but layered enough to feel vulnerable and open to both hope and disappointment.
Theirs is a funny, sweet, and a bit dramatic (of course) romance. Itās lovely and a great way to launch this series.
My friendās brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problemā¦jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions tooānot a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?
Simon-
Finishing college isnāt high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. Heās also a little strangeā¦but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when Iām around himāas though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, weāll find what weāre looking for. But that means changing the rulesā¦
Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.
As much as I adored the beginning book in this series? Got Me Wishing just made the series and universe even better.
It brought in heavier themes such as addiction, animal abuse, forgiveness, redemption. It even weaves in kink shaming and how the judgements you make impact others. All done very sensitively and beautifully by the way. All while allowing the romance to remain center stage.
Yes, this story unpacks a lot besides a very romantic and emotionally rewarding love affair turned HEA.
Fulton Meyer, 34 yo vet, BFF to Noah Walters (Got Me Hoping #1), immediately turned into a favorite character of mine out of all the vets and peripheral people in and around the Vet Shop Boys Animal Clinic.
Prone to snarky lines, a funky fashion sense, and a seemingly endless supply of great t-shirts from Etsy that proclaim things like āI Kissed A Pug And I Liked It ~Kitty Purryāššā¦ well there was just something about Fulton!
He needed his HEA! Plus there was some mystery going on as to why no man had ever stuck around.
Now in Got Me Wishing we get Fultonās story. Casey Cox delivers the painful personal history that has made him who he is today, including the fact heās so lonely. Except for all his cats of course. All eight of them.
Into Fultonās crazy life comes Bishop Turner in one adorable āmeet cuteā scene turned lusty!
From poignant to adorable to funny to sexy, this introduces shouts destiny!
Trust me, youāll be into this couple as quickly as they are ⦠uh hem⦠into each other.
But the relationship? And actually getting to know one another? Each otherās layers? That take time .
This is a story of trust earned, pasts revealed, and love that comes slowly to those that need and deserve it.
I just love everything about this story. Beautiful elements, new characters, so many thoughtful moments between Fulton and Bishop as they explore their romance and future, as well as open up about their past.
If this is any indication where the rest of the series and romances are headed, I canāt wait.
Next up is poor befuddled, broken hearted Gus.
I highly recommend every story and in the order written. Take the journey with all the Vet Shop Boys. Itās one I myself am eagerly anticipating.
A half-birthday + a second chance = one true love? As. If.
Who needs a man when I’ve got cuddly kittens?
No one’s ever wanted me once they discover my secret. I guess that’s why I’ve thrown myself into my work as a veterinarian, as well as become the proud paw-rent to my eight cat rescues. I’ve even managed to convince myself I’m purr-fectly happy being single.
So when Bishop, a handsome stranger, strikes up a conversation, I don’t expect it to lead to anything else. There’s no way a guy wanting to start over is interested in love. So why has Bishop got me wishing for something more?
Fairy and Impartial picks up right after the events of book 3, His Fairy Share.
So first thing right off? Read all previous stories if you havenāt done so already. In the exact order they are written so all the characters relationships, growth, and overall developing series themes make sense.
Trust me, there are some wonderfully complicated doings happening here and I suspect only Auric, that manipulative bastard, has a clue about most of them.
This is a densely packed series, epic themes of world salvation, good versus evil, line up closely along with those of forever love and found family.
Honestly, I treasure this series and love this new story. It adds onto the growing mysteries of conspiracy against Auric and his politics and family as well as introduces us to incredible new main characters that will have important roles to play , not only here but in the upcoming stories. This is one wicked, well told epic!
Twig and Quinnās relationship continueās to deepen and thrive here as they face new battles and explore new dimensions to their powers and roles. Really, each is so amazing because they have such depth of character and yet still are showing such capacity for growth.
Actually that applies to all the beings here who are undergoing so many spurts of development simply because of the demanding times and villainous challenges they are facing. Zak , Quinnās younger brother, has to learn accept certain things about his pursuit of love without asking if itās wanted, Bill , all patchwork soul, needs to adjust to heartbreak for the first time and find his way forward, and well, there are othersā¦.
I donāt know how many books Maslow has planned for this series, personally Iād be thrilled if they just kept coming because this universe is so rich and diverse that it easily could host series after series even based on the different realms.
But this expanding found family or should I say clan? It has found its way into my heart. Now I want Twig to add a couple more⦠and I need to know more. I have questions, need answers! And always want more of each and every one of these fabulous beings.
You will too. But you absolutely need to read these stories in the order they are written to appreciate the characters, understand the relationships, the growth and , frankly, the series arc.
Itās fantastic and Iām highly recommending this and all of them.
All Twig Starfig wants is to settle into mated life with his wizard and be a good leader to his clan. No drama. No heartache. A happily-ever-after fit for a dragon. Or half-dragon, at any rate.
Instead, Twig and Quinn get roped into a new case involving missing orc stones. Yes, those really are a thing. Twigās dad is on the PR warpath . . . again. Quinn’s little brother can’t seem to stop pining over their housemate. Someoneāor somethingāseems to be following them. And getting quality time alone with his wizard is more difficult than keeping oneās virginity at an incubus party.
To make matters worse, Twig’s old enemies start dropping like fairyflies, and they find themselves smack in the middle of an inconvenient murder investigation with a certain red fury as the main suspect. With everyone in Lighthelm convinced of Billās guiltāand by association TwigāsāStarfig Investigations is on the case.
Is there no one in the Elder Realm whoās fairy and impartial?
Major characters not in any order:
Greyclover , elf and Auricās lover and guard
Auric Starfig, Twigās fairy father and powerful leader of well everyone
Agent Hatheral āLeoā Leotoris, elf and investigator at EBI
Quinn Broomsparkles, wizard, former High Rei, mate to Twig
Twig Starfig , half fairy half dragon now City Council Member and head of his own expanding clan
Zak Broomsparkles, younger brother to Quinn, also a wizard
I just love this story! It just ticks so many of the āmake me gush out loudā boxes when I think of stories that just hit me right in the heart.
Starting with the fact that, yeah, itās N.R.Walker, whoās able to do that book after book.
Then itās that dead letter theme. Beautifully written, emotionally fraught messages from the past that emerge, lightly dust laden, to prompt an incredible journey , one that also turns into one of self discovery and often love. Whether it ends in a bittersweet , heartbreaking revelation or one of heart-stopping joy, those letters from the past represent a haunting mystery that grabs both at your mind and heart.
I can name movies, tv series, novels,ā¦and this theme never becomes tired or shallow. Because the potential for pain and for hope is too huge here no matter the media. Our minds are already reaching out for the ending, we want to know what happensā¦.
In Walkerās hands, weāre in for an emotional, heartwarming journey. Our introduction to the ādead letter office ā is through the amazing, delightful, effervescent character, Malachi Keogh as heās being ushered onto its premises and his first day on the job by his father.
Iāll not go into the details as Iāll leave that to Malachi and the story to relate. Itās a gem by the way.
There, Malachi meets his boss, Julian Pollard, all sexy and well, beige. Then a cast of characters to charm your socks off, co workers you will become so intimately familiar with as to feel they are part of your regular lives. Much as they become a deep part of Malachiās.
Julianās , eyes gleaming with quiet humor and enjoyment, is an absolute jewel of a man and character. Such a memorable Walker personality in a ocean of them! Heās so perfect for Malachi!
I love that their romance proceeds with communication, humor to go with outstanding chemistry and off the charts dynamics! Love this couple.
The letters at the heart of the mystery and story title grabs your heart and rattles poignantly to get your attention . You can easily imagine the era they were written in and the couple involved.
And like Malachi, you fear for the outcome and the revelation as you get closer to finding the person who wrote them.
No spoilers here. But this romance is all about finding your place and true love as Malachi does.
Itās a story you will want to put under comfort reads. And recommend to others.
Thatās exactly what Iām doing now. Beautifully written, memorable characters, incredible story. Pick it up and read it now.
Just a small picky note: one thing that is sure to get me is the disappearing animal character in a story, it sort of happens here. It surprised me because Walker is huge with her animals in books. So when Buster is a fun, very much alive animal character I was disappointed not to see that Malachi hadnāt in some way appropriated him for themselves because clearly he was theirs and not the neighbors.
I imagine him still waiting by that window door for it to be opened and Iām so sad.
Here we are at the Hidden Species finale and usually Iām a very mopey reader at this stage because Iām saying goodbye to characters and a universe Iāve fallen deeply and irrevocably in love with.
However, thank you, Louisa Masters, I know that the fabulous sequel series Here Be Dragons ensures that both this universe and characters and romances will happily and eagerly be something I can look forward to, book after book. Sighā¦. More Hellhounds and dragons!
At any rateā¦. Focusingā¦.
Sorcerers Always Satisfy brings to the fore one of the steadiest, grounded characters of this series. The one man we probably have known the least about but also never really thought that much about either.
David Carew, sorcerer and all around steadfast albeit a tad boring friend to everyone in the Luciferās inner circle, including Percy Caraway himself. David has been a bit of a blank page, while all his friends supplied the glitter, flash, angst, age, or samba lines.
Now Davidās past comes roaring back and explains his need , nope, love and need for order instead of chaos. And itās revealed that heās not exactly just āa sorcererā but something extraordinary as sorcerers go. Yeah, heās inner circle for a reason, we really should have seen that one.
Davidās true strengths and past is revealed during a time of disaster and dimension peril so extreme that no one could have foreseen it.
The elf Caolan ,who appeared in Alistairās story , is now a full partner is the Alliance to stop the enemies plan. I wonāt spoil all that entails because itās complicated, imaginative, and well, encapsulates four books. Read them all in the order they are written.
But Caolan is also adoring of David. Before you go itās too soon, as David does actually, thereās a host of explanations that cover exactly why itās not. Just another outstanding element here. Elf loves David, itās perfectly reasonable, I love this couple. And well the Elves. And their love of cell phones⦠just wait.
This story easily engages with the heartbreak of a young David and his adolescence, the impending doom of a world, and what that shattering event will do emotionally to several species . Themes both intimate such as couple love to enormous, along the lines of dimension death, are woven into the storylines here. Al itās done so beautifully.
Again written with amazing poignancy and humor. You want to cry and then laugh , both . Often at the same time. Because the author realizes how close both emotions are to each other.
There is joy, there is sadness.
I think thatās a Taylor Swift song.
Sorcerers Always Satisfy is a fantastic story and series finale. It gives David the romance and mate he deserves and this outstanding series the closure to this complicated fantasy epic adventure the send off we need before journeying onto Here Be Dragons!
Letās raise a glass to our heroes until we meet them again! Hereās to an amazing journey! Thanks for the Grand times! See you all soon!
Yes⦠Iām recommending every single one. Read them often!
š¶Hidden Species series:
Demons Do It Better #1
One Bite with A Vampire #2
Hijinks With A Hellhound #3
Sorcerers Always Satisfy #4
š¶Sequel Series:
Here Be Dragons (happens immediately after the events of Hidden Species)
Dragon Ever After#1
Hidden Species Cast of Characters:
Community of Species Government-CSG
Percy Caraway: the Lucifer . Aka the Head of State of the Physical Plane
Senior Investigators Team:
Sam Tiller – team admin
Gideon Bailey, Demon
Elinor Martin, Hellhound, cousin to Alistair
David Carew, sorcerer
Lily Heath, succubus
Andrew Turner, Vampire
Alistair Smythe, Hellhound
Noah Cage, human
Aiden Byrne, Felix shifter-Shifter Species Leader
Caolan, Elf
Brandt. Wing leader of all dragons
King Radulfr, King of all Elves
Synopsis:Just because I enjoy planning and researching doesnāt mean Iām not the most dangerous badass mothercracker around.
The world sees me as boring, dependable David. And I like it that way. I know things and Iām organized. Plus, Iāve seen firsthand the harm a chaotic life can inflict, and Iād rather have my lists and be called dull.
Which is what makes it all the more disconcerting when a sexy elf declares his adoration and begins to āwooā me. What am I supposed to do?
Hide, mostly. Itās hard, though, because Caolan and I are supposed to be working together. And heās tough to resist: sweet, competent, and so incredibly beautiful. He sees something in me that no one else does. Would it really be such a bad thing if I gave in to temptation?
My personal life canāt be the priority right now, though. The bad guys are gearing up to strike, and if we donāt stop them, the end of the world could be nigh. I need to focus on that, not on letting Caolan show me the benefits of spontaneity. Or do I?