Category: Books

Review: The Blacksmith and the ExCon(Farthingdale Ranch #2)by Jackie North

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con(Farthingdale Ranch #2) by Jackie North

Rating: 5🌈

One theme that became easily apparent among all three Farthingdale books is that each contains one man’s journey from an abusive, traumatic past into a new renewed bright future. His path , one we accompany him on, is marked by a series of obstacles of varying elements, from small sidesteps off the path to what might seem insurmountable boulders to scale before he can recover and get, along with his true love, their HEA.

As I’ve mentioned in my other reviews, I started with the third novel in the series, went back to the beginning, and now end here at The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con while I await the release of the next stories.

So I can say this is probably the one novel most guaranteed to bring out the sniffles, that box of Kleenex, and the carton of ice cream. With one spoon.

Because Ellis and his history is heartbreaking! What he’s been through, yes, including the extremely poor choices the man made himself and paid for, he’s in our hearts. From the minute we meet him, bloody, beaten, filled with fear, hearing his story….we’re connected to Ellis. Mute, brutalized from his time in prison,Ellis is perhaps the most broken of all the traumatized men we’ve met in all these stories.How could you not hurt for him?

Jackie North has written such a vulnerable, heartbreaking character here that you want to enfold him , wrap him up safely so as to keep him from further harm.

Jasper, our Blacksmith, who’s self isolated himself within his work and cabin has such tight boundaries to begin with. But from his past history , we understand what caused him to establish them to begin with…a need to protect himself. However nothing prepares him for Ellis. Jasper will come to feel that its Ellis who’s in need of protection and more. But it will take time and an adjustment of his mind and heart to get there. Something we get a window into.

Both men are incredibly complex, emotionally and mentally. Life has added so many more layers of trauma and pain filled history between them to navigate that each tentative movement towards each other is often over a minefield.

Yet in a small cabin by a slow flowing River it becomes a thing of physical poetry, raw and emotional and shy.

All interspersed with the heat of the forge, the stamp of horses hooves as they wait to be shod or for a carrot treat, or any of the other daily ranch duties scheduled that flows through their lives and story.

It’s a found family at this ranch and all the people there seamlessly move around this couple and on the ranch as to make the reader see and feel apart of a living, working guest ranch. And this amazing group of people.

When the showdown comes, and in the utter relief at the end , I was reflecting on how much Ellis and Jasper had been through and how far they had come, and us with them.

What a journey! I was almost crying. In joy. What a story and couple. I look forward to seeing more of them in future stories as I know I will.

Another true pleasure with this remarkable series. I highly recommend this and all the books in this series.

Synopsis:

“If anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.”

Jasper has the perfect life. He’s a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.

Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. He’s about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?

It’s not love at first sight. It’s not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA

Need a new series to read and love? Start here. I’m recommending them all.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest books in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon…..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

Review: The Foreman and the Drifter (Farthingdale Ranch #1) by Jackie North

The Foreman and the Drifter (Farthingdale Ranch #1) by Jackie North

Rating: 5🌈

While I started this amazing series with the third book, this incredibly sweet, heartwarming romance is exactly the way to fall into this universe and found family.

It’s a slow burn, first love, first time romance that captures the essence of all that confusing, unsettling overwhelming feelings of true love . Set on a ranch where you can almost smell the wild fragrances coming through the tall meadow grasses, feel the heat pouring down as the men ride and go through their chores, it’s an old fashioned slowed down day in a modern world story. One to savor along with the very sweet, almost innocent nature of the relationship that’s beginning to form between Leland and Jamie.

The ranch, it’s full time staff which is also a family, it’s guests comes across as a real place. From the dining hall to the dusty tack room to the fire pit where the grasses need to be cut back for safety purposes, it’s described so clearly, easily such a deep integral part of the people there that it becomes a part of your heart too.

And as a worn, torn Jamie finds himself deposited at the ranch uncertain and almost beaten, you just hope he’s finally found home. Which he has.

Jamie is all young vulnerability, openness, and hope waiting for someone to want him. He’s an amazing character and you love him immediately. As the strait laced Leland does, even if he’s not sure what to make of his own feelings.

Leland we also understand and adore, in a totally different way. They gently spark, gaze, and as two men who’ve never had relationships, stumble towards each other.

How I love this and them.

Like sitting on that veranda in the summer’s evening, sipping root beer, listening to the owls call and holding hands under the blankets.

Sighing now. Perfection.

I’m so in love with this series. On to book two.

Need a new series to read and love? Start here. I’m recommending them all.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon…..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

Synopsis: If only Leland would forget forget that Jamie was a drifter. If only he’d give their hearts a chance.”

With Farthingdale Ranch at risk, Leland Tate, ranch manager, has to get tough and make sure everyone on the ranch follows the rules he’s laid out. That means no handouts, no fraternizing, and no drifters.

But what happens when a young drifter comes looking for a job? What happens when that drifter makes Leland want to break all the rules?

A gay, m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, first time, rescue, sunshine/grumpy, boss/employee, emotional scars, and opposites attract. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

Buy The Foreman and the Drifter to fall deeply and forever today with the first book in the new Farthingdale Ranch Series

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsThe Foreman and the Drifter by Jackie North – Goodreads

Review: Summer Drifter (Whisper Ridge,Wyoming #2) by RJ Scott

Rating: 5 🌈

Summer Drifter is the second is Scott’s Whisper Ridge, Wyoming series and it’s my favorite of the two.

I find that both men were easier to connect with, had huge chemistry with each other from their first meeting in the road, and their continued complex dynamics just made this story so enjoyable on a variety of levels that it was hard to put down.

Quinn, with his bright pink hair, big plans, ginormous out there attitude and vulnerability was such a standout character…. Obviously!

He was made to love. By the reader and Levi. And we did. Even when he was making ,smh, incredibly poor choices, because of his inner turmoil you knew it was due to his traumatic past and confusion over what was best for all going forward. Poor choices done for the right reasons, at least in his mind. You could understand him.

The same went for Levi. His painful past history and fears were causing him to make his future based on his old memories and unwillingness to look past his pain to something more. Again we got him too. It took a bright pink haired Quinn to light the way to something new.

But in between there’s humor, horses, toddlers, young energetic boys, found family and a ranch to run.

It all melds together in one great story.

While Winter Cowboy laid the foundation, Summer Drifter filled out the universe and gave us a absolutely incredible love story and family.

This is not to be missed.

I highly recommend it.

Summer Drifter (Whisper Ridge, Wyoming, #2) by R.J. Scott – Goodreads

Series: Whisper Ridge, Wyoming

Winter Cowboy

Summer Drifter #2

Synopsis: One man craves family, the other isolation; neither of them was searching for forever love.  

Experienced and much-in-demand horse trainer Levi doesn’t need or want people. With his horse and dog at his side, he lives out of his trailer and trains horses in the summer to earn just enough to head south for winter. Infrequent hook-ups with no-tell cowboys takes care of sex, but the moment any connection gets anywhere near complicated, he moves on. Losing a lover to violence has taught him that if he’s alone, he can’t get hurt, and in return, he avoids the pain of loss. Everything in his easy-going life is on track until he knocks over Quinn, a pink-haired stranger who pirouettes in front of his truck, sits in his lap and calls him cowboy with the sexiest voice he’s ever heard. Anger turns to frustration, lust turns to love, and by the end of the summer, Levi doesn’t know which way to turn.

Quinn loses everything when the cops find his brother’s body on the remains of a compound that belonged to a cult. Damaged and vulnerable, Max had been the only safe place for Quinn in his otherwise cold family, but finding out that Max might have had a son sends Quinn to Wyoming and the Lennox Ranch. When he’s knocked to the ground on day one at the ranch, he wonders if maybe he should have thought things through better. After all, he’d bought two horses and a house to get close enough to Lennox ranch just to see if he was an uncle. He craves love, connection and is excited to be part of a family, searching for a place where he can finally stop running. He never meant to fall for the closed-off cowboy, but somehow Levi steals his heart and Quinn falls in love.

Review: The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad (Farthingdale Ranch #3) by Jackie North

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Once again I started a series in the he middle but I don’t think it will make much of a difference here. It’s easy to understand the couples and I’ll be going back to pick up on each of their individual romances after this one.

Why? Because I so thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the Farthingdale Ranch and felt as though I’d actually been there , walking the grounds, riding the trails and being a part of that found family.

This story was so moving. Both men experienced such growth, one in particular had undergone such a bad relationship that he’d been badly damaged emotionally and that had resulted in Erectile Dysfunction, a subject matter treated here gently, lovingly, and focusing towards healing the man . It was amazing.

Interwoven with recovery was a remarkable Father/daughter relationship. You can’t help but love Bea. She was a force of nature.

The core is Clay and Austin finding a way towards a healthy, happy HEA … a true family. It’s a slow tentative path but one made through communication and adjustments. And a respect for each other.

What a great story and remarkable universe. Great characters, marvelous setting, moving plot lines. There’s three more stories to come and two prior books. Oh what joy!

I love it when I fall in love with a series! I believe you will too.

Head over to the Farthingdale Ranch and grab up all the books!

Synopsis:

“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”

Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.

Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.

Austin doesn’t know where his life is headed, but at least he’s got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.

The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is he’s distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. There’s no way this can work.

A gay M/M cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon…..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsThe Ranch Hand and the Single Dad … – Goodreads

Review: Never Underestimate An Omega by Eden Winters

Rating: 3🌈

Eden Winters’ Diversion series is one of my favorites. It’s so well written, highly complex, and the characters beyond amazing, with lives so layered , so thick with nuance , humor and peril that each book was a showstopper.

Never Underestimate an Omega sees Winters venturing into supernatural territory and for me the results are just a pleasant ok story.

Shifters romances, especially wolf shifters are plentiful. To stand out you need to add a new twist to the wolf shifter lexicon or give us a superb story that builds on the wolf shifter canon we already know.

This doesn’t do either , if anything it works against known canon in the worst way. It’s just a nice romance about a pack that needs rescuing, an omega included, and a alpha returning to exact revenge and take over the pack. We’ve seen this scenario before, multiple times. Including the fact that the omega turns out to be a stronger, more intricate part of pack dynamics then the old pack structure will acknowledge.

Again, nothing new. Although I enjoyed the omega Logan.

Alpha Grey, also sexy . And their relationship? What we see if it, which isn’t much until the very end of the story, is superficial. That doesn’t work or help to connect us to them as a couple.

What was confusing here was the whole mate recognition element. For one pair the mate factor/bond was immediate, although “off stage” so we don’t see it happening. Weird.

For our all important main couple? The alpha seemed clueless which was incredibly odd when Logan knew Grey was it for him. However, that recognition was not the all powerful element you’d expect it to be. That could be any instant love story tbh.

Wolves mate for life, something not even mentioned here.

Within this universe, the mate bond almost seems to be a “take it or leave it” thing which diminishes the impact of any mating/bonding. At least for me. It feels all sorts of muddy here as a part of the shifter biology and that actually dilutes the importance of their relationship and impact within the pack structure.

In my opinion . At one part Logan debated even “returning”… which assumed that the entire mate aspect holds little physical or emotional sway. But for another pair it’s the direct opposite. But again for them it comes across as more of a “we’re in love” than a deep spiritual/physical imperative.

So is this in fact something the author intended or a continuity problem? I don’t know. Either way it was extremely confusing and deflating.

It’s not until the very end that they act or have any type of relationship that veers towards romance. Then it’s really too late. Much of the story is spent on other issues and them apart, physically and emotionally.

While there are certainly some interesting characters here they aren’t necessarily the main ones.

Overall, as I said, it’s a nice story. But not what I was expecting from this author who’s other stories are so extraordinary and complex.

If you ask me what I recommend? I recommend you read the entire Diversions series. Those are just great reads.

Synopsis:An alpha leader must have an alpha mate, but Gray wants only one man.

And that man is an omega.

Wolf shifter Gray Collins returns to his home pack to avenge his father’s murder, never expecting to take on the role of leader. Gray is a loner with no desire to tackle the politics of being Pack Alpha. Worse yet, he falls for the man he’s come to depend on—omega Logan Richardson.

According to pack lore, omegas are inferior, nothing more than lowly servants. Or are they? Logan is far too cunning, fierce, and bold to be a low-ranking wolf. While he keeps his head down in public, when they’re alone, Logan stands toe-to-toe with Gray like no one else dares. Mutual respect grows into friendship, friendship into a white-hot desire neither can fight.

Despite the law and the odds, the two wolves form a tentative bond. Together they lead the pack through strife and threats, all while keeping a secret—a secret that could get them both killed, and plunge the pack back into the savage dark ages.

The entire Lycan world is on the brink of a hard-won lesson: Never underestimate the relentless force of an omega.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58329516-never-underestimate-an-omega

Review: Unforgettable (Vino and Veritas #16) by Marley Valentine

Rating: 4.5 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

I just adore this series! After all, how often Is it that I get a 18 book series written by multiple authors that shows no signs of stopping, remains energetic and fresh from couple to couple, plot to plot, and has given me new authors to follow!

Exciting, right?

The main elements remain the bar/bookstore that’s Vino and Veritas, the beautiful town of Burlington, Vermont, the surrounding areas such as smaller villages, farms and woods. From that great foundation, we continually meet and/or revisit the many citizens (established and newly arrived) that intertwine their lives and loves.

Unforgettable’s couple is comprised of two men we’ve met before.

There’s Oz Walker, one of the staff at Vino side of V&V. He’s been mentioned fairly often in the other stories. Doesn’t matter the authors, many of these couples and characters make appearances throughput the entire series.

So yes, we superficially know Oz and now get to meet the man in-depth as well as his family. All of them and they rock!

Reeve Hale, temporally “passing through” Burlington for the summer is roommates with one of my fav people. That’s the effervescent Davey Murphy from Undone #17, here busy, supportive and looking for love. While it’s great to get a peak at “Showgirl”, the oh so delightful , duty minded adorable Reeve is a real great addicting character.

Add a marvelous fake boyfriend trope between these two and you have a story that just takes off and soars on a flight of romance, sexy romps, some angst, and a ton of heartwarming moments.

Just a heads over heels love fest that you will find so much fun to read. Well written, dialogue that feels real and hits the heart, and yes, filled with outstanding characters, both new and from the other series books.

Oz Walker and Reeve Hale are a great couple and make for a entertaining joyful romance. Add this one to your TBR pile. I definitely recommend it.

See the synopsis and entire series list below as well as the buying link from Goodreads.

Synopsis: One night with Reeve Hale wasn’t enough. I knew it when I kissed him, I knew it when I slept with him, and I was certain of it when I walked out of his motel room the very next day.

So when the shy, gorgeous man is introduced as our newest employee at Vino and Veritas, I can’t help but conjure up all the ridiculous ways to convince him to repeat that unforgettable night. Like asking him to be my fake boyfriend at my sister’s upcoming wedding.

Only, I didn’t expect him to say yes.

Playing pretend shouldn’t feel this real. Especially when Reeve is planning on leaving Vermont after the summer.

We agreed to one night. We negotiated a fake relationship. But I’m the one who broke our terms. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love and he was never supposed to be so unforgettable

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsUnforgettable by Marley Valentine – Vino and Veritas – Goodreads

Vino and Veritas series to date:

🔵Featherbed (Vino and Veritas 1) by Annabeth Albert

🔵Heartscape #2 by Garrett Leigh

🔵Headstrong #3 by Eden Finley

🔵Undercover #4 by Eliot Grayson

🔵Aftermath #5 by LA Witt

🔵Booklover #6 by JE Birk

🔵Flipcup #7 by Kim Hartfield f/f

🔵Hideaway #8 by Rachel Lacey f/f

🔵Turnabout #9 by Laurel Greer

🔵Unguarded #10 by Jay Hogan

🔵Insatiable #11 by Rhys Everly

🔵Daybreak #12 by Kate Hawthorne

🔵Heartsong #13 by AE Wasp

🔵Stronghold #14 by Ana Ashley

🔵Limelight #15 by E Davis

🔵Unforgettable #16 by Marley Valentine

🔵Showstopper #17 by Regina Kyle

🔵Undone #18 by Leslie McAdams

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesWeb resultsVino & Veritas Series by Annabeth Albert – Goodreads

Review: Stronghold (Vino and Veritas #14) by Ana Ashley

Rating:4🌈🌈🌈🌈

Stronghold is a sweet, heartwarming romance. A second chance at love tale, we watch a reunion between chef Judson and maple sugarer Skyler after being best friends growing up then driven apart for a decade. One , Skyler who remained in Burlington to help with his family’s dairy farm. The other , Judson, fleeing Vermont for Paris and culinary school.

Alternating POV (standard for the series) guide us into complete understanding of each man and their complicated relationships, painful pasts, and tenuous plans for the future. I quickly grew to love them both.

Ashley characters are engaging, layered, and easy to connect to. The families that also are closely connected are equally charming and realistic. And the interplay between each man and their mothers seem so spot on that you feel as though you could be sitting on stool in the kitchen along side them as they chat. Plus all that maple syrup and recipes to drool over.

As with all the stories, characters and couples you’ve gotten to know and adore make appearances here, from slight mentions to full secondary character status. It takes a village to build this series and you really feel like you know these people and Burlington itself. Go Moo U!

Yes there’s some angst on the low end of the meter, and a lovely ending. What a terrific new installment!

I love a great series. There’s nothing better then to read one story, fall in love with the setting, people, atmosphere….everything and then see you don’t have to stop at book one.

If the literary gods and goddesses are watching over you, the series will be lengthy and one that keeps building on the foundation and layers of the stories before.

Vino and Veritas is that series. Written by multiple authors, starting with Annabeth Albert, each sweet, heartwarming romance has added more texture and richness as well as characters to an already amazing central element.

That would be Vino (the all inclusive bar) and Veritas (the connecting/neighbor bookstore).

From that great center has sprung book after book with diverse characters (dairy farmers, bloggers, former hockey players, chefs, you name it) with their personal issues, often challenging family dynamics, and fascinating albeit stumbling journeys to love and HEA.

I mean look at that list of authors! I have put the full list of books to date (18 of them and growing) at the end of this review. Feel free to use it as a personal check list.

And because the books are written by a variety of authors this series always feels fresh and exciting. Plus if you’re unfamiliar with some of these authors, what a great way to discover someone new.

I have been reading them all in the order listed below because once I found the first book, Featherbed, then I just couldn’t stop. Like eating chocolates, one naturally leads to the next snd then the next…..

Haven’t found one yet that isn’t a true delight and great read.

Check this and all the ones out for yourself. I absolutely recommend eqch and every one.

Synopsis:

Stronghold

by Ana Ashley

A second chance at love? Or a second chance to ruin everything?

When Skyler spots the new bartender at Vino and Veritas, his body responds before the guy even turns around. But when he does, it takes only a heartbeat for recognition to set in and for sparks to fly. Judson’s been gone for ten years, but he’s the man Skyler never forgot. Or forgave.

The last place Judson wants to be is back home in Burlington, living with family. Not so long ago he was a world-class chef with the lifestyle to prove it. Now he’s serving drinks and flying under the radar until he can get the hell out again. But when his childhood best friend reenters his life, looking finer than any entree at a five-star restaurant, he wonders if it’s time to update his menu of life choices.

Working through past wounds with Skyler won’t be easy, though, especially with family obligations–and the occasional dairy cow–interfering. When their loyalty is tested, will their newly built stronghold be sturdy enough to withstand the storm?

Stronghold is a sweet and sexy Vino & Veritas romance with some creative use of maple syrup.

Vino and Veritas series:

🔵Featherbed (Vino and Veritas 1) by Annabeth Albert

🔵Heartscape #2 by Garrett Leigh

🔵Headstrong #3 by Eden Finley

🔵Undercover #4 by Eliot Grayson

🔵Aftermath #5 by LA Witt

🔵Booklover #6 by JE Birk

🔵Flipcup #7 by Kim Hartfield f/f

🔵Hideaway #8 by Rachel Lacey f/f

🔵Turnabout #9 by Laurel Greer

🔵Unguarded #10 by Jay Hogan

🔵Insatiable #11 by Rhys Everly

🔵Daybreak #12 by Kate Hawthorne

🔵Heartsong #13 by AE Wasp

🔵Stronghold #14 by Ana Ashley https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58375849-stronghold

🔵Limelight #15 by E Davis

🔵Unforgettable #16 by Marley Valentine

🔵Showstopper #17 by Regina Kyle

🔵Undone #18 by Leslie McAdams

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesWeb resultsVino & Veritas Series by Annabeth Albert – Goodreads

Review: The Red Zone (Riptide series 3) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 4,5 stars 🌈

I really liked this story. For one, Borden’s series about the LA Riptide NFL team is marvelous and any new installment is exciting.

Two, Bolden brings into her Riptide universe, characters and couples from her other terrific series (Kitchen Gods , Kitchen Wars, and Food Truck Warriors). These couples are intertwined with each other’s stories and seeing them again here is a total pleasure.

Third and best reason? Bolden loves and knows the sport of pro football, every angle and aspect. From the Sports announcers/broadcasters like Terry Bradshaw , sitting crafty and country in his booth, to draft day to the locker room dynamics, it’s all here.

That’s understood immediately as we dive into the opening scene and mindset of defense end Spencer Evans. The Stars opponent has the ball and now it’s up to the defense to stop them. He’s in the zone…game’s on…he’s mentally focused as the field and action unfolds before and around him. We are THERE with him, seeing it all and waiting for him to act.

What an awesome way to jump into the story and character.

From that scene Bolden takes the reader and her characters on a moving emotional journey of self growth, acceptance and love. But not before putting them and us through some real turmoil.

That’s perfect and realistic when you have as tightly wrapped a person as Spencer and as deeply self protective as Alec Mitchell, the gay Sports super agent who’s had feelings for Spencer since the msn was first drafted. Each man has rejected, then been rejected over the course of a decades long complicated relationship. Spencer choosing to be drafted and then play for a decade for a team so toxic (the fictional LA Stars) that he’s buried who he is so deep he no longer knows who he is. And Alec Mitchell has watched knowing the man Spencer was.Tough dynamics through a decade of complex emotions.

The journey for both men restarts afterSpencer decides to change…everything.

It’s a moving read. Spencer, with the help of not only Alec but the surprise support of those he’s hurt in the past, decides to tear down the walls he built, and find himself again.

We see the maneuvering to get trades done, team dynamics (both great and ugly), while feeling intimately part of this new path Spencer is taking along with Alec.

Great stuff. I was totally in the game as they say, with him all the way.

The romance? Just as complicated and rewarding. I love this couple. The chemistry is hot.

The story comes so close to perfect. But it contains one element that always makes the reader wonder and yes, something I find irritating. Probably because it’s so correctable.

I call it the “missing main animal character “ element. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen this happen and it takes me right out of the narrative because I’m too busy wondering where the hell Soarky, Fluffy or what have you went.

In this case, it’s a one-eyes black cat called Ignatius or Iggy for short. He belongs to Spencer. How that came about and their adorable relationship is a fairly big part of the story. Iggy acts as a fulcrum for a specific meeting. He also is used to show Spencer’s vulnerability and ability to change. So yes, Iggy’s a big deal.

However, the last , important, third of the story? No Iggy. Not even a mention of someone taking care of him, introducing him to Alec…nada. Iggy disappears.

Now I understand that the author has goals, narrative stages she wants to tell and/or hit as the storylines start to come together and the book heads toward The End. However, at least IMO, better to either never have such a animal character in the first place, use another device to accomplish the same meeting, then to create (extremely well btw) and then dump said animals.

It’s noticed. And in my case bothers me enough every time I see it to deduct rating points. 🤦🏼‍♀️. Just no.

So yes, great story, wonderful characters and romance. Missing cat.

Maybe Iggy will find a home in the next book. Which I will surely read because I do love the Riptide team and it’s players.

Unfamiliar with the inter workings of pro ball? Don’t worry because you’re going to feel like a football veteran after reading this, as well as her other books. Enjoy!

There are 3 terrific books in this series, I recommend them all.

Riptide series:

The Rivalry #1

Rough Contact #2

The Red Zone #3

The Red Zone

Synopsis: Spencer’s deep in the Red Zone and it’s time to even the score.

Nine years ago Spencer Evans became the first player out of the closet to be drafted into the NFL. Everyone believed he had aspirations to change the world but all Spencer ever wanted to do was play football for a team that accepted him wholeheartedly. But they never would, and Spencer began to conceal all the parts that made him different.

When a terrible injury forces him to re-evaluate his life and his choices, he realizes there’s only one man who can help him.

The very first gay sports agent, Alec Mitchell has given his life and his career to making queer athletes’ dreams come true. He can’t help but think of Spencer as the one who got away—professionally and personally.

Alec thought he’d buried his desperate longing for Spencer ages ago but it turns out it was just lying dormant, waiting for the right spark. When he begs Alec to take him on as a client, everything they’ve been burying for years surfaces once again.

With Alec’s help, Spencer can change everything about his life he’s come to hate. An extraordinary future—and an undeniably extraordinary man—are waiting for him. The play has been called. All he has to do is catch the ball and score

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesThe Riptide Series by Beth Bolden – Goodreads

Review: Be Fairy Game( Starfig Investigations #2) by Meghan Maslow

Rating: 5🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

They’re baaacckk!

When a simple ‘find & fetch’ case throws private investigator Twig Starfig and newly-minted wizard, Quinn Broomsparkle, into the middle of an EBI murder investigation, it’s just another day in the Elder Realm.

If murder were Twig’s only problem, he’d be the luckiest half-dragon in the land. Murder he can handle. Fulfilling his promise to his scheming, power-hungry father to run for a seat on Lighthelm’s city council? Meh, he’d rather face a demon with a toothache.

On top of their case going sideways, and Twig running for a council seat he really doesn’t want, Twig and Quinn are forced to face some unpleasant realities about their budding romance, while still learning how to handle the wizard-familiar bond they now share. Throw in a red fury with abysmal taste in boyfriends, a ghost pirate-parrot who drinks too much, a murderer who will stop at nothing to get what they want, a host of new friends and enemies, and you’ve got a situation where no one is safe and everyone is Fairy Game.

Be Fairy Game, next book in the Starfig Investigations series by Meghan Maslow, picks up after the events that occurred to bring Half dragon half fairy PI Twig Starfig together with his lover and not as yet formalized mate, wizard Quinn Broomsparkles.

Now with their assistant, the demon Red Fury Bill, and Pie, ghost pirate parrot with a taste for the tavern, it’s another client that’s claiming their attention away from the personal issues they’ve yet to address about their complicated relationship.

Maslow is really such a great writer. Each story in this series builds on the preceding one, growing ever richer in its foundation universe, new characters, and expanding relationship dynamics within the current family and couple structures.

Here with what seems to be a simple case of find a object brings about absolute chaos in the very best (meaning murderous, hilarious, shocking, and surprisingly poignant) way. Maslow’s great blending of high fantasy (Fae, orcs,selkie etc) with horror (vampire professors) meshes so well together along with other beings we’ve yet to put names to. Honestly we need more of Cookie.

Combine breath-taking, white knuckle action with rollicking great sex, whimsical names, and storylines that are getting increasingly layered and complex and you have characters, story, and a series that’s positively addictive.

I need to know more about the relationship between Auric, Twig’s master manipulator of a father and his fierce Fae guard . A whole book as a matter of fact.

Plus there’s Leo, the EBI agent, lithe, highly intelligent and somehow always in the middle of things. Hmmmm.

Honestly the Elder Realm just keeps getting more snd more fascinating with each story and character. Plus Twig and Quinn’s relationship still has so many unanswered questions.

Onto His Fairy Share next!

Then I’ll be begging for more. I can already tell. It’s that type of series.

Need a new fantasy book and series? Start here. Highly recommended.

Starfig Investigations:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41003166-be-fairy-game

By Fairy Means or Foul

Be Fairy Game

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15284043.Meghan_Maslow

His Fairy Share

Fairy Impartial – coming in September

Review: His Fairy Share (Starfig Investigations #3) by Meghan Maslow

Rating: 5 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

All Quinn wants is his fairy share of happiness. Is that so much to ask?

Now on book 3 of Meghan Maslow’s Starfig Investigations series and, as they say, the plots just keep getting thicker! Much to my total delight and absolute entertainment.

I say plots because this series and each story contains multiple storylines, each as convoluted and mysterious as the next.

And with each new case and adventure (or should that be misadventures) our stalwart found family and couple set out on, we get more! More of the questions each book asks, more enhanced landscape of the world map and cultures, and yes, new characters and relationships.

We are left joyfully panting for answers as well as the next book and case. So are our couple, Twig and Quinn.

His Fairy Share has to be the most poignant and moving story yet of all the three tales. Needing answers to the questions about their potential mate bonding and Quinn’s powers, and with a Witches Council summon in hand, they head to the last place Quinn ever wanted to return…the human realm.

Is there ever any element more fraught with dread anticipation, pain, anger, and the ability to bring forth the worst as well as the hopes of the past then returning home? Especially a home that helped sell you into sexual slavery?

Maslow does an incredible job of getting into the emotional state and mind of Quinn as he enters back into the quagmire that is this realm.

The author creates a place of ritual, magic, rigid regulations to go along with a Witches culture so hidebound and structured that it’s claustrophobic almost to read certain passages. We are truly there in spirit and it’s awful.

Such a place is lightened by some new splendid characters like Two Toes the Tavern keeper, librarian Beckett, and , of course, that irrepressible younger brother Zak!

Honestly this story belongs in the movie theater! There’s sea battles to take your breath away, pirates, ghosts, more amazing heart racing action than you can imagine.

All executed beautifully and with great passion by Maslow.

The most magnificent is towards the end… something I will absolutely not spoil for any reader but it will have you cheering. Just warn the neighbors if your walls are thin.

The ending is just the right touch after all the high action that went before. Instead of blasting, fire, and hells a blazing, we get subtlety, mischief, love, and a whole lot of more questions, in the very best of ways.

To sum up! Magnificently written, fantastic moving storylines, and characters to die for. My favorite yet.

Don’t miss out on this book or this incredible series. They should be read in the order they were written for full plot development and characters/relationships growth.

I consider all three must reads and can’t wait for the fourth installment coming out in September!

Need a new fantasy book and series? Start here. Highly recommended.

Starfig Investigations:

By Fairy Means or Foul

Be Fairy Game

His Fairy Share

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15284043.Meghan_Maslow

Fairy Impartial – coming in September