An Alisa Review : Already Home (Finding Home #4) by Carly Marie

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

By leaving Nashville, Harrison wanted to escape. What he found at home in Oklahoma was better than anything he’d ever had before. Harrison is happier with Greg and Jasper than he’s ever been. When Harrison can no longer avoid his ex and has to go back to Tennessee, he has Jasper and Greg by his side. But being back in Nashville also means facing Neil and Derek. The trio knew the trip would be challenging before they left Oklahoma, but will they manage to get through the trip unscathed?

Greg’s daughter told him to do something crazy. What she meant was for him to find a boyfriend. Well, he found two. Introducing his kids to not one but two men could be a tricky situation to navigate. Will Greg’s kids prove to be open-minded and accepting of their dad’s unconventional relationship?

Jasper still isn’t out, and now he’s dating two men. Jasper, Greg, and Harrison are committed to one another and making their relationship work long term and they know that means Jasper will have to come out to the rest of his family. The Scott family has always been accepting of anything thrown their way, but will Jasper’s relationship with Greg and Harrison be the one thing the rest of the Scotts can’t handle?

As tempers flare and feelings are hurt, can Jasper, Greg, and Harrison navigate the bumps in the road? Or will the reactions of friends and family be too much for the threesome to handle?

I am so sorry to see this series end but this book was the perfect way.  It pulled at my heartstrings from the very beginning, I swear I had tears in my eye throughout most of the story.  This starts right where the last book left off and is mostly about Jasper coming out but also the family coming back together even stronger than ever.

I know some have said that the coming out was repetitive but I think that is more realistic, how often will you have everyone in the room at one time and get it all out then.  However, I think the individual conversations were important to the brothers’ reconnecting again because it gave Jasper the opportunity to have individual conversations with them.  I think the biggest surprise was Jasper’s dad, Brice, all the kids have been wary of his reactions and it seems is really is just as accepting as the others but he just worries for his family like any good dad would.

Once again my heart went out to all of these characters.  I was glad of the easy acceptance of Greg’s kids because it helped to offset the drama of the Scott family.  Having to hear how hurt Jasper was even more in depth than the last book was so heartbreaking and I know it killed him having to explain multiple times but helped him get it off his chest.  I loved the unending support of Harrison and Greg and also how Jasper is willing to give up everything for them.  I loved that they all continue to come together to support each other in their times of need or in celebration.  I will miss these guys but hopefully Carly will write short stories about them every once in a while.

The cover art by Soxational Cover Art is great, I love how they are all similar but different.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages

Publication: July 25, 2019

Edition Language: English

Series: Finding Home #4

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Today (Single Dads #2) by RJ Scott

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Ash and Sean from Single are getting married, and Ash’s never-seen online friend, Brady, has agreed to come to the wedding and bring his kids with him. Ever aware of Brady’s loner nature and his awkwardness in social situations, Ash asks Eric, Sean’s firefighter roommate, to keep an eye on Brady. Eric finds it a pleasure. Though Brady is smaller and thinner in stature than what big, muscular Eric usually likes in a man, there’s something about him that immediately attracts Eric to his side, and that’s where he stays.

Brady became a father to Maddie and Lucas when his sister and brother-in-law were killed years before. His Developmental Coordination Disorder—DCD—made it extra difficult but those early years weren’t as hard as they are now that the kids are getting older. Lucas, for example, is a 12-year-old brat—at times. And Brady can’t blame him because his DCD makes it tough for him to overcome his natural shyness and his awkwardness leads to unexpected falls or outlandish behavior. Case in point, not long after the wedding, Eric shows up to say hello and try to get to know him better and Brady virtually jumps him at the door. While Brady wallows in shame over his aggressive move, Eric is completely thrilled because he’s been wanting a man with a take-charge attitude and was smitten with Brady from the moment they met.

And that’s just the beginning. The story is filled with teaching moments—with the kids, with Brady, with Eric, and with all of them together. The author takes the time to share about DCD with readers and makes it interesting as well as informative. By the time I reached the midpoint of the book, I was rooting for these two men. Both characters were people I’d love to meet. Their story is well worth reading and the ending just perfect.

This is turning out to be one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend this book to those who love family drama, hurt-comfort, men with disabilities, and those who purely love a sweet romance.

The cover by Meredith Russell shows a handsome man with both a young boy and young girl clinging to his neck as they all face the camera, smiling widely. It’s attractive and refreshing and definitely fits the story.

Sales Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Za5aB6

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2L3ak86

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/TodayRJS

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 23rd 2019 by Love Lane Books Limited
ISBN139781785641893
Edition Language English
URL http:/www.rjscott.co.uk/today
Series Single Dads #2

Single Dads Series 
 
Book #1 – Single –  Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 

Review Audio Tour for Will & Patrick Wake Up Married serial, Episodes 4 – 6: Fight Their Feelings, Meet the Mob, Happy Ending (Wake Up Married #4-6) by Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths/John Solo (Narrator)

 

 
Narrated by: John Solo
 
Length: 15hrs 45mins
 
Wake Up Married Series


Episodes 1 – 3 – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

 
Blurb
 

Continue the fun in episodes 4-6 of the soapy serial by best-selling author Leta Blake and newcomer Alice Griffiths!


Episode Four: Will & Patrick Fight Their Feelings


Will and Patrick have embraced adding hot sexy times to their fake marriage, but as their emotions deepen, they confront whether or not they want to be more than friends-with-benefits. The heat is high (and occasionally kinky) as Will and Patrick struggle to accept their mutual affection.


Episode Five: Will & Patrick Meet the Mob


Patrick has finally accepted that he’s in love with Will, but his newfound determination to do something about that runs up against his father-in-law’s mobster plans. Will must face the truth about his family before he can fully come to terms with his feelings for Patrick. And Patrick has to decide if this whackadoodle world is something he truly wants to be part of forever.


Episode Six: Will & Patrick’s Happy Ending


Sure, Will, and Patrick are in love now, but they weren’t when they got married in Vegas. For Patrick, that’s no problem, but Will can’t shake his doubts that a relationship started through coercion can ever become the real deal. Since the Molinaro crime family has reversed their position on divorce, Will and Patrick have a chance to rectify their drunken mistake. But is divorce the right choice for them?

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

 



Alice Griffiths – Facebook | Goodreads

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Review Tour and Giveaway for Today (Single Dads #2) by RJ Scott

 

Buy Links:
 
Length: 55,500 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Single Dads Series 
 
Book #1 – Single –  Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Blurb
 

When the world labels a man and judges them blindly, is it possible to ever find love?

Firefighter Eric is on the front line, battling the threat of nature’s destruction in the California grasslands alongside his CalFire team. Focused and calm, even in the direst of situations, he has a strong affection for his fire truck, loves his career, and has best friends he can rely on. All he needs now is love, but that seems to be impossible to find. At his friend’s wedding. Eric falls in lust at first sight with the shy, slim and sexy Brady, even if Brady isn’t the type of guy he usually goes for. What Eric longs for is an equal in his bed, not a smaller guy who might want Eric to role-play big strong firefighter every time they have sex. He wants to find someone he can be vulnerable with, someone who will love him for his soft heart and quiet ways.

Brady’s life plans grind to a halt when his niece and nephew lose their parents in a tragic accident, and he becomes a dad overnight. His Developmental Coordination Disorder rules his life, but he fights both DCD and the fears that chase him every day, to give Maddie and Lucas a home. Agreeing to go to a friend’s wedding is a decision he regrets long before he even gets there. But, he refuses to give in to his fear, even if he might do something that makes him a target for people’s comments and laughter. Meeting Eric, a huge man with a gentle voice and a flair for chivalry, he falls hard. Now, if only he can let himself get past his panic that Eric would never want someone like him, then maybe he could fall in love for real.

 Check out Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review here. We highly recommend both the story and the series!

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

 

Giveaway

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Release Blitz Tour and Giveaway for Gentleman Wolf (Capital Wolves Duet #1) by Joanna Chambers

 

 
Length: 216 pages
 

Cover Design: Felix d’Eon

 
Blurb
 

An elegant werewolf in Edinburgh…


1788. When Lindsay Somerville, the most elegant werewolf in Paris, learns that the man who held him in abject captivity for decades is on his way to France, intent on recapturing him, he knows he must leave the Continent for his own safety. Lindsay cannot take the risk of being recaptured—he may have been free for a century but he can still feel the ghost of his old chains under his fine clothes.


… on a mission…


While he’s in Edinburgh, Lindsay has been tasked with acquiring the “Naismith Papers”, the writings of a long-dead witchfinder. It should be a straightforward mission—all Lindsay has to do is charm an elderly book collector, Hector Cruikshank. But Cruikshank may not be all he seems, and there are others who want the papers.


… meets his match


As if that were not enough, while tracking down the Naismith Papers, Lindsay meets stubborn architect Drew Nicol. Although the attraction between them is intense, Nicol seems frustratingly determined to resist Lindsay’s advances. Somehow though, Lindsay can’t seem to accept Nicol’s rejection. Is he just moonstruck, or is Nicol bonded to him in ways he doesn’t yet understand?


Note: this is the first book of a duology – the story continues and will complete in the second book, Master Wolf.

 

About The Author


Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. She spent over 20 years staring at blank sheets of paper and despairing of ever writing a single word. In between staring at blank sheets of paper, she studied law, met her husband and had two children. Whilst nursing her first child, she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna lives in Scotland with her family and finds time to write by eschewing sleep and popular culture.

 
 

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Sports Romance and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sports Romances and M/M

We started talking sports and romance last week.  Baseball and hockey primarily.  And what sports are and were featured in LGBT romances. I’ve been reading a lot of MM hockey romance this month, getting caught up on our hockey recs and books/series I had missed.  Last week’s discussions also prompted me to start thinking about what other sports are featured highly in LGBT contemporary romances?  Right away rugby jumped into my brain.  Sean Kennedy’s outstanding series Tigers and Devils as well as Dahlia Donovan’s sexy  The Sin Bin series.  Soccer and rugby, English and Aussie rules, totally different, I know. Hot men in shorts with great legs.  Kill me now.

Don’t get me started on the French Rugby calendar Dieux du Stade  fans self!

So yes, those sports as well as hockey are right up there in romances.  Also ice skating seems to be on the rise as well.  A hockey and ice skating combo?  Hot hot hot.  There is one in the RJ Scott/VL Locey Harrisburg Railers Series.  And a couple of standalones if I could jog my memory.  I really need a better system of recording these stories.

Swimming.  Sean Michael has several of those.  BA Tortuga and her rodeo cowboys, in fact, loads of bull riders and ropers out there.  But NFL and MLB? I can’t think of too many as I said last week.

Some gymnastics….also Sean Michaels….comes into mind.  It might even be the same series.  I wondered what you had to say and this is what HB replied:

 

From HB:Basketball and football in romance seems less frequent to me. I think I’ve only read one basketball sport romance in 10+ yrs of reading m/m fiction and only seen a handful maybe less with ones that have football. I think there are less popular ones out there like soccer, ice skating, lacross, rugby and equestrianism that get even less attention. Swimming I think is a big one after hockey and the focus usually falls over the two.

Yep, forgot about the equestrian sports.  That’s a big one.  Jumping, Polo, Dressage, Racing!  From Mickie Aisling to others.  Horses are well represented in romance along with the men who love them.

So you know what’s coming.

Recommendations. Let’s divide them up by category.

Rugby/Soccer.

Ice Skating

Rodeo

Equestrian (Polo,Jumping, Racing, Dressage)

Water Sports (do not go there!)

Baseball/Football American NFL

Other

Let’s see what we can come up with.

Meanwhile I’m still reading and reviewing my way through Avon Gale’s incredible Scoring Chances series and will finish it up this month.  Stay with me.  Here is our schedule this week.

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 24:

  • Sports Romance and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, August 25:

  • Review Tour – RJ Scott – Today (Single Dads #2)
  • Release Blitz Tour – Joanna Chambers – Gentleman Wolf
  • Review  Audio Tour Wake Up Married serial, Episodes 4 – 6: Fight Their Feelings, Meet the Mob, Happy Ending (Wake Up Married #4-6) by Leta Blake ( and Alice Griffiths
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Today (Single Dads #2) by RJ Scott
  • An Alisa Review : Already Home (Finding Home #4) by Carly Marie
  • A Caryn Review: An Uncommon Whore (An Uncommon Whore #1) by Belinda McBride
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Wake Up Married serial, Episodes 4 – 6: Fight Their Feelings, Meet the Mob, Happy Ending (Wake Up Married #4-6) by Leta Blake ( and Alice Griffiths

Tuesday, August 26:

  • BLOG TOUR Heel by KM Neuhold
  • PROMO Mason Thomas
  • Book Blitz – Ann Lister – A Rhythm You Feel (The Rock Gods: East Coast Label Book One)
  • A MelanieM Review: Omega from the Ocean (Heron Manor Book 1) by Amy Bellows
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review The Witchstone Amulet by Mason Thomas
  • An Alisa Review Heel by KM Neuhold

Wednesday, August 27:

  • BLITZ A Noble Cause by Mickie B. Ashling
  • Review Tour for Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs
  • PROMO Belinda McBride
  • A MelanieM Review :Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs
  • A Lila Review: Soul on Fire by Tal Bauer

Thursday, August 28:

  • Release Blitz – Marshall Thornton – Code Name: Liberty
  • TOUR LOVE UNDER GLASSE by Kristina Meister
  • An Alisa A Alisa Audio Review :In Safe Hands (Heroes and Babies #1) by Victoria Sue
  • A MelanieM Review:Overtime (Scoring Chances #3.5) by Avon Gale

Friday, August 29:

  • Audio Blitz Dirty Mind – Roe Horvat
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review : Hitting Black Ice by Heloise West
  • A MelanieM Review: Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) by Avon Gale
  • A Stella review If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going (Mann of My Dreams #1) by Tinnean

Saturday, August 30:

  • Blog Post – Joanna Chambers – Gentleman Wolf
  • A MelanieM Review:Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale

A MelanieM Review: Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1) by Josh Lanyon

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

A gay high-society wedding. A stolen book of spells. A love-threatening lie. Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth?

Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. Thanks to a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he’s arrested for allegedly killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars…

Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in love until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. So when all fingers point to Cosmo’s guilt, John races to prove his fiancé’s innocence before they take their vows.

As Cosmo hunts for the real killer among the arcane aristocracy, John warns him to leave it to the police. But with an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo’s true nature, the couple’s blissful future could shatter like a broken charm.

Can Cosmo find the lost grimoire, clear his name, and keep John’s love alive, or will black magic “rune” their wedding bells?

Mainly by Moonlight is the first book in the sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery series. If you like spellbinding suspense, steamy fun, and a dash of paranormal, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s charming tale.

It was with fond memories of the 1958 movie Bell, Book and Candle (Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart) that I dived into Josh Lanyon’s Mainly by Moonlight, the first in Lanyon’s new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series.  With elements that reminded me of that story, I immediately knew this was going to be a wild and bumpy fun ride.  It starts with Cosmo Saville, an engaged antique store owner who is also a witch and heir to the local arcane aristocracy.  The last being a secret to  his fiance’, the mortal Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith.  In fact, that there are witches, warlocks, or any type of arcanes at all is a secret to all mortals and it’s intended that it stays that way.

Something that will be not only awkward but hard to do when John and Cosmo are married, even with Cosmo’s desire to leave most of his magic behind.  And that’s to happen shortly.

Until a murder takes place.  And everything points to Cosmo as the killer.

As the first story in the series, especially one with as many layers as this series looks to have, Lanyon has a lot to do.  That includes two worlds to build. The mundane and the arcane.  The one that John resides in plus the one that Cosmo was born into. Then there the grey middle area that Cosmo straddles trying to keep a foot in each world and not doing it very well.  As he lies to John about what and who he is.  The mundane world and it’s cast with the police station and John’s circle seems relatively easy a foundation to conceive but the arcane is much murkier and larger to behold.  I trust it will grow as the series does, as will our knowledge of the aristocracy that rules it.  All this is shadow and magic, on purpose, by the author because nothing is as simple as it seems.

Especially not a murder with witches involved.

The murder and its investigation is full of twists and suspenseful turns.  Its ramifications will spread into other stories in the trilogy.

I think the characterizations are terrific, although the magical ones feel more complex and intriguing.  All of them,. Somehow the mundane just sort of pale in comparison. It’s hard sometimes for the mortal to compete with the magical.  Cosmo shines just that much more brightly than does the rather stoic John in their relationship, even given the strange particulars which I won’t go into because of potential spoilers. I wanted something deeper between these two and feel that it’s “lack” again is intentional.  I’m waiting for the second book because I’m betting some surprises are in store here.

And did I mention there is a familiar? A cat as well?  Wouldn’t be right without one.

Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1) by Josh Lanyon closes the curtain on one murder, mostly, only to open the stage to a much larger investigation.  I won’t say by whom …that’s for the next story to tell.  But there will be more mystery, more murder, more romance, and yes, more relationship issues to come.  And definitely more magic.  I simply can’t wait.

Cover art by Reese Dante:  This comver is simply gorgeous. It suits the character, the tone of the story and draws the eye in. Perfect.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 222 pages
Published August 1st 2019 by JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Original Title Mainly by Moonlight
ISBN 139781945802911
Edition Language English
Series Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1

Release Blitz Tour and Giveaway for RJ Scot’s Today (Single Dads #2)

 

Buy Links: 
 
Length: 55,500 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Single Dads Series 
 
Book #1 – Single –  Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Blurb
 

When the world labels a man and judges them blindly, is it possible to ever find love?

Firefighter Eric is on the front line, battling the threat of nature’s destruction in the California grasslands alongside his CalFire team. Focused and calm, even in the direst of situations, he has a strong affection for his fire truck, loves his career, and has best friends he can rely on. All he needs now is love, but that seems to be impossible to find. At his friend’s wedding. Eric falls in lust at first sight with the shy, slim and sexy Brady, even if Brady isn’t the type of guy he usually goes for. What Eric longs for is an equal in his bed, not a smaller guy who might want Eric to role-play big strong firefighter every time they have sex. He wants to find someone he can be vulnerable with, someone who will love him for his soft heart and quiet ways.

Brady’s life plans grind to a halt when his niece and nephew lose their parents in a tragic accident, and he becomes a dad overnight. His Developmental Coordination Disorder rules his life, but he fights both DCD and the fears that chase him every day, to give Maddie and Lucas a home. Agreeing to go to a friend’s wedding is a decision he regrets long before he even gets there. But, he refuses to give in to his fear, even if he might do something that makes him a target for people’s comments and laughter. Meeting Eric, a huge man with a gentle voice and a flair for chivalry, he falls hard. Now, if only he can let himself get past his panic that Eric would never want someone like him, then maybe he could fall in love for real.

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.

RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:

 

Giveaway

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An Alisa Audio review The Spirit Key (Lock and Key #1) by Parker Williams and Collin Carcy (Narrator)

Rating:  2 stars out of 5

When he was eight years old, Scott Fogel died. Paramedics revived him, but he came back changed. Ghosts and spirits tormented Scott for over a decade until, thinking he was going mad, he did the only thing he could.

He ran—leaving behind his best friend, Tim Jennesee.

Scott’s had five normal, ghost-free years in Chicago, when the spirit of Tim’s mother comes to him and begs him to go home because Tim’s in trouble and needs him.

He isn’t prepared for what he finds when he goes home—a taller and sexier Tim, but a Tim who hasn’t forgiven Scott for abandoning him… a Tim whose body is no longer his own. The ghost of a serial murderer has attached itself to Tim, and it’s whispering dark and evil things. It wants Tim to kill, and it’s becoming harder for Tim to resist. To free the man who has always meant so much to him, Scott must unravel the mystery of the destiny he shares with Tim.

This story was not executed well for me.  I had the biggest problem was the first sex scene, it was anger sex and I didn’t feel any of the love Scott said he felt in it and just worried that Tim would hurt Scott.  And then the fact that an adult who sees herself as a surrogate mom could watch Scott drug himself into a stupor and runaway instead of helping him understand what is happening to him.

There were all these parts about them learning what they were to do and apparently that is the tradition, but seriously all that does is hurt the Lock and Keys when they are trying to navigate their connection.  I get the first ones having to do it but not those centuries later.  I thought the story premise was interesting and may read the next book but it may need to be the ebook as I’m not sure the narration helped this book.

I unfortunately did not really enjoy Collin Carcy’s narration.  It was very slow, I mean seriously I have another book that is the same page length but is over 3 hours shorter.  The voices were inconsistent and while I was able to keep track of the story, the most notable was Scott’s, it constantly went deep and then back into normal range.  However, since this is the first book I have listened to by him I will at least try out another book by him in the future.

The cover art by Reese Dante is what caught my attention first and I love the visual is gives of Scott.

Sales Links:  Audible | Amazon 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 10hrs 29mins
Published: July 5, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

Series: Lock and Key #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Kaden (Boyfriend for Hire #2) by R.J. Scott and Meredith Russell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I enjoyed this story, most likely because I enjoy both this boyfriend-for-hire trope and RJ Scott’s writing—alone or in collaboration with Meredith Russell. Kaden is the boyfriend hired through the same agency as featured in book one, Darcy. He’s to provide stability and a love interest for Ryan, a young Hollywood actor whose recorded homophobic spiel hit social media and sent his ratings plummeting.

Actually Ryan Levesque is a nice guy, and the recording didn’t reveal who he was speaking about, nor did it capture everything, including the why of what he said. He was telling someone off, someone with whom he had been in an abusive relationship, someone with financial power to harm Ryan’s career if this someone’s identity became known. But no one knows these facts, and it’s halfway through the story before Ryan tells Kaden the details, even though by then, over the course of their fake relationship, they’ve become close.

The story works in the usual way—the guys start to enjoy the fake kisses and hand-holding, and eventually end up in bed, but Kaden holds onto his own secrets too. When Ryan’s secret starts to come out and another young man is involved, Ryan steps up to the plate and is supportive to the guy who is now in his former position. As I said, it’s a nice story, but a little fluffy, even considering the past abusive relationship. To be honest, I had to do some major imagination-stretching around some of the circumstances toward the end. Reality is not quite as easy as it seems in a book and I couldn’t quite grasp believability of what happened.

Also, because the guys didn’t start to have a relationship until the latter half of the book and the story faded out shortly after the issue with Ryan’s past lover was resolved, when the epilogue takes place two years later, it’s evident that much of Ryan’s and Kaden’s emotional growth has taken place off-page. Their relationship is sealed during that off-page, two-year period also, and they are committed to each other. I would have likely rated this higher if there was more substance revealed to readers instead of being left to the imagination.

Since abuse is mentioned in this story and past emotional and sexual abuse is included, this story may trigger some readers. On the flip side, overall, this is a sweet and simple boyfriend-for-hire trope so those not triggered by mention of abuse and who are looking for an easy read should like this one.

The cover by Meredith Russell is done in a light-blue background that shows a beach house overlooking the ocean in the lower panel and two men embracing, their eyes closed—symbolic of an endearing kiss at the beginning or end. It’s very attractive and suits the story perfectly.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited.

Book Details:

ebook, 150 pages
Published August 10th 2019
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBoyfriend for Hire #2