Category: Contemporary fiction

A MelanieM Review: Palm Trees and Paparazzi (Gabe Maxfield Mysteries #3) by J.C. Long

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Gabe Maxfield remembers Manuel Delgado all too well—since investigating him nearly got him killed. He’d be very happy never to see him again, but that’s not in the cards for him. When the mother of a missing socialite seeks out Paradise Investigations to find out what happened to her daughter, Gabe and best friend Grace Park are going to be thrown right back into Delgado’s world. Personal lives begin to interfere, as well, and soon they’ve got more on their plate than they can handle.

A missing woman.

Delgado’s son.

A romantically awkward Grace.

Gabe’s parents.

It’s just another week for Gabe Maxfield.

Ok, I’m going to admit that this series and this author have me flummoxed.  There is so much to admire about the writing and the characterizations and the settings that I want to give this story a much higher rating.  And I keep waffling about it, I really do!

See,  JC Long gets so much right here.  Til it sort of doesn’t.

First let’s talk about the setting.  That would be Hawaii where Gabe is a transplant from the mainland.  Long gets the feel of being a “native born” Hawaiian just right.  From the poke, the clothes, the  “language” that goes beyond colloquialisms into a shared culture spoken among those born to the islands itself, you feel like Long knows Hawaii and its people.

After the setting and lush grounding of Hawaii, you have the many characters of this series.  And the start of my wobbling point.  I can see them so clearly.  Long’s ability to define a personality, give them life, and then push them along a narrative works.  Whether you like that character or not, it works.  Long does a great job with all elements of society, law abiding, criminal, native, and haoli. So far so good.

Even the plot of the missing fiance was entertaining.

So where do I find that the story (and potentially series) wobbles?  Well, that would be in believing that Gave and his very annoying partner Clare are actually detectives.   I  kept waiting to find any sort of genuine investigation here (that’s left to another IT person). Anything that would make me believe that any actual “detecting” was being done.  Nope.  From what went down, I don’t believe these two could find pet rocks unless someone threw them at them. They stumble into everything and I don’t think we are meant to look at it like that.  Gabe gets followed by two men.  Does he try to find out who they are?  No.  When he gets pictures , actual  photos of the distinctive men tailing him, try to match up faces to names of the thugs? Again no.  He makes assumptions.  Does he even ask, Maka, his cop boyfriend? Or even tell him they’ve tailed him home? Nope.  Maka, when he does eventually see the thugs, identifies them immediately. Smh!  These two almost make Clouseau look brilliant. Why they keep solving cases I haven’t a clue.

This is not supposed to be a comedy of errors but serious detective work but Gabe and Clare come off at two people who not only should not be Private Detectives but give that group a bad name because they are so inadequate at what they do.  Impulsive, check.  Half cocked.  Uh huh. Running into dangerous situations. Check and check.

So do you see my quandary here?  Believable characters who are absolutely terrible at their jobs but I don’t think JC Long meant to write them that way.  Does Long believe they are doing great work?  Does he believe he’s writing terrific investigative procedures?  Or is this all tongue in cheek?  I really don’t know.  But I get the feeling it’s meant to be serious.

Then there’s their treatment of their receptionist.  Gabe hires a older woman, not because she’s competent, but because she’s sure to make Grace crazy with the way she acts and dresses.  Then when there are constant “emotional” fireworks between Clare and the feisty and totally marvelous Mrs. Neidermeyer, he doesn’t back up either one of them.  All the while acknowledging that maybe he made a less than wise decision.  Ya think? She dresses inappropriately, pole dances and dates and has way more life than many of the other characters in the series.  Long has give her depth and vitality.  Yet none of the characters in the story treat her as anything other than a joke or a burden to deal with.  How odd is that?

So yes, how do I rate this story?  Go high for great settings, believable characters and then what?  You can’t ignore character abuse, lack of professionalism by the PIs or sheer bumbling that occurred that was supposed to fill in as detective work.

For me, I’m still pondering what to do while knowing I’ll grab the next story in the series when it arrives.  Honestly, I love Maka and effervescent Mrs N!

Cover art by Natasha Snow.  Great cover, vibrant and pulls your eye right to the book. Love it.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 1st 2019 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781951057039
Edition Language English

Series Gabe Maxfield Mysteries #3

Gabe Maxfield Mysteries Series

Mai Tais and Murder

Tiki Torches and Treasure

Hula Dancers and Hauntings

Palm Trees and Paparazzi

A Stella Review : I’ve Got You by Becca Seymour

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

When a single dad and a newly outed veterinarian meet by chance, it takes red-cheeked conversations, a tentative friendship, and the willingness to put their hearts on the line to show these men they’re made for each other.

Single dad Davis Jackson is busy balancing his coffee shop and being the best dad he can be. That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely. After a fumbling encounter with a man who looks as gorgeous as he does unhappy, Davis is left wondering who the mystery man is.

All Davis knows is that he has never felt such an instant attraction to anyone before, but when he discovers the brown-eyed man’s identity, it’s clear the recently out-of-the-closet veterinarian is lost and quite possibly broken.

This is exactly the kind of story I like to read, sweet, cute, full of children and laughs. I read I’ve Got You by Becca Seymour in one night, it caught my interested from the beginning and it was  a joy to read, easy and quick. It’s not a shallow story, there’s not too much drama but it’s packed with feelings, all kind of them, friendship, love, loyalty. There is a strong sense of family here, not just the blood one, on the contrary the family Davis has created for his daughter and himself is composed by Carter and Tanner (from Let Me Show You), his employees and Scott. The same Scott you probably hated if you read Let Me Show You. In my opinion the author did a good job at redeem this character, I soon fell in love with him too and forgave him for the behaviours he had with Carter. Scott and Davis were lovely together and the way Scott acted around Lilly showed how great he really was.

I liked I’ve Got you very much, I think it was so much better than the previous title. I will surely read more about this author.

The cover art by Claire Smith is very cute, simple and clean, I like it.

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA

iTunes  |  Kobo  |   Nook 

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 2nd 2019 by Rainbow Tree Publishing
ISBN1 39781925853650

A MelanieM Review: Recipe for Romance (Recipe for Romance #1-4) by Ari McKay

Rating: 4,25 stars out of 5

Four couples, four different stories — and one spicy Recipe for Romance from author Ari McKay!

Welcome to Montgomery House, Charleston’s finest restaurant. When you walk in the front doors of the stately former mansion, you’ll be surrounded by true Southern charm. Owner Rhys Montgomery will personally welcome you, while the tantalizing scents of Executive Chef Stephen Pierce’s latest culinary masterpiece linger in the air. Enjoy a walk in the gardens or an elegant meal in the dining room, as you watch the love stories play out around you…

Bay Leaves and Bachelors — Clay Turner’s heart was broken by a wealthy man who said he was boring. When rich, outgoing restaurateur Rhys Montgomery sets his sights on the quiet academic, drawn in by Clay’s intelligence and sex appeal, he finds he has an uphill battle to win Clay’s trust. Can Rhys burrow his way into Clay’s heart, or will Clay’s insecurity become a wall between them that not even true love can break down?

Fennel and Forgiveness — Seven years ago, Max Boyd broke Darius Cooper’s heart. Darius wanted a commitment, and Max wanted to focus on his career in Georgia’s television industry. Their ten year difference in age and experience tore them apart, but fate throws them back together when Max arrives at the Montgomery House, where Darius now works. Will Southern Wedding Belles bring them a second chance for love or is Darius’s trust too shattered for Max to heal?

Ginger and Gentlemen — Ian Pierce has lived in his older brother Stephen’s shadow his entire life, always feeling second best. His best friend, Matt Davis, is the only person he trusts to be on his side. Despite being in dire financial straits, Ian wants to refuse Stephen’s request to film an episode of Mouth of the South at Ian’s restaurant, but the bonus money offered in the contract is too much to resist. He accepts without knowing the hefty bonus comes from Matt, not the production company. Will Ian feel betrayed by the one person he trusts above all others when he finds out, or will Matt’s desire to help Ian succeed even at his own financial risk take them from friends to lovers at last?

Cinnamon and Seduction — Chef Stephen Pierce has talent and a determination to succeed that is matched only by his fierce temper and prickly personality. Yet his long-suffering personal assistant, Robert Logan, has carried a torch for Stephen since the day they met. Everyone around Montgomery House knows Robert is in love with Stephen — everyone, that is, except Stephen himself. Can Rhys, Clay, Darius, Max, Ian, and Matt find a way to make Stephen see that Robert is the perfect man for him, or will even Robert’s legendary talent for matchmaking fail to win him the man he loves?

I thought Recipe for Romance (Recipe for Romance #1-4) by Ari McKay was a wonderful read.  I enjoyed the romances, especially the collection as it centered around a restaurant and  it’s owner and staff.  Each person from Montgomery House, a beautifully restored mansion in Charleston that’s now one of it’s finest restaurants, gets their own story here and HEA, starting with its owner Rhys Montgomery.  So here are my thoughts on all the stories.

Bay Leaves and Bachelors: Rating 3 stars out of 5

I thought it interesting that Bay Leaves and Bachelors with Rhys and Clay is the only story where the two men aren’t either a couple with a previous romantic history or just a long history of friendship/established relationship of some sort.  Rhys and Clay meet in Bay Leaves and Bachelors for the first time and have a rather quick instant love attraction that’s out of the norm for all the others.  So in many ways it also strikes me as the weakest story of the four.  I felt both characters were well done, including their passion for history and old buildings.  The research element seemed authentic as did everything about Charleston, a place I’ve visited and loved. No, it was Clay’s reactions, the the unanswered questions about his job towards the end that just felt so off that it threw the entire story for me.  I kept looking for answers in the other stories and never got them.  Oh well.

Fennel and Forgiveness Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Darius Cooper runs the dining hall with precision and utter efficiency.  It is his domain and his place of solace when need be.  Now that’s about to change when the production company of the tv show Southern Wedding Belles arrives to film its pilot episode and brings with it his ex, Max Boyd.   it’s been seven years since Max broke his heart when he left him in Atlanta saying he wasn’t ready for a commitment and now he’s here, the one place he thought he would never see him again.  McKay gives us heartbreak made fresh again in  two men who never stopped loving each other.  There’s a age difference and a realistic lack of maturity that helped break them up the first time.  The only thing this story needed was just a tiny bit more length to get the resolution and reunion perfect.  Otherwise, I loved it.

Ginger and Gentlemen 4.5 stars out of 5

I almost want to review the next two stories together because they are about the Pierce brothers.  Both chefs, one the fierce perfectionist terror of the Montgomery House kitchen, Stephen. He has the last story.  And his younger brother Ian Pierce, who runs a retro dinner he owns in a small southern town, featuring home cooked food.  With him in this endeavor is his childhood friend,Matt Davis.  Ian’s dinner is in financial straits due to a former financial manager’s swindal, so when hiis brother offers to come film an episode of his new chef series (along with a healthy payment) at his dinner, Ian is hard pressed to say no even though they are estranged.  I loved this story because it becomes about the harm one father does to his children  by his favoritism and their disparate upbringing.  This is full of angst, from both sides, years of pain built up and bursting all at once.  On top of that we have a friends to lovers story evolving (for both brothers, both of whom have been ignoring what’s right in front of them for years).  Two men yearning for two stubborn and in pain brothers.  And the story will carry over into the next.

I think the brothers and their partners are by far my favorites with Stephen and Robert winning by a head.

Cinnamon and Seduction 5 stars out of 5

Stephen oh Stephen.  Love this character.  Imperious, wounded, marvelous Stephen and his equally exquisite Robert.  They are in every story and steal them away to be honest.  It’s hard to concentrate on any other couple when Robert and Stephen are in the room.  They just have that extra something!  So it’s fitting they close out the collection and get their HEA.  What a fight it is to get them together as Stephen’s confidence has been shaken by the clashes with his brother and the memories of his childhood that it reawakened.    Also the network loved the episode with Ian, all the tension and the brothers magnetism worked on air so they want more of them together….around the country.  That means major changes in every part of his life. This story includes challenges, change, and an ability to be brave, for two men.  Yes, it was my favorite story with my favorite characters.

What is also not to be missed is the recipes at the start of each story featuring the main ingredient listed in the title.  You will want to copy them down to try them all at a later date.  Just looking at them made my mouth water.

If you love contemporary romance, here are four stories in one place to enjoy.  I recommend it highly.

Cover art absolutely works for the story.  Love it.

Sales Link:Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, Second Edition, 455 pages
Published June 28th 2019 by Self Published (first published November 5th 2013)
ASINB07TDP3JH5
Edition Language English
SeriesRecipe for Romance #1-4

A Collection of Contemporary Romance Stories Cooked Up for You? Check Out the Review Tour and Giveaway for Recipe For Romance by Ari McKay

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 

Blurb


Four couples, four different stories — and one spicy Recipe for Romance from author Ari McKay!


Welcome to Montgomery House, Charleston’s finest restaurant. When you walk in the front doors of the stately former mansion, you’ll be surrounded by true Southern charm. Owner Rhys Montgomery will personally welcome you, while the tantalizing scents of Executive Chef Stephen Pierce’s latest culinary masterpiece linger in the air. Enjoy a walk in the gardens or an elegant meal in the dining room, as you watch the love stories play out around you…


Bay Leaves and Bachelors — Clay Turner’s heart was broken by a wealthy man who said he was boring. When rich, outgoing restaurateur Rhys Montgomery sets his sights on the quiet academic, drawn in by Clay’s intelligence and sex appeal, he finds he has an uphill battle to win Clay’s trust. Can Rhys burrow his way into Clay’s heart, or will Clay’s insecurity become a wall between them that not even true love can break down?


Fennel and Forgiveness — Seven years ago, Max Boyd broke Darius Cooper’s heart. Darius wanted a commitment, and Max wanted to focus on his career in Georgia’s television industry. Their ten year difference in age and experience tore them apart, but fate throws them back together when Max arrives at the Montgomery House, where Darius now works. Will Southern Wedding Belles bring them a second chance for love or is Darius’s trust too shattered for Max to heal?


Ginger and Gentlemen — Ian Pierce has lived in his older brother Stephen’s shadow his entire life, always feeling second best. His best friend, Matt Davis, is the only person he trusts to be on his side. Despite being in dire financial straits, Ian wants to refuse Stephen’s request to film an episode of Mouth of the South at Ian’s restaurant, but the bonus money offered in the contract is too much to resist. He accepts without knowing the hefty bonus comes from Matt, not the production company. Will Ian feel betrayed by the one person he trusts above all others when he finds out, or will Matt’s desire to help Ian succeed even at his own financial risk take them from friends to lovers at last?


Cinnamon and Seduction — Chef Stephen Pierce has talent and a determination to succeed that is matched only by his fierce temper and prickly personality. Yet his long-suffering personal assistant, Robert Logan, has carried a torch for Stephen since the day they met. Everyone around Montgomery House knows Robert is in love with Stephen — everyone, that is, except Stephen himself. Can Rhys, Clay, Darius, Max, Ian, and Matt find a way to make Stephen see that Robert is the perfect man for him, or will even Robert’s legendary talent for matchmaking fail to win him the man he loves?




Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.


Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.


McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.


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An Alisa Review Waited So Long by JM Dabney

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

What happens when your best friend’s son comes home and he’s all grown up?

Devon Hoffman has a secret. He’s wanted a Daddy all his own, but when you’re pushing fifty, you’re completely over the hill. Newly divorced and trying to be single again after an almost thirty-year relationship, he’s lost and needs someone to ground him. Except he’s anxious and his depression intensifies until Bern returns after leaving the service and the younger man suddenly takes interest. Can he let his guard down and risk losing his best friend or should he do whatever is needed to keep his secret safe?

I was so excited for a new daddy/boy story and while the story was nice I wasn’t big on the execution.  Bern has been in love with his dad’s best friend for years and after leaving to avoid temptation now that Devon is single Bern has come home.  Devon has hidden his desires for so long that when they start to be brought out but a much younger man he starts to feel even more conflicted.

One thing I did love in this story was the explanation of the daddy/boy dynamic, that it is a mindset not an age, which is perfect for this story but many others and how more open minded some should be about those relationships.  However, the relationship between these two felt forced and I couldn’t help but feel Bern was pushing Devon a bit too much to get what he wanted, especially when Devon needed help accepting what he wants.  I did feel bad for Devon having not had the loving marriage he had always wanted and then being cast aside, though when we actually meet his ex I can’t believe he ever thought it would work.  I can tell that Bern loves Devon but he came off as mostly stalkerish with his constant observations since his teens and pushy.

The cover art by J.M. Dabney is nice and gives a good visual of Bern.

Sales Link: Hostile Whispers Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 115 pages

Published: June 18, 2019 by Hostile Whispers Press

Edition Language: English