Category: Contemporary fiction

Review: Like I Needed (Heather Bay, #3) by Charlie Novak

Rating: 5🌈

Like I Needed is one man’s deeply revelatory and redefining journey from a purposeless wealthy party boy living in London to the committed, grounded and incredibly happy partner of a farmer in Heather Bay.

Novak really outdid herself with this story. It’s my favorite not just of the series but of any recent contemporary romance I’ve read.

It’s with the beautifully written characters , the incredible landscape and storylines that that pulls a narrative that often feels poetic from Novak. And it’s the truth you get from the lives that they are leading as farmers that engages the reader so completely that you forget you’re reading a book as you lose yourself in lambing season or whatever is happening on that farm.

“The first lamb of the season was born just after midnight on the seventeenth of March, a date I knew I’d never forget for as long as I lived.”

That’s Jamie Stone, who fled to Heather Bay in search of new direction for himself and answers for why he was so dissatisfied with himself and life in London.

It’s always amazed me when an author can take a certain “type” of main character and turn him into someone we find we empathize with and deeply care about. That certainly happens with Jamie. A man who’s decision to flee the city for something completely different lands him in Heather Bay where every step he takes leads he further down the path towards the man and life he’s always wanted and never knew he could live.

That’s with Will Foster, the last of the Fosters on a farm that’s been in his family for hundreds of years. The weight of that responsibility and the pressure on him to insure the farm’s future is heavy. The reader feels every bit of the love he has for his heritage, the land and farming as well as the toll it’s taken on him.

Novak’s picture of the reality of a farming life, right in the middle of winter, the cold, early hours, constant cold , snow, and bitter winds, is raw and believable. But so is the wood fired stove that heats the old farmhouse, Mog the cat the moved in and never leaves, and farm dogs, the pain and joys that needs to be shared.

It’s lambing season.

“We’d gone out to do one last check before bed because Will had been pacing up and down the kitchen with a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. So we’d wrapped up warm, loaded Nell up onto the back of the quad bike, and headed out to the fields. The sky was cloudless and studded with a million stars, the moon so close to full it looked like someone had tried to draw an approximation of a circle and flattened it on one side. It was crisp and cold, our breath fogging in the air, and the world felt almost empty.”

— Like I Needed (Heather Bay Book 3) by Charlie Novak

The beauty in the descriptions, the warmth of two men finding each other. Truly a favorite story for me.

And of course, all the wonderful meddling friends, the Friday nights at The Sleeping Goose, it’s enough for me to want to head there right now and pull up a chair.

I love this so much. Right to the end, it’s pretty perfect.

The series is great. Low angst, loving, full of people finding a home and HEA in the most beautiful places and inspiring ways. Read them in order for the events and couples. Then arrive here at one of my favorites!

Heather Bay series :

✓ Like I Promised #1

✓ Like I Wished #2

✓ Like I Needed #3

◦ Like I Pretended #4

◦ Like I Wanted #5 – Sept 28,2023

Buy Link:

Like I Needed (Heather Bay Book 3)

Blurb:

One night isn’t supposed to lead to love.

Jamie Stone is rich, beautiful, and bored out of his skull. The past few years have been an endless round of parties, and the decadence has lost its lustre. When a late night decision to get away lands him in the small seaside town of Heather Bay, Jamie’s convinced he’s made a mistake.

Heather Bay is no Ibiza, but it does have Will.

Will is stressed, stretched, and doesn’t have time for anything but work. He’s too busy trying to keep his head above water to focus on the London party boy who keeps ending up in his bed. Jamie is nothing but a distraction, but Will can’t resist coming back for more, especially with the harsh realities of farming nipping at his heels.

With the clock ticking on Jamie’s stay and the chaos of lambing season fast approaching, both men will have to look beyond themselves and let go of their fears. If they can, they might find the one thing they’ve always needed.

Like I Needed is a steamy and sweet hook-ups to lovers contemporary MM romance featuring a city boy with a hedonistic reputation, a gruff farmer in need of a break, endless amounts of snow, friends with no boundaries, terrible scrambled eggs, and the breathtaking beauty of the Yorkshire moors.

It is book three in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series.

The Game (Charleston Condors Book 2) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 5🌈

I absolutely loved this story! Micah Rose was a character whose complicated journey started with the Miami Piranhas team and series .

A damaged, angry man, Micah’s transformation was a side storyline that was so compelling that the reader just wanted to know why he was so hurt and broken that it almost cost him his career in Miami.

In The Game, Bolden gives her readers the answers. We finally understand the hardships and pain that drove Micah to make the decisions he made to arrive at the man he was in the Piranhas. As well as the new man he’s become that asked for a trade at the end of that series.

That’s our starting point. After the events at the end of The Star which saw a teammate caught betting on game play, a trade was made and it brought Micah Rose to the Charleston Condors.

It also brought him back into the life of the man he loved and left. Beckett West. The other half of himself. The other half of the famed Northwestern “Wall” when they played together in college. And the events that drove them apart.

Bolden’s exemplary narrative charts the awkward moments between the tentative first reunion between them through the all the detailed history and emotional scenes that will bring forgiveness and redemption to them both as well as love and HEA.

This is a story about forgiveness, families in whatever form that may take, love and redemption. Bolden dogs deep into both lives to find the reason for their own suffering and eventual forgiveness. It’s a remarkable story.

And if I had thoughts that Micah was to easy to forgive his mother’s actions perhaps that’s on me and not the character. Within the narrative, it was believable and grounded within the people and families.

The next book has a tough bar to fly over. I look forward to seeing what the author has to offer.

Meanwhile, I’m absolutely thrilled to recommend this series by Beth Bolden. Start at the beginning and work , book by book, through the series. Just outstanding writing, fabulous action sequences, football commentary, characters and relationships, etc. 15/10 recommend.

Charleston Condors:

✓ The Star #1

✓ The Game #2

◦ The Score #3 – Oct 31,2023

Bolden’s connected Football series (characters appear/are mentioned

in all the series) in order they are written:

✓ The Riptide

✓ Miami Piranhas

◦ Charleston Condors

Buy Link:

The Game (Charleston Condors Book 2)

Blurb:

Micah Rose is ready for a clean slate. He might’ve messed up his rookie year with the Miami Piranhas, but being traded to the Condors is the best way to put all that behind him.

The Condors are rebuilding, too. New owner. New coach. New players. New rules.

But one rule hasn’t changed: don’t marry your ex-best friend in Vegas.

Beckett West isn’t looking forward to seeing Micah again. Back in college, they shared not only a ride-or-die friendship, but a ton of sexual tension they never acted on.

That was before Micah pushed him away.

Still, Beck’s never forgotten their last drunken night together. Not only did they finally confess their feelings, they both promised if the day ever came when they played on the same team again, they wouldn’t waste the chance to be together.

But Beck didn’t expect that day to ever be this day.

He certainly didn’t expect to wake up in bed with Micah’s ring on his finger.

Or that he’d never want to take it off.

But it turns out the only man for him is the one man he could never forget. The one man he’s always wanted to make his.

Review: Like I Wished (Heather Bay, #2) by Charlie Novak

Rating: 4.5🌈

Like I Wished, the second in Charlie Novak’s wonderful Heather Bay series, is a friends to lovers, sexual awakening love story. Although the blurb states it can be read as a standalone, that’s really not the case. The foundation for this story and the men’s relationship starts there in book one.

We meet the close knit group of men that live and work in and around the historic seaside village of Heather Bay in that book. It’s in that first story we see the beginnings of the attraction in the sweet relationship that exists between teacher Noah and former football player/baker Spencer. Spencer is the older brother of Alex, Noah’s best friend and roommate. As such, he’s always been a bit on the edge of the circle of childhood friends due to his age and the fact he went off to pursue his dreams as a professional club player.

Novak treats Spencer genuinely sweetly here as a character. Whereas other authors would write him as the somewhat dim golden retriever in his inability to make connections between his past crushes on men due to their physicality and his current revelation about his sexuality, Novak uses his friends and Noah to help guide him through the process of understanding his own sexuality and self awareness. It’s just a little bit slower connections with Spencer, a man with a huge heart and sweet personality . I love the depth of his character, the pain of the loss of his passion of the game and the joy he’s feeling for baking. He has depth, not a lack of intelligence.

Same goes for Noah, a teacher who loves his students, the science he teaches, and has learned to love his body. There’s wonderful body positivity in his storyline, someone who’s been bullied for his own less than perfect body to someone who’s accepted himself and who is happy with what he’s doing. Noah has crushed on Spencer for a long while but always thought he was straight.

The author creates a very believable narrative for both men that begins a change in perspective for both of them. Then follows that through with the ripples of what that means for the members of their found family.

Not an element is forgotten, or storyline is lost. Just lovely. And sexy as Spencer discovers exactly why he’s been so enamored of the male form all these years. Gently funny, adorable, and extremely sexy as Noah and Spencer find love together.

Novak also starts to set up new characters for stories to come. Will the farmer overwhelmed with his single farm life, snarky younger brother of Spencer’s, Alex, with walls a plenty. Great people needing their HEA. Can’t wait for their romances.

But don’t believe the blurbs, not standalones. Read them in the order they are written for the characters relationships and events as they develop.

I’m highly recommending this and the series.

Heather Bay series :

✓ Like I Promised #1

✓ Like I Wished #2

◦ Like I Needed #3

◦ Like I Pretended #4

◦ Like I Wanted #5 – Sept 28,2023

Buy Link:

Like I Wished (Heather Bay Book 2)

Blurb:

Dreaming about my best friend’s brother is one thing, him actually falling for me is another.

Baking cupcakes for the science department bake-off shouldn’t strike fear into the heart of chemistry teacher Noah, but his previous record hasn’t exactly been glowing. In an attempt to stave off another year in last place, Noah turns to the one man who might be able to help him: his best friend’s older brother, Spencer.

Noah’s had a crush on the vibrant and sporty footballer turned baker for years, but the chances of anything happening between them are slim to none. Spencer is caring, funny, gorgeous… and totally straight.

Spencer has never thought about dating men before, but after watching Noah lick buttercream off a whisk he’s suddenly realising he’s not as straight as previously thought.

Revelations about his sexuality are one thing, but his footballing past being dragged into the present is another and Spencer isn’t sure which is more stressful. But he’s sure about one thing: he wants Noah in his life. Now all they have to do is figure out how to make their wishes come true.

Like I Wished is a hot and heart-warming best friend’s brother contemporary MM romance featuring adorable ghost cupcakes, a bisexual awakening over baking, gate-crashed first dates, gym-bro besties, and lots of hot chocolate.

It is book two in the Heather Bay series and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed as part of the series

Review: Like I Promised (Heather Bay, #1) by Charlie Novak

Rating: 4.5🌈

In Heather Bay, Charlie Novak has the beginnings of a truly lovely, location centric contemporary romance series. The location itself, a historic community, complete with castle, on the cliffs of Heather Bay, is rich in scenic beauty and steeped in the aged community buildings and families.

The first story has a base of two old childhood friends and first loves whose romance was broken apart by the doubts and fears of their teenage years and stress of one headed off to college in York. The death of a beloved grandmother, the need to renovate the cottage inherited by the grandson that left for college and rarely returned, yields up a warmhearted, beautifully written romance. One that’s about second chances and the joy of finding comfort in coming home to the friends and lover you’ve always known yourself to have been missing.

The characters, the close circle of unique personalities that make up old childhood friendships and new members to this tight group, are so well defined. We feel like we know them at the end.

I enjoy a romance where the author takes an adult approach to a relationship. Here the men acknowledge early on that the anguish caused each other by their actions years ago was primarily due to their teenage fears , lack of communication that each was responsible for.

How refreshing. They talk as adults as their friends advise them to and move on. Love this.

Low angst? Yes. But does it make sense or make the storytelling less engaging? No. There’s plenty of elements here to keep the reader interested and invested in their lives and that of the community.

I especially thought that of Oliver’s work, and trying to see if he could get his company to agree to a different work environment was on point of discussions these days. And Lane’s issues with his contractors felt pretty realistic and grounded him firmly within his profession and his crew.

I could picture these men, this small community of people so clearly because Novak has made them such a great compelling center for emotional history and a wealth of relationships going forward.

I’m really excited to see where this series goes next. I’m highly recommending it !

Heather Bay series :

Like I Promised #1

Like I Wished #2

Like I Needed #3

Like I Pretended #4

Like I Wanted #5 – Sept 28,2023

Buy Link:

Like I Promised (Heather Bay Book 1)

Blurb:

Falling for my childhood sweetheart wasn’t part of the plan.

Moving back to Heather Bay wasn’t on Oliver’s agenda for the summer, but after inheriting a cottage in dire need of renovation he doesn’t have much choice. Supervising the builders should be easy… except the man in charge is Oliver’s childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend.

Lane’s spent nine years desperately trying to forget his first love, but that doesn’t stop him from fantasising about Oliver in every spare moment once he discovers Oliver’s back in town. Falling into bed together isn’t supposed to mean anything, even if Lane’s emotions feel too big to be ignored.

Being drawn to each other is one thing, but being stuck together after disaster strikes the renovations is another. The pull of the past is strong but Oliver and Lane have been down this road before. This time they’ll need to learn from their mistakes so they can finally keep their promises.

Like I Promised is a steamy second-chance contemporary MM romance featuring former childhood sweethearts, interfering friends, questionable barbecues, a very lazy collie, cosy coffee shops, and secret beaches.

Review: Deep Impact (Wrecked: Guardians, #4) by Kelly Fox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Deep Impact is the finale story to Fox’s Wrecked:Guardians series and the author sees her characters off in their new roles and pathways in a totally satisfying manner. This comes complete with a great epilogue that lets us see our couples happily together in the future.

It makes sense to save the head of the agency, DeShaun Blaylock , of the legal firm Blaylock Security and Investigations, as the last person to concentrate on for a story.

Well , DB as he’s known,boss of Wrecked:Guardians, and the man who’s loved him for years not so secretly.

That’s Odd Bash. Twin brother to Anders Bash. Where Anders is the medical doctor, Odd is the technical genius. Both men working for Wrecked as well as the Guardians.

Throughout the series there’s been a serious underlying romantic connection between DB and Odd that’s never been acted on or acknowledged. Just sexual tension everywhere that is the talk of the team.

Why DB doesn’t engage with Odd has been a question.

Fox wraps her story around that answer here, one that rests in DB’s current disabilities and mental state.

The author does offer a trigger warning about the subject matter involved here with DeShaun. It goes back to a military mission that goes horribly wrong. A bomb explodes, a team is destroyed and DeShaun will survive having to go through multiple surgeries, savage wounds, burns , and ongoing medical issues that are believably described and discussed.

This is the author’s note:

“DeShaun (DB) has serious physical issues, as noted in earlier books. In this book we find out the full extent of his injuries, and in describing them I endeavored to use frank, accepting, often wry language. While I specifically avoided being overly graphic, the depictions may still be disturbing to some readers.”

FYI. DB also has PTSD and reoccurring nightmares about the mission. This element includes Jake , a character that DB blames himself for the failure of that man’s mission as well. It’s a package of guilt, nightmares, old history, and inability to heal.

This makes for compelling reading and gives us real insight into DB’s actions all this time.

Odd, whose personality is the opposite of his brother, has been giving DeShaun the space he’s indicated he wanted. Have to admit, I adore Odd, the quiet man to Anders wild one. But Fox’s interaction between the brothers here is wonderful, playing up their love for each other, their friendship and support. It also showcases Anders in a better light than Anders own book did. Great to see Anders and Omar again.

Every aspect of this team was spot on. Seeing the couples, getting DeShaun and Odd together, the missions to save the children being trafficked, it’s all here.

If the one thing, the “bad guy” felt a tad weak, well , I think he was just a little bit of a narrative ploy more than an actual good villain.

But everything else was so solid. The action, the ending, the epilogue. Absolutely satisfying. And there’s a new series getting ready to start where we’ll see these characters again.

I felt Deep Impact (Wrecked: Guardians, #4) by Kelly Fox might be the strongest story of the series and the great way to finish. I’m absolutely loving it and recommend it.

Read the series in the order that they were written.

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

✓ Most Wanted #3

✓ Deep Impact #4 – series finale

Linked series: Wrecked

Buy Link:

Deep Impact: An M/M Hurt Comfort Romance (Wrecked: Guardians Book 4)

Blurb:

DeShaun and I have been locked in a mutual imaginary affair since the day we met.

So many close calls, drunken flirtations, exchanged glances…and then his unfailing sense of duty would kick in. He has always outranked me and was never going to cross that line.

Even though we’re no longer in the service, he insists he’s not good enough for me. And sure, he’s still the boss…of our highly illegal mercenary organization. But that’s not the only thing holding him back. He’s scarred and in pain and believes his physical limitations should deter me.

What he doesn’t seem to get is that I would sacrifice a limb for him. Major organs. My entire heart.

If he thinks he can push me away for good, he doesn’t know Odd Bash.

Odd, the quiet man with the strange name, believes he can love me as I am. I will never let him do that to himself.

The bad guys never take a break, and every time he’s in danger I lose another night of sleep. Fall apart a little more.

Physically, let’s just say my knee isn’t the only problem. There’s an experimental surgery, but…I’m not going through that again.

In a perfect world, no one would ever know the extent of my injuries or the toll it has taken on my mind. Odd insists he loves me without reservation, but he doesn’t understand the reality of my life.

And I love him way too much to ever put him through that.

Deep Impactis a mercenary MM romance set in Austin, Texas. It features a nineties sing-along, an interfering sociopath, a surprise marriage, and a machine perfectly engineered for the bedroom.

This is the fourth and final book in the Wrecked: Guardians series. Several characters from my series about a gym for combat vets, Wrecked, crossover in this series. While you don’t need to read the Wrecked books to enjoy the slightly more nefarious Guardians, most folks end up wanting the juicy backstories.

Review: The Fortunate Son (Redemption Ridge #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.5🌈

After leaving the deep south of Savannah for the mountains of Colorado, author Aimee Nicole Walker’s brings us her book two in her series about a ranch offering redemption and a second chances .

In The Fortunate Son , Walker introduces Rory Snyder, son of a politician running for governor, who’s in need of sanctuary and a place to renew himself. That his first impression of himself is less than stellar has its roots inside a troubled family relationship and self image.

Rory is a complicated character, one that starts out with one persona then consistently reveals his real identity and true personality as his interactions within the ranch, particularly those with Ivan Gallagher , allow trust and growth. And love.

Ivan Gallagher is a lovely character, a resident of Redemption Ranch we’ve met before. Now we get in-depth Ivan as well as additional ranch stories, like those from Harry and Dylan , which will help light the way towards happiness for our main couple.

Ivan’s redemption includes learning to let go of his past and reconnecting with his family. This is a believable and important element. It inspires a similar one to happen with another person. Both moments are very different yet emotional and powerful.

As always with Walker there so many great scenes and intriguing side storylines. Most swirl around Ivan. His three cats are amazing. Yes, I’m a sucker for wonderful animals in a story, especially if they’re layered in and realistic, as they are here. Brava.

Also the honey and beekeeper aspect to Ivan’s personality. It’s his passion. My only wish is that it had been more fully integrated as regards to the actual work, the bees themselves. Much is made of an incoming new queen bee but that scenario vanishes. Then a tour for Rory is given of Ivan’s honeyland but instead of bees we get a feeling of a weird gnome garden. It’s a missed narrative opportunity , one that rarely happens with this author.

The romance between Ivan and Rory ends up encompassing everyone on the ranch and it’s a found family celebration of warmth, acceptance, and love full of friendship, hilarity, support and deep emotions.

I really love this series and book. Next up is the founding head of the ranch and Rory’s brother, Nick. Should be fabulous. I can’t wait.

I’m highly recommending this but read the entire series in the order they are written.

Redemption Ridge:

✓ Guys Like Him #1

✓ The Fortunate Son #2

◦ Saints Like Him #3 – October 19,2023

Buy Link:

The Fortunate Son (Redemption Ridge Book Two)

Blurb:

Ivan Gallagher’s first and only attempt at love nearly cost him everything—his reputation, family, and even his freedom. Needing an outlet for his pent-up passion, the gruff foreman turns his beekeeping hobby into a successful business. Just when he’s on the verge of taking his liquid gold to the next level, a granted favor transforms his orderly life into a sticky mess.

Rory Snyder was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but wealth couldn’t spare him from loss and heartache. Finding himself at the center of a dangerous media storm, the social media influencer seeks refuge at Redemption Ridge. Too bad the Viking-sized Ivan seems impervious to Rory’s charms because he could use a sexy distraction from the chaos threatening to ruin his life.

Predawn collisions in the hallway lead to revelations, explorations, and something far sweeter than honey. Soon, living in the moment becomes living for the moment. But for how long? A future seems impossible for the humble foreman and the fortunate son until a common nemesis makes Ivan and Rory realize what they truly stand to lose.

The Fortunate Son is book two in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. The Fortunate Son contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Content Warning: homophobia, underage alcohol addiction, and intentional overdosing are briefly discussed in this book, though no graphic descriptions are used.

Review: A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley

Rating: 4.5🌈

A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley is expanded from the author’s short story, Keeping Him in Cornwall, that appeared last year in the charity anthology, Heart2Heart #6. It’s also part of Riley’s Cornwall universe, which connects it to one of my favorite books of this author’s, Charles, a fact I didn’t discover until I read a note at the end.

All that aside, A Wedding in A Week is such a lovely romantic story. We get to wallow in all that beautiful Cornish countryside, steeped in the traditions of the family and villages, with that sparkling dark sea beyond the cliffs. Overlay that with a complicated fabric of two men’s common history, pained backgrounds of losses and heavy burdens, and hidden love so Riley’s story is full of remarkable layers.

It starts with Stef recuperating from a potentially devastating accident as well as still in mourning over the loss of his father three years earlier, and the heaviest of knowledges, that of his younger brother’s inherited the then heart condition that killed the father. That brother, Lukas, sends back Mark, a man who stayed with the family while growing up, to help during recovery.

That reunion between Mark and Stef is one of quiet emotional homecoming’s. I loved the many elements Riley used to bring the men romantically back together after a hurtful split. The loving memories of them with Lukas, Mark’s best friend. The pasties moment that included his mother in his kitchen. And always there’s the inspirational landscape of Kara-Tir , the farm that’s the heart of Stef, his family and this book.

So many little details, so many lovely moments that all combine into a beautiful contemporary romance.

I’m absolutely recommending A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley and if you haven’t already read them, now’s the time to dive into the others in this universe!

Cornwall universe:

Learning to Love :

✓ Charles ❤️

◦ Sol

◦ Luke

◦ Austin

◦ Heppel Ever After

Cornish Shared World Standalones

✓ Finding Mr. Fabulous

✓ A Wedding in a Week

Christmas Collection

◦ His Last Christmas in London

◦ We Only Kiss at Christmas

Buy Link:

Amazon  

Description:

A second chance with his brother’s best friend also comes with a deadline.

Three years after inheriting his family farm, an accident forces Stefan Luxton to rethink his future. Turning his farm into a five-star wedding venue is one goal. Another is to reconnect with Marc, who Stefan loved but let slip away to the city.

Now Marc’s back, trying for a job that might keep him in Cornwall long term, and Stefan’s determined to help him. There’s just one problem — he only has seven days to do it.

Review: Wayward by Mary Calmes

Rating: 5 🌈

There’s certain authors you read because you know what you’re going to get in terms of characterization and narrative structure. It’s a happy satisfying feeling of familiarity combined with a love for the manner of storytelling the author puts forth.

Short version? It’s a book hug. You know what you need and the author gives you it, wrapped up in lovely words and warmhearted feelings.

That’s a Mary Calmes story at its finest.

Wayward by Mary Calmes brings together all those Calmes literary elements , the flawed man who’s seen as a hero. He will forever change for the better a small town and its inhabitants lives by his arrival. There’s a probability he’s a bad man with a heart of gold,unknowingly loved by many, and who finds his HEA in this new life. This will inevitably will include small children and adorable animals.

Here Calmes throws us into the world of the Russian mobs, specifically one criminal family that includes Maksim Lenkov, son of the boss. It’s an ugly, sordid dark place that Maksim lives in and runs the crime part of his family’s business.

The casual cruelties, the brutality, and the dehumanization is very well written. That Maksim is able to still get across as less a monster than those around him is astonishing. It makes the transition all the more believable.

Because transition he does into a small town in Oregon. One where the oddest people live next door, weird animals abound, the smallest of them up and adopts you, and you end up finding a home and love.

Honestly, all the characters here were marvelous. From Misha,the tiniest of Morkies to the fabulous Ada and her crumbling mansion of marvels, to the man who captures the heart of Maks, that’s Gale, the police officer in Rune, Oregon. Plus all the others we meet and wish we could spend much more time with. Turns out Rune is a very interesting place to explore.

I could see several books there. Plus I love the couple.

When it was all over I was completely satisfied with the ending. The threads and threats had been dealt with, their futures settled and I was so excited about what was in store for them and the small group of found family going forward. Misha included.

That’s why I read Mary Calmes and that’s why I loved this book. And why I’m recommending it.

Buy Link :

https://www.amazon.com › Waywar…Wayward – Kindle edition by Calmes, Mary . Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Description:

Maksim Lenkov is certain he’s not a good man. His father isn’t, and since Maks is his second in command, then certainly, he’s just as evil. The list of sins is long, and there’s no getting around that. What’s messing him up is that despite all that, in the midst of life and death, his only friend tells him he’s been a blessing; law enforcement is treating him like he prevented more bloodshed than he caused, and everyone is concerned with doing right by him. Why? And how is Maks supposed to figure out who he is, when everything he thought he knew is suddenly turned upside down?

It only gets weirder once he begins his new life in witness protection. Because if he’s a guardian angel of women and children, dogs, and one eccentric heiress, can he really be a bad man? Added into the mix is a handsome, loyal deputy chief of police, who lives next door and thinks Maks hangs the moon. Is it possible that living in hell never actually made him into the devil? Perhaps it was only a wayward life, and now it’s time to chart a new course.

Review: Most Wanted (Wrecked: Guardians, #3) by Kelly Fox

Rating: 4🌈

Most Wanted picks up from the events of the last book, Full Contact. There we met US Marshals Ronan as he quietly aided the Guardians on a mission to rescue sex trafficked kids and take down the federally protected pedophiles.

Now cut loose, Ronan is reunited with his past boyfriend, Guardian Thane Ashford in the aftermath of those events.

Fox’s characters are emotionally attached to each other even as they are separated by their feelings and past trauma. The story, which helps us see their relationship over the years from both sides, goes into Thane’s damaging relationship with his father, his insecurities about his body image which date back to his childhood, and why he was so against any idea of a commitment.

The characters are still working through their past differences and what that means to the current group dynamics. It makes for interesting interactions and sexy encounters.

I like that the entire team is involved here, new teammates are added, and Fox smoothly moves the story forward while also introducing the thread for the book to come. Which involves their boss, DeShawn, who’s emotionally weary and in need of retiring from the daily operations.

Fox writes characters that seem simple yet have layers. It may take a while to reveal but they do surface. Same with each couple’s relationship, there’s always that extra backstory that adds an element you might not expect but appreciate once you’ve got it.

I found Most Wanted highly enjoyable. I really like the strong women characters that continue to appear. The themes , especially of

sexually trafficked children and women are ones some will find disturbing so be aware of the nature of their investigations.

I’m recommending this and looking forward to the next.

That’s for Odd , Anders’ twin, and DB’s relationship.

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

✓ Most Wanted #3

◦ Deep Impact #4

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Most Wanted: An M/M Friends-To-Lovers Romance (Wrecked: Guardians Book 3)

Description:

Letting Ronan go was the biggest mistake of my life. Giving me a second chance might be the biggest mistake of his.

I’d spent a year as Ronan’s friend-with-benefits, convincing myself that he could never feel the way I felt. I was floored when those three little words flew out of his mouth.

So, I ran. And have regretted that decision every day for the last five years.

Now fate has led him back to me and to the Guardians, the merry band of mercenaries who have become my family. Our last several missions have gone sideways, and Ronan is convinced that he needs to go back into the field to understand what our team is dealing with.

He’s putting himself in harm’s way and we can’t keep our hands off each other. God help me if anything happens to him.

I can’t think of anything more dangerous than giving my heart to a man who’s already destroyed it.

Then again, I might not have much say in the matter. My life’s been upended, and the only place that’s safe is with Thane and the Guardians.

It doesn’t take us long to figure out that our passion burns just as hot as it always did. Undeniable. Unstoppable.

I can’t keep my hands off him, but I can’t go back to being his friend with benefits. And I have no clue how to trust him.

Thing is…if we could learn to trust each other, I might actually have something to offer this team of morally flexible do-gooders.

Most Wanted is a mercenary MM romance set in Austin, Texas. It features a gentle (if slightly murderous), muscle-bound giant, a beautiful, wickedly flexible man, and more chemistry than a high school science lab.

This is the third book in the Wrecked: Guardians Series. Several characters from Wrecked, my series about a gym for combat vets, crossover into these books. While you can enjoy the slightly more nefarious Guardians without reading Wrecked, lots of people end up wanting all the juicy backstories.

Review: Touch the Lightning (The Storm Boys #3) by N. R. Walker

Rating: 5🌈

I always have such mixed emotions about the last book in a series I absolutely love. I don’t want to say goodbye so I dread reading it but I also want to see where the author is going to go with the compelling, complex characters they have created. And how the author will do so within the context of the framework of the series themes they’ve set down.

Walker sends off The Storm Boys in a manner we might not have expected but one that is so much more than I anticipated. It gives Tully and Jeremiah the happiest of moments going forward, the satisfaction for us and themselves in their lives, and all the characters we’ve come to know and adore.

If I were to be greedy, yes, I’d want holiday special stories. And yes, I hope I get them. But am I in love with the way they ended here? Yes.

Storms and lightning. Jeremiah ‘s traumatic past, and how it’s still been a lightning rod in many respects for Jeremiah, holding him back , from being able to see himself in certain roles, to being able to say I love you to Tully. Walker brings all this into the story, weaving it into their evolving relationship. Tully’s family is a terrific source of narrative joy here, with great characters and supportive, meaningful conversations.

Tully’s character is one who has always been an impulsive person away from the family but now a traumatic event causes major emotional changes in Tully’s perspectives. It’s realistic, painful, and makes Tully even more vulnerable .

It’s hard to describe how the layers of loss, tragedy, and trauma are combined, pulled apart, rendered into something more meaningful, and the new reality becomes more complex and , through Walker’s writing, something beautiful.

I love these men. I truly hope that the author will visit them again. But if not , I know this series just became a comfort read.

I highly recommend it and this book. Read them in the order they are written! And enjoy!

The Storm Boys:

✓ Outrun The Rain

✓ Into The Tempest

✓ Touch The Lightning-finale

Second Chance at First Love: Prequel to The Storm Boys

Buy Link:

Book 3 of 3: The Storm Boys Series

Description:

The Storm Boys Series – Book Three

Without a working office, Jeremiah is tasked with repairing the automated weather station on Oxley Island. It’s remote, only accessible by boat, and with there being a good chance of crocodiles, he’s dreading it.

Tully, on the other hand, can’t wait.

With a boat licence, his dad’s boat, and two days alone with Jeremiah—and with thunderstorms likely—to Tully, it’s another perfect adventure.

But their plans go awry when Jeremiah’s research gets far too close for comfort. Thirty years ago, the day his life was touched by lightning, he was changed forever.

It’s about to change again, only this time he’s determined to set things right.