Category: Contemporary fiction

Review:  Unhinged Little Angel (Mafia Bound Book 3) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 4.75🌈

K.M. Neuhold ‘s delightfully murderous romance series ,Mafia Bound,  just got another great new addition in Unhinged Little Angel.

The Moretti Crime family continues to expand as each family member finds their own unique romantic HEA, usually with an equally compelling, twisted personality. 

Mafia Bound has its center in the powerful crime family, the Morettis, run by big brother, Lorenzo Moretti.  The first story, which I loved, featured his enforcer, the Ice Man,  Xaviaro Saviano, and his romance with Sparrow, an assassin with an agenda. They are seen again here in all their loving psychotic glory. Perfection.

Dante is the near feral, violent , extremely popular dancer at the Moretti’s nightclub, Wild, that we know from previous books. He’s also got mad  hacker skills which have come in handy in past events.  

The lustfuf focus of many, it’s Salvador Moretti who’s decided that Dante is more than just a dancer, something Dante has noticed.  And plays into Dante’s plans when he decides he needs help to solve a past situation that arises. In an absolutely hilariously mad scheme, Dante “kidnaps “ Sal  to force him into a Las Vegas style marriage.

This entire storyline is amazing. I laughed, it’s perfect in further developing these incredibly intense complex characters in a situation that’s part sitcom and crime drama. The location, clothes , the way Nuehold flips up between them as the emotionally charged situation changes moment by moment, letting the reader into the thoughts of each of them as the night progresses. 

This series is a favorite of this author’s and this couple quickly became my personal favorite too. Dante is so well written that he’s both able to be realistically vulnerable yet still a raw, violently angry man, striking out like a viper.  And Sal is both a deadly criminal threat as well as an old time romantic, intelligent, capable of deep emotional commitment.  They are a perfect combination. 

And this turns out to be a fantastic story. Funny, violent, romantic and sexy. It adds to the growing Moretti family and moves the narrative forward about the antagonism between the Fitzgerald crime family and theirs. 

And sets up Luca for his own romance next. 

So happy there’s more Moretti’s in need of partners. Loving this series and definitely recommending it.

Cover Design Natasha Snow Cover Photography by Xram

Great covers.

Mafia Bound:

  • Deadly Little Sparrow #1
  • Beautifully Savage Butterfly #2
  • Unhinged Little Angel #3
  • Desperately Delicate Viper #4 – June 6,2025

Buy link

        Unhinged Little Angel (Mafia Bound Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Forcing Salvatore Moretti to marry me at gunpoint isn’t the craziest thing I’ve ever done… 


I hate being desperate, being scared. It’s a filthy, helpless feeling. I’d much rather be enraged, violent… unhinged. 

Salvatore watches me dance and calls me Angioletto, his little angel. He doesn’t know the demons that haunt me. He’s too blinded by my beauty to see the blood on my hands. Then again, he’s a mafia capo, so maybe the blood wouldn’t bother him anyway. 

My past is like fire licking at my heels, ready to consume me. But Sal won’t let that happen, he’ll protect me. He has to. 

I learned a long time ago not to trust anyone but myself. It’s dangerous the way he manages to unravel all of my defenses and turn me from a guarded Dom into the submissive brat I’ve never felt safe enough to be. It’s terrifying the way I’m starting to crave him. 

I wasn’t sure I would live long enough to worry about this marriage starting to feel real, but this well-dressed mafioso might just manage to save my life after all. We can argue about divorce once the threat is neutralized I suppose. And in the meantime, he is my husband, I might as well enjoy the perks…

  • Publication date: April 4, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 255 pages

Review: Puck Love (The Elmwood Stories #6) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s fitting that Lane Hayes brings her heartwarming series, The Elmwood Stories, to a close with one of the boys who we met in the earlier books.  

Now grown and playing in the NHL, Jake Milligan is one of the boys we met from the first Elmwood junior hockey camp, and along with Denny Mellon, who’s been a character we’ve watched as their parents got their own romances in the early books. 

So it’s perfect that the series finale will have Jake’s own story and we get to see many other familiar faces in this book as Jake’s enemies to lovers story unfolds. 

The “enemy” is hockey arch rival Mason Trinsky, a trash talking, exuberant player who has made their  rivalry a media firestorm to Jake’s chagrin.

Elmwood’s Junior Hockey Camp is now a huge success, with famous players participating as coaches and that’s how both Trinsky and Jake end up as partners for a camp weekend.

It’s a terrific story that Lane manages to bring together elements of bi awakening, Trinky’s family members with special needs as well as his mother’s history of addiction and recovery. That balances so well with the fears and need for control of Jake’s upbringing.  

But we get juicy, sexy scenes of discovery, great characters, hockey, adorable kids in Eddie, Nathan, Ella and Charlotte.  Truly a fabulous heartwarming story of love , family and finding your forever home. 

Elmwood and its magical, small town places hold a special place in my heart. I know that I’ll be revisiting it and it’s love stories. 

Lane is going to bring us a new series based in the neighboring town, Wood Hollow, and hopefully we will see some crossovers in characters.  Vermont’s fictional Four Forest area has so much to offer and more towns to explore.

A highly recommended and heartwarming sendoff of a fantastic series. I love it. Read them in order and fall in love with this town and its people. 

The Elmwood Stories:

You, Again #1

Next Season #2

Holiday Crush #3

Thin Ice  #4

Hot Shot #5

Puck Love #6

Buy link

        Puck Love: MM Small Town/Hockey Romance (The Elmwood Stories Book 6)

    

Blurb 

Two rivals, one secret, and a shot at forever… 

Jake

Favorite things and peeps: hockey, family, friends.

Least favorite person in the entire history of the universe: Mason Trinsky.

I have my reasons, but since you’re curious, Trinsky is a showboat and a loudmouth. Sure, he’s a great athlete. Good for him. I accept that we have mutual friends, and I grudgingly accept that he’ll be a coach at w this summer—however, I plan to keep my distance.

Of course, some wise guy pairs us up for a camping expedition, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

Guess who I’m stuck with?

Trinsky

Favorite things and peeps: hockey, surfing, and my kid brother

Least favorite person in the entire history of the universe: Jake Milligan

Look, I might be in the minority, but if you ask me, Jake is a nitpicking diva who wants everything his way. I hope my NHL team crushes his, and this summer, I want my campers to out-prank his. Childish? Nah, it’s all in good fun.

Until it starts to feel…complicated. I shouldn’t care if he’s happy, should I? I don’t want to be Jake’s friend. I don’t want to have feelings for him at all.

The only thing that matters is hockey. It’s all about the puck. Not love.

Or is it?

Puck Love is an MM bisexual, small-town romance featuring hockey’s hottest rivals, a hiking trip gone wrong, and a shot at forever…

  • Publication date: March 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 280 pages

Review:  Don’t Come For My Night Stalker: MM Military Suspense (Tags Of Honor: Black Squadron Book 2) by Annabella Stone

Rating: 4.75🌈

Don’t Come For My Night Stalker is the second book in Annabella Stone’s excellent Black Squadron duology.  A political intrigue , intense combat and suspense filled story that focuses on a long standing unspoken love between elite op Grady Montreux, and Claudio Stancanpiano, Black Squadron’s commander. 

Stones series ’ series and books, which are heavily intertwined with each other as they are part of this overall agency and oversight task force, have the same locations and repeat characters/couples.  It’s a densely populated and complex military universe where the protocols and procedures are rigid and complicated.

Stone gets this and layers it beautifully into her characters and their storylines. 

It’s a soldier’s story. Complete with nightmares, PTSD, trauma and fears of committing due to the fact that the job makes any future tenuous. So a realistic based storyline for two soldiers who have been in many campaigns and are still fighting, but in yet another capacity. 

A international arms and drug dealer who has been an ongoing major villain in other stories appears here.  Another key element of Stone’s’ series and ability to maintain a high energy and realistic flow in the universe. 

The scenes between Claudio and Grady are moving and intense, especially due to the circumstances. I love the communication between them that finally allows them to see a future or at least a HFN as a couple together.  That’s believable. 

As, frustrating as it is, so is the ending.  Claudio and Grady’s relationship story had wrapped up but an even larger story and plot is just beginning. 

Stone’s books are extremely well written, extraordinarily detailed, with explosive action sequences and suspense filled moments.  Loved it and waiting for the next!

Cover Design By: Golden Czermak Cover Image By: James Critchley Cover Model: Carlo di Carlo

Tags Of Honor: Black Squadron:

Don’t Come For My Operator #1

Don’t Come For My Night Stalker #2

See all connected series below. 

Buy link

        Don’t Come For My Night Stalker: MM Military Suspense (Tags Of Honor: Black Squadron Book 2)

    

Blurb 

War forged him:

Former Italian Special Forces Commander Claudio Stancanpiano has spent his life on the battlefield, where love is a luxury and attachments are a weakness. As the leader of one of the world’s most elite covert Task Forces, he’s used to making impossible choices—ones that leave no room for second chances. But when his Squadron’s latest mission goes sideways, and the man he nearly lost is the only thing grounding him, Claudio is forced to face the truth he’s been running from for years.

Love found them:

Former Night Stalker Grady Montreux has always lived in the shadows—flying into the deadliest war zones, slipping past enemy lines, doing whatever it takes to bring his team home. But after a near-fatal mission, one thing is clear: the only fight that truly matters is the one for the man he refuses to lose.

When the battle stops, love me more

Bound by war, scarred by the past, and tangled in a love they can’t escape, Claudio and Grady finally surrender—to desire, to trust, and to the future they never thought they could have. But love is its own kind of battlefield, and staying together will take more courage than any war they’ve fought before because this time, neither of them is walking away.

A high-stakes, slow-burn military romance packed with heart-stopping action, raw emotion, and the kind of love that refuses to be denied.

  • Publisher: Embers Romance LLC (March 20, 2025)
  • Publication date: March 20, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 332 pages

Full list of Crossover Series of Connected characters/couples and Agencies in the same universe in order:

🔹DELTA FORCE: TEAM PANTHER Jonah’s Compass 

Tied Up In Steele 

Malik’s Redemption 

Micah’s Promise 

Christmas-Panther Style 

Grif’s Salvation 

Jason’s Justice 

🔹TAGS OF HONOR: RED SQUADRON 

Zenko 

Noble 

Don’t Let Go 

Drax 

Roman  

Saxon 

Rees

🔹DELTA FORCE TEAM LYNX Salvation’s Sinner 

Redemption’s Rebel 

Temptation’s Tango 

🔹THE GHOST PROTECTORS 

To Love A Ghost 

To Claim A Ghost 

To Tame A Ghost 

🔹Tags Of Honor: Black Squadron:

Don’t Come For My Operator #1

Don’t Come For My Night Stalker #2

🔹SHORT STORIES 

They Won’t Ask If We Don’t Tell (Delta Force Team Panther)

Review:  A Forgotten Mistake (Deadly Mistakes #2) by Alice Winters 

Rating: 4.75🌈

The past comes rushing back for Homicide Det Liam Paige, the murderous psychopath who’s one delicious side of this two POV narrative in A Forgotten Mistake, the second story in the Deadly Mistakes series from Alice Winters. 

The other voice belongs to cat loving Detective Gabriel Hyde, partner , voice of reason and stability, as well as the beloved of the hilariously acerbic Liam. 

Winters uses the cases and investigations here to further the inter-departmental relationships Liam is reluctantly building with various team members he’s established barriers with previously and to reaffirm his commitment to the other romantic relationship he’s made with Gabriel.   It’s a layered story, shockingly emotional and compellingly told. 

Many details about Liam’s past life become hugely relevant to the cases and storylines here, impacting the investigations but Liam’s mental and emotional state. And that of Gabriel’s.

While there’s deeply disturbing and shocking elements in the scenes and storylines, there’s an equal amount of genuine hilarious moments. Gabriel,his cat,Lucille Pawl helps , in spectacular fashion, a new family member get added. 

A Forgotten Mistake (Deadly Mistakes #2) by Alice Winters is a fantastic book.  The author creates a compelling narrative that allows for the characters to explore their relationships and deepen their friendships, or in Liam’s case, actually start to develop some.  Their characters show genuine growth through dramatic, tragic moments but we still have the comedy to lighten the load.

Highly recommended. A must read for lovers of this trope, author and amazing series. 

Deadly Mistakes:

  • A Simple Mistake #1
  • A Forgotten Mistake #2 

Buy link

        A Forgotten Mistake (Deadly Mistakes Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Liam

Despite winning Gabriel’s heart, my trials are not yet over when I’m stuck competing with Gabriel’s cat for his affection (why is she only evil when he’s not looking?), dealing with coworkers trying to befriend me (I should have blackmailed more of them), and worst of all… meeting Gabriel’s parents (whose affection I will win with lavish presents).

Oh, and hunting down another killer. Though that’s the easy part.

But when a crime scene brings me face-to-face with someone from my past, I realize I might have to fight to keep my secrets hidden from those who would tear me away from Gabriel forever.

Gabriel

Tackling Liam’s foster sister to the ground outside of a crime scene is the last thing I expected to do. It’s clear she needs help, and Liam might be the only person who can assist her. People are turning up dead, but if we fail to find the connection between them before it’s too late, innocent people might end up taking the fall or piquing the serial killer’s interest.

Thankfully, Liam’s no stranger to challenges as he draws me further into his secretive world where the vilest of humanity reside around every corner. He’s opening my eyes and making me fall even deeper in love with every breath as I realize that his darkness isn’t driving me away but pulling me even closer.

This man who is willing to burn the world down for me doesn’t realize just how far I’d go for him.

  • Publication date: March 18, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 395 pages

Review:  Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3) by Lily Morton 

Rating: 4.75🌈

Paper Roses just might be my favorite book of Lily Morton’s fabulous Confetti Hitched series.  The third story in this series about a wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, the author’s focus turns from its engaging, vivacious employees to its owner, Jed Walker and his PA, Artie.

Jed, a widower, and his adorable PA Artie, are about to tumble into that popular romance trope, the fake marriage.  In Morton’s story, this romantic framework for Jed and Artie’s HEA is a hilarious, poignant, heartwarming tale of two men clearly destined for each other. The obstacles in their relationship, a dead husband’s memory, a timeline , and various misunderstandings are clearly present.  However , Morton’s narrative takes the wonderful slow road in allowing the meaningful aspects to of the past relationship and their current feelings a slow recognition to be fully understood. I enjoyed that the reveal was part of the growing relationship. It was extremely satisfying to see such adult relationships here.

I also adore that Mal and Caden and their farm were very much involved in parts of this story. Hilarious and very entertaining. 

So much laughter here as well as romance. The pages flew by. I can see this couple having so much entertainment and joy in their lives together going forward. 

Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3) by Lily Morton will be a reread for me.  I loved this couple so and it left me feeling so lighthearted and happy. 

Another win and highly recommended story by this author for me. 

Confetti Hitched:

Confetti Hearts #1

Something Borrowed #2

Paper Roses #3

Book Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs 

Buy Link

        Paper Roses (Confetti Hitched Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Jed Walker thinks he’s having a midlife crisis. The only trouble is that it feels too good to stop.

Widowed at a young age, he’s spent his life since then avoiding any relationships that might end up hurting him again. He has his successful wedding planning business, Confetti Hitched, and a series of uncomplicated hookups, and that’s all he needs in life

The one person disrupting this controlled stoicism is his younger assistant, Artie. He’s sweet and kind and has a funny way of calming Jed’s mind. So, when Artie comes to him with a problem, Jed moves heaven and earth to help, which is how he finds himself entering a fake marriage with the younger man and catching feelings. Too bad it’s all pretend. Or is it?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a story about how love can completely derail the best-laid plans.

This is the third book in the Confetti Hitched series, but it can be read as a standalone.

  • Publication date: February 9, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 326 pages

Review:  Duck and Dive (Rise and Shine Book 1) by G B Ralph 

Rating: 4🌈

I discovered G B Ralph through his delightful cozy mysteries, The Milverton Mysteries.  Ralph’s stories are tend towards the same elements.  Character driven stories with the people , all of them with their faults included, fully realized and completely layered with human frailties. These characters carry the fears, joys as well as inabilities to move forward that the reader might recognize from their realities . It certainly makes them relatable. 

If not occasionally a tad frustrating. 

In this sweet, short trilogy, Ralph gives us the journey of Arthur and Gabriel, from Arthur’s awkward coming out to their relationship happily ending. 

Each novella a sweet quick tale of a section of passage through that journey.  

Duck and Dive starts it off with Arthur, an awkward Duckling trying to come out to friends and well, anyone, that’s he’s gay. And it’s not going well. 

This is sweet, funny, painful in its own way in that you feel for Arthur in his fears and yearning to be out at his age.  And his friends don’t make it easy. 

Read all three together for a delightful  lighthearted romantic afternoon.

Definitely recommended.

Cute covers

Rise and Shine Trilogy , complete :

Duck and Dive #1

Slip and Slide #2

Over and Out #3

Buy link

        Duck and Dive (Rise and Shine Book 1)

    

Blurb 

A gay romantic comedy novella about coming out and failing spectacularly.

Arthur knows it’s time he told his mates he’s gay. So what’s the holdup? He’s wound so tight he can’t get the words out – giving himself injuries, spilling his dinner, and all-round making a mess of it.

And that’s before the nosy neighbour gets involved with her spiced apple muffins. Or the elderly residents of the Sunset Villas retirement home start complicating matters. Not to mention the gorgeous straight guy from the driving range.

If only Arthur could get his act together…

Duck and Dive is a quick, light, and fun read – the first in the completed Rise and Shine series. It’s filled with buckets of banter, dashes of comic tragedy, and more food and booze than any story ought to have. Our boys are surrounded by a cast of chaotic characters and thrown into the most unlikely situations. Their story continues in Slip and Slide, and concludes in Over and Out.

‘I didn’t know what to expect, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I’m glad I did, otherwise that would’ve been a very awkward conversation.’ Author’s partner.

  • Publication date: May 22, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 115 pages

Review: Truth or Spare: Princes Take New York Book 2 by K. Sterling 

Rating: 5🌈

Second story into K. Sterling’s Princes Take New York series and I have a favorite already. Funny, heartwarming, beautifully written, full of characters that make you feel invested in their lives and the story. And even side appearances from delightful people who have just become star players in this universe! Muriel, I’m looking at you!

Sterling’s series is exploring the future of each von Hessen prince. There’s four brothers and a cousin, Max, living in Manhattan, who abdicated his duties and title to Leo, the oldest.  Leo’s story and romance was the first one in the series.

Still single are Theobald (this book), Matteo, and finally younger, brilliant brother Elio aka Eli. And that’s the order that the author looks to be following for their stories. 

As Truth or Spare opens, the setting is once again, The Olympia, an elegant well known apartment building on  72nd Ave in Manhattan on the Upper West side.  It’s home to many characters and couples of both series but it’s Muriel Hornby’s apartment where Matteo and Theo are currently staying. Muriel is now family and ,hilariously, an intimidating sidekick when needed. 

Theobald Anton Christoph Aelbehrt von Hessen is feeling restless. Sterling gives the reader an immediate impression of a man cut loose from his life’s purpose. That of raising his brothers who are now young men and capable of making their own decisions. 

His interactions with Matteo show the brotherly dynamic and immense love that they feel for each other.  And Theo’s loss of purpose for himself.

His personality and strength of character will only be further enhanced as he decides on a choice of actions that take him on a bus ride to tiny Oslo, New York and the old lanes of Brooks Family Bowling. 

Never have I loved a fish out of water tale so much as I have watching an Austrian , albeit anonymous, prince wander into an American small town, multiple suitcases in hand, with a joyous, exuberant outlook.  And lots of German words. With some very astonished people there to welcome him. 

Dewey Brooks, owner and operator of  Brooks Family Bowling has his own issues to deal with.  Dewey also has a deep love of his fractured family, his tiny town, and the Brook’s legacy as represented by the family’s bowling alley, which he’s determined to keep alive whatever the cost to him personally. How much he’s struggling isn’t fully understood at first. Or exactly what are the issues he’s been battling. Those get revealed slowly, by others and as forced by events during the narrative.

Theo and Dewey’s relationship as employer/employee is hilarious. As something more? Sweet, sexy, utterly heartwarming and engaging. So well written it felt intimate to be a part of their lives and journey. And Walter? More please.

I could just continue on. About the customers, family members, town. Oslo, New York just has something special.  And so does this amazing book.

It’s funny, it’s generous of spirit, it’s kind hearted, sexy and sweet. 

I’m hoping we make a beeline back here soon in Matteo’s novel. Until then, pick up this fantastic romantic comedy.  It’s one I’m highly recommending. The author too. She’s on my auto read list. 

Nannies of New York (6 book series) and must read. 

Princes Take New York (connected and sequel series):

  • Jonathon, After All #1
  • Truth or Spare #2

Buy link:

        Truth or Spare: Princes Take New York Book 2

    

Blurb:

Split happens.

Too cynical to pin his hopes on a miracle, Dewey “Doobie” Brooks has his doubts when a charming stranger arrives in Oslo, New York, looking for a job and a place to stay. Running the family bowling alley, raising his brother’s son, and hiding an autoimmune disorder have left him in need of help—but finding a capable, reliable adult in his small town has been hopeless.

Theo von Hessen is neither capable nor reliable. An Austrian prince and philanthropist with a reputation for being an unrepentant playboy, he has never held a real job and is clueless about manual labor. But the moment he sees a “help wanted” sign and Oslo’s tired town hero, Theo’s convinced fate sent him there to make a difference.

It isn’t all fun and games at Brooks Family Bowling. Dewey is at his wits’ end and doesn’t know what to make of his new employee. Is Theo on the run, or is this some reality-show stunt? Neither can deny their attraction and romance strikes, but will Theo wind up in the gutter when his true identity is revealed—or has he finally found his purpose and a chance to rewrite his own story?

  • Publisher: Bawdy Books (February 4, 2025)
  • Publication date: February 4, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 267 pages

Review:  Handy (Four Bears Construction Book 8) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s fantastic to be back in Fall Crosse, Wisconsin , the small town that’s the heart and home of K.M. Neuhold’s three interconnected contemporary romance series. Four Bears Construction Company launched them all and the author is keeping the series going and heartwarmingly fresh with the latest release, Handy. 

It’s the eighth book and it’s wonderful. While I’ll always love Stone and Dare’s romance because it’s just hilarious, Neuhold had me at park ranger and bird nerd with Ledger.  While there were other aspects of Ledger that had me sighing ( not in a good way, it’s the raccoon) , Neuhold represents his job (low pay, high knowledge, passionate) extremely well. Neuhold writes layered, believable characters. 

Griff too was a great character. One easy to emphasize with, as he’s in stasis, the loss of his husband, his own grief and inability to understand how to let go and move forward keeping him emotionally and in a way, physically isolated.  So well written.  We can understand this man and why he’s allowed himself to get mired down. 

Until Ledger, that human vibrating ball of fantastic positivity and bear crushing energy next door comes calling. Or maybe  more accurately his DIY house does. And his pet raccoon, TP.  

I will admit to the fact of someone, even a ‘Ranger’, having a raccoon as a pet is an issue for me because of past experiences that have not gone well for the animals. But the way Neuhold realistically describes the huge damage the raccoon does to the house (holes chewed constantly in the walls) and furniture as a fact of its every day life made this aspect of the storyline well documented.  Thank you for relating that wildlife comes with wildlife instincts. 

The relationship that develops between Griff and Ledger is one I adore.  They flirt, or Ledger does and Griff slowly moves forward towards acceptance that he’s ready for a new relationship and love.  They communicate, get sexy, Ledger imparts bird facts and together they become a couple who is engaging, realistic, and heartwarming.

Plus those are some truly special bird facts! I’d be won over. 

Ledger has a best friend who is also a park ranger, Jericho, a single man in search of his HEA. I suspect his story is coming.  Although it may be in the Ink Slingers series. 

I love the series and Handy is among my favorites here.  I’ve listed them all below as well as the two other connected series. 

Be sure to check them out. Highly recommended. 

Book and Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs

Four Bears Construction :

Caulky #1 (Ren and Cole)

Nailed #2 (Dare and Stone)

Hardwood #3 (Watson and Ev)

Screwed #4 (Ollie and Daniel)

Stud #5 (Sawyer and West)

Stripped #6 (Miller and Demetri)

Drilled #7 (Apollo and Ridge)

Handy #8 (Griff and Ledger)

Connecting sequel series, same town and crossover characters:

🔷Big Bull Mechanics (5 books to date series)

 🔷Ink Slingers (2 book to date series)

Buy link

        Handy (Four Bears Construction Book 8)

    

Blurb 

My new neighbor may be grumpy but he’s also hot, and very good with his hands…

I definitely overestimated my own handyman skills when I bought this fixer-upper. I have to say, the view from my new place is worth it though. Especially around seven o’clock every morning when my big, furry bear of a neighbor drinks his coffee shirtless on his back porch.

He’s dedicated to the bear thing too. Growly, grumpy, and as it turns out, he really likes belly rubs.

Am I a sucker for a touch starved grump? Yes. Am I sorry about it? Absolutely not.

Getting Griff into my house and into my bed is the easy part. Convincing him I’m actually interested in him is so much harder.

I didn’t mean to turn myself into his secret admirer, but if sending him anonymous presents and notes is the only way to wear down his gruff exterior, then that’s what I’m going to do.

Sooner or later he’ll realize he’s more than just my grumpy handyman, right?

Handy is a super low angst, high heat, romantic comedy featuring a grumpy “Bear” (not the shifter kind 😉 ), and his sunshiney neighbor who becomes his secret admirer. It can be read as a stand alone but the most enjoyment will be from reading it as part of the full Four Bears Construction Series.

  • Publication date: February 3, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 208 pages

Review:  Deck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas Book 5) by N. R. Walker 

Rating: 4.25🌈

I have looked forward every Christmas to N. R. Walker’s new Hartbridge Christmas story, and was delighted to see Deck the Fire Hall this year.

Hartbridge, Montana is that snowy, Hallmark like small town with a beautiful view and endless charming Christmas decorations .  Plus something else. Where a visitor that arrives in town at Christmas will meet his true love in town and find forever happiness. 

That’s happened through four magical, heartwarming stories, each building upon the other. So that couple by couple, Hartbridge is becoming a real place that anyone would love to live or at least visit. 

Now it’s time for the Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva we’ve come to know to get his own HEA. Soren has come close but now a burned out doctor just moved in next to him.

Doctor Robinson O’Reilly is a lovely character. Walker really gives us the sense of a man who has been through some serious mental and physical stress. And has needed a severe change.

The relationship is sweet, adult and develops, as is the case with these stories, quickly. Doc Reilly and Soren De Silva were a wonderful couple and if Deck the Fire Halls ends the series, it’s a heartfelt way to see it go out. 

Charming, funny, sweet and just a lovely read about a great town and wonderful people. What a pleasure!

Just some thoughts. 

Some things struck me as odd. This is definitely part of a series. Yet, it’s been removed as one and you would struggle to find the other books if you didn’t know they existed or the order to read them in. Very strange. 

Also, I was missing the lovely map of the town that’s been a part of the series and shows where all the shops and couples live. If you’re interested, look at Holiday Heart Strings where I saw it last, a great book too. 

Hartbridge Christmas:

  • Tic-Tac-Mistletoe #1
  • Christmas Wish List #2
  • Merry Christmas Cupid #3
  • Holiday Heart Strings #4
  • Deck the Fire Halls #5

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDeck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas): 9781923086388: Walker, N.R.: Books

Blurb 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDeck the Fire Halls (Hartbridge Christmas): 9781923086388: Walker, N.R.: Books

Blurb 

Doctor Robinson O’Reilly is burned out. Exhausted, jaded, and disillusioned with the bureaucracy of his profession, he’s ready to throw away his entire career. Convinced to take a part-time position in a small town instead, he packs his medical bag for Hartbridge, Montana.

Who knows, maybe the change of pace and mountain air will do him good.

Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva moved to Hartbridge two years ago. He loves the town, the people, his job. What he doesn’t like is the lack of queer men. Well, the lack of available queer men. There are a few queer couples in town whom Soren can only look at with envy.

He wants what they have.

There’s a new doctor in town; not Soren’s usual type, but there’s something about him that Soren can’t ignore. A friendship sparks between them and Soren can’t help but wonder if that Hartbridge Christmas magic the others joke about is real.

Because a spark leads to flames, and this is not a fire Soren wants to extinguish.

  • Publisher: BlueHeart Press (November 22, 2024)
  • Publication date: November 22, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 288 pages

Review:  Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys Book 3) by Onley James

 

Rating: 4.75🌈

I honestly don’t know any authors who do this trope and type of character and dark psychotic romance as well as Onley James.  Each one has its own unique take on the dark side of these characters , insights into their damaged psyches, horrifying backgrounds, and whatever maybe their stabilizing influences. Or who.

Having been through Jericho and Atticus’ aka Freckles fantastic romance (and don’t think this won’t be sending me back to reread their story, because it will), I have absolutely loved these novels about Jericho’s found family of lost boys. 

Each story flows from the last, a narrative smooth transition as all the boys, now young adults, live together or in close proximity. They’ve also become part of the larger Mulvaney family when Jericho married Atticus. 

The Mulvaney family, its many members make multiple appearances here, but Jericho’s boys remain the main story. Here it’s Nico Michaels, his years under mother’s negligence and abuse as child, which have left him scarred emotionally and physically for relationships. It’s also Malachi Mizrahi, gender fluid, neurodivergent, and psychotic. Older brother to Shiloh, and someone who has been a constant companion to Nico since they met. 

These two are among my favorites. How they slowly redefine their relationship. One discovering that he’s not been aware of the reality of that relationship, the other letting the layers of the emotional connections they share adjust in their own recognizable patterns. It’s wonderful writing. It’s realistic, tough, funny, dark, and raw. Between two young men who have been through monstrous events and had heinous experiences.

The crimes and mystery is fascinating. It brings a whole new element and energy into this universe with the Chinese Triad community. As with the Mulvaney family, the Chinese Triad organization has as a diverse group of characters, just as intriguing. I hope they will continue to pop up in future stories. 

There’s a kinky sexual aspect to their relationship, one that’s more developed towards the end. This element is slowly built up into their story and makes sense. And will continue forward as part of the next book as they grow and help another one of their own journey into their own relationship. 

I adore this book and couple. The series has me wanting to reread the original books and start this over again. 

If dark fiction and romantic love along these lines are your thing, then these books aren’t to be missed. Highly recommended.

The seven dark fantastic books of the Necessary Evils series are the foundation which then leads here to Jericho’s Boys. They aren’t to be missed. 

Jericho’s Boys :

Paladin #1 (Arsen and Ever)

Rogue #2 (Levi and Shiloh)

Barbarian #3 (Nico and Mal)

Ranger #4 – March 2026

Buy link 

        Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Nico Michaels pretends to be carefree, avoiding anything serious, especially relationships; his chaotic past has taught him that love only complicates things. He’s content with one-night stands and his close-knit group of friends, including his roommate, Malachi Mizrahi.

Neurodivergent and gender-fluid, Malachi wakes up each morning with a whole new personality, but one thing remains constant: his love for Nico. They clicked perfectly from day one, sharing a love of everything from anime to nature documentaries. They even share a bed. Platonically, of course.

One night, the lines blur when they share a kiss, but before things can go further, a desperate call from one of Mal’s dance students throws them into a missing person’s case that leaves them with more questions than answers. To complicate matters, Mal reveals he’s been quietly orchestrating Nico’s whole life without him even noticing. Nico is shaken to his core, his perception of their relationship shattered.

As they navigate the perilous world of a vicious Chinese triad, their bond deepens, and Nico begins to see that Malachi is not only the perfect friend, but the perfect man to fulfill all his needs. Together, they must face their past and survive their present if they want any chance of a happy ending in their future.

Barbarian is a friends-to-lovers, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a masochistic vigilante with ADHD and a video game addiction and his sadistic and controlling best friend who worships the ground he walks on. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence, but only against people who totally deserve it. This is book 3 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple. 

  • Publication date: January 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 459 pages