Category: Contemporary fiction

Review: Blade (Boston Rebels Book 5) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

Blade, the 5th novel in the Boston Rebels series, is absolutely my favorite story to date. Even with the issues I’ve mentioned when reviewing some of the preceding books still present, the storylines, the outstanding characters, and their quietly remarkable romance shine so strongly that everything else is forgotten.

We are given two main characters, with different traumatic events in their background. Both stem from catastrophic events.

For former Boston Rebels hockey player, Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk, it’s a plane accident that has left him a depressed amputee without his team and unable to go forward.

Cooper Harvey, inventor and billionaire, was orphaned at a early age in an volcanic explosion, that came close to taking his and his uncle’s. A brilliant inventor as well as owner of a enormous company which uses his inventions in multiple ways, Cooper is autistic which makes relying on a special circle of people necessary in order to navigate life .

In every way, through dialogue, detailed scenes, the authors knowledge of people who have or are struggling with PTSD, adjusting to life as a amputee, the loss of a lifetime passion and love of hockey, depression, the challenges someone who is autistic faces throughout their lifetime, from bullying in school to prejudice in the board of directors.

It’s such a deeply honest and emotional display of men at their most raw and flayed. Watching Dunny rebuild his life with the help and love of Cooper is so heartwarming, so heartfelt that you want to reread passages as soon as you finish them.

I laughed at Cooper’s jokes, and cried with Dunny at each step forward he made. And together, they were quietly unstoppable.

I wasn’t ready for their story to finish. As I’ve remarked before, this really isn’t about a team as it is the men leaving it. I have zero feelings about the Rebels. But about Dunny and Cooper? They are everything!

I could see a series about a sled team. Now THAT would be something to read about.

I’m highly recommending Blade (Boston Rebels Book 5) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey. It is easily the finest book in the series or contemporary romance I’ve read lately.

https://www.goodreads.com › showBlade by R.J. Scott – Goodreads

Boston Rebels:

🔹Top Shelf #1

🔹Back Check #2

🔹Snowed #3

🔹Royal Lines #4

🔹Blade #5

Synopsis:

Love doesn’t have a formula. It’s messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control for the autistic billionaire inventor and the hockey player who believes he’s lost everything.

Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk has a passion for life. A robust outdoorsman, lover of life, and one of the Boston Rebels fan favorites, Dunny has always embraced excitement and the drive to try new things. During his inaugural flight behind the controls of a small plane, the fates decide to test his mettle in a way that he had never envisioned. When everything crashes down around him, he’s lost in depression and alone in his cabin, facing an existence that is nothing like the one he previously led. Desperate to find some hope, Dunny reaches out to The Harvey Foundation who might be able to help, and he soon finds himself being lifted out of the pit of darkness he’d fallen into one shy uplifting smile at a time.

Accidental billionaire and inventor Cooper Harvey is only happy in the seclusion of his lab, creating new and wonderful things he is sure will make the world a better place. Being on the spectrum, he knows being autistic means he’s different to others, but it’s in a good way, and it only makes him better at what he does. Other than being blackmailed into spending every fourth Sunday at his PA’s house for dinner, he avoids the chaos of the world, and if that means no social life, then he’s okay with that. In the most splendid isolation money can buy, he escapes the complicated and difficult emotions surrounding attraction, and his single-minded focus means that sex and love have never appeared on his list. When his latest invention reaches the testing stage, he would normally hand it over to his development team, but a chance meeting with the test subject makes him rethink. Something about the hockey player who’d lost it all makes him think life isn’t all about measured chemical reactions, and sometimes it’s just about the craziness of love.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Hot Lips: A MM Romantic Suspense Mystery (The Hot Cannolis) by Tara Lain

Rating: 3.75🌈

Hot Lips is the last of The Hot Cannolis series. It is written by Tara Lain, when the original plan was to continue to coauthor , with Eli Easton, all four books was halted by Lain’s personal health issues that had Easton and Lain dividing up the last two stories.

She mentions all this in the prologue but I bring it up again because unlike the other books, Hot Lips seems the only story removed from the encompassing “embrace” of the Canoli compound and family we’ve come to love. Even Tito, one of its main characters, is an enigma. His personality , with those vague hints of shyness, a lack of history, and a real disconnect to everyone in the Canoli family, wasn’t that interesting.

The reader, through every book, has no idea, who this shadow is.

That’s completely opposite of every other novel where we had a semblance of the person we were to meet going in. Here? Nothing.

Lain assembles Tito’s personality like a puzzle at the same time she’s crafting her storylines, and I’m not sure it works. It’s not a smooth or fluid construction.

Tito ‘s character has endured trauma. Has PTSD, has become housebound. Has another identity. Lain piles onto Tito multiple layers of elements that don’t have “page time” for full treatment. There’s mystery, kidnapping, stalking , and other elements that would act as trigger warnings.

Then there’s Ari Cohen, the undercover Detective. He’s huge, sweet, has a great cat. I mean he’s a good character but his role within the Canoli “universe “ is barely there when Uncle Rick asks him over to talk to Tito. Which is a real stretch here.

I think that’s part of my issue here. All the preceding books felt like a part of a family. They naturally flowed together. They had history, substance , a firm foundation that the storylines and characters stood upon.

This easily could have been a standalone with nothing to do with the Canolis. It felt like the author kept pushing to make connections to the series instead of letting it be what it was, it’s own novel.

So it ends up being something that almost succeeds but doesn’t because it tries so hard. Sweet romance with trigger warnings.

The Hot Cannolis series:

◦ Fireman’s Carry (The Hot Cannolis #0.5) by Eli Easton

✓ Hot Seat #1

✓ Hot Wings #2

✓ Hot Pursuit #3 by Eli Easton

✓ Hot Lips #4 by Tara Lain

https://www.amazon.com › Hot-Lips…Hot Lips: A MM Romantic Suspense Mystery (The Hot Cannolis) – Kindle edition

Synopsis:

Sometimes there are too many closets to come out of.

For two years, Tito’s been hiding from his past in the midst of his uncle and aunt’s big, crazy, compound full of relatives in a tiny town in California.
Now his past’s come to get him – and threatens not only Tito’s life, but to reveal the secret that will get Tito kicked out of the family he loves.
Time to fight back!
Ari Cohen, a tough cop on the hate crimes task force, knows about hiding and fighting, since he spends his life undercover searching out bad guys.
Ari’s got a big secret too that perfectly matches Tito’s –both in and out of bed.
But don’t play hearts and flowers yet.
The price they have to pay for the match may send them running back to their closets – if Tito can stay alive long enough to get there.

HOT LIPS is a M/M romantic suspense mystery, packed with sexy secrets, danger, family love, and a crazy, one-eyed cat

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.75 🌈

I knew I was in for a wonderful time when I found myself laughing out at a awkward moment just pages in. Hilarious, believable, and totally entertaining. For the readers and other characters watching.

Tyler Morris has a few issues. He loves being a veterinarian, but he can’t cope with losing patients, the heartbreak and grief. He’s also determined to lose his V card. Past trauma has made him feel like no one wants someone like him.

Daly Evans, new owner of the cafe and bakery, is also hiding major issues. Health issues that have effected his body image.

Taking the cafe over from his grandmother , Daly is struggling.

Tyler is a character we’ve met before, but here in Got Me Going, with his background exposed, and his inability to deal with the worst consequences of being a vet, Tyler comes vividly to life. Just as Daly does, as he fights to keep the shop open and his fears for his future in check.

I love this series and each couple has grabbed at my heart, but Daly and Tyler had me laughing, sniffling, and throughly enjoying their journey to HEA.

Cox has written a remarkable romance, full of heart and joy. I’m highly recommending it and the series.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

◦ Got Me Merry #6 – Dec 5, 2022

Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5)

Synopsis:

Can a veterinarian lose his V-card before turning twenty-five? Oh, one hun p he can!

On the surface, I’m super sassy and just a little bit extra. But underneath, I’m hiding a painful secret from my past and one hugely embarrassing problem in my present—I’m still a…I’m still a…Dammit, I can’t even get it out.

Let’s just say it starts with V and ends in irgin.

Daly’s the new barista, and he takes Thirsty Thursdays to a whole new level. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a sexy shaved head, ocean-blue eyes, and an insane smile that lights me up whenever he aims it my way. He’s also kind, friendly, and interesting. In other words, the perfect guy to be my first time.

A night of too much coconut tequila leads to us making a drunken pact. Daly will help me with my V-status issue, but he adds a caveat. We have to get to know each other first. Then, and only then, can the physical stuff happen.

It sounds simple enough. But the more I get to know him, the more I realize what we have is more than just a physical attraction. We share a connection. We like the same things. And stupidly, I’ve gone ahead and caught feelings for the guy.

This was never meant to be anything more than just a physical thing, so why has Daly got me going out of my mind the way he does?

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Rough (Operation Justice Force #2) by Reece Knightley

Rating: 4🌈

I throughly enjoyed Lethal, the first book in this series. It had a sweet twist as far as the main characters, which directly affected their dynamics and relationship.

It was also my introduction to this world of undercover ops, twin semiautonomous agencies, and their operatives who all seem to have a sort of connection between themselves.

The operatives are all ex-professional military personnel, fierce , intelligent and highly effective in their areas of expertise.

Pegasus, the agency here is more undercover and newly established.

That’s the background. Gage and Mason Taylor are our main characters and POVs in Rough. We watched them bicker and circle each other in Lethal, their chemistry obvious. It’s a opposites attract story.

Mason Taylor is old rich money. He’s a known entity and that’s been used as part of his cover in the past. Gage’s past, other than career, isn’t as clear.

This is one of my issues with the series that starts with this story. I’ll table it for now.

Knightley does a excellent job creating interesting, connectable characters, outfitting them with emotionally laden issues, and then pulling it altogether in a fast-paced , suspenseful espionage thriller.

Gage’s family issues are heartbreaking and the character that acts as a bridge to bring them into Mason’s home is everything.

But this is where the suspension of belief sets in. Pegasus is a semiautonomous organization. High security with all that entails. Including high security clearances. Background checks on every operative to ensure they don’t have anything that would make them a security risk. Like a ex with addiction issues, money problems, and an employee with living quarters in risky area because of money flow issues.

Uh no. Red flags. Nope. Not hired.

And this is a narrative problem that carries over into the following stories.

There’s a few other things that’s problematic but that’s such a glaring example of a major issue that I’ll leave that out there.

Does that balance out a hot romance and terrific characters? Along with a fast paced storyline? Well, if this type of book is your jam, probably so.

Opposites attract, Blk Ops adventure, chemistry and hot men, heartwarming romance.

But a little eye roll as well.

I enjoyed it for what it was. And recommending it for that too.

🔹Operation Justice Force series:

✓ Lethal #1

✓ Rough #2

◦ Honor #3

◦ Rebel #4 – Nov 17, 2022

*there’s connecting series that precedes this, Code of Honor Justice Force series as well as Out for Justice Cobalt Security series.

https://www.goodreads.com › showRough (Operation Justice Force #2) by Reese Knightley – Goodreads

Synopsis:

After circling around each other for so long, are they ready to take it to the next level?

Mason can admit that he’s had the hots for rough and gruff Gage Hillcrest for well over a year now. Only Gage is bossy and overbearing as all hell. Not to mention that Gage is a closed book and Mason doesn’t know anything about the man.

Gage has wanted smart mouthed and sexy, Mason Taylor since he first laid eyes on him. But the two of them are like oil and water. Mason is wild. And well, Gage is not. Mason also has a big house and more money than he’d ever need while Gage is drowning in debt.

When Pegasus is asked to help the local police find a missing undercover officer, the unit leaps in with all hands on deck. Lives collide when they roll out on the mission and Mason finds out that Gage needs aid taking care of his family. Of course, Mason jumps in to help.

As the pair grow closer, life gets more complicated when Gage’s son goes missing. With loved ones in jeopardy, Pegasus will do everything in their power to find the little boy and recover the missing undercover cop before it’s too late.

Because in the end, it’s all about family and taking care of those in need.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Lethal (Operation Justice Force #1) by Reece Knightly

Rating: 4.5🌈

The cover and description give the reader a pretty good indication of what Lethal, the first book in Reese Knightly’s new Operation Justice Force , has in store for them.

Dark alley, hot, muscled men, with tattoos (some of them), just a hint of danger. Works perfectly for a undercover operation filled with ex Black ops, ex Marines , ex CIA agents, you name it, this agency has the law enforcement type employed there.

I wasn’t aware there’s connecting series that precedes this, Code of Honor Justice Force series as well as Out for Justice Cobalt Security series. Neither of which I’ve read but some of the characters from those series do make appearances here.

The agency here is a twin operation of one referenced above, only a tad more under the radar. They are run by the same person and under the same government auspices .

Luckily, Knightly puts all that knowledge in place here so the new reader like myself doesn’t feel like they are scrambling too much to pull together the foundational structure.

Lethal is a two person POV, a dynamic format which works tremendously well with this type of story and characters.

It’s a dark explosive opening, and we’re off to a highly suspenseful, intense storyline diving into a mystery that has a murderous cat and mouse game already in progress.

While the transitions between the differing POV may seem abrupt at the beginning, I found it increased the pace of the exposition, heightened the sense of danger to the men involved, and laid a layer of dark rawness over this section of the storyline.

Dalton Weber, 38, second in command of Pegasus, is chasing Sphinx,a ex CIA suspected of being a traitor and stealing a important in-house list of names. That’s the situation we start at. A meeting between Dalton and Sphinx gone wrong.

Adam Campbell, ex CIA, is on the run, unsure of who he can trust, with information he needs to protect. He’s such a interesting character, exhausted, alone, fighting to survive. Who he is and what his connection is with Dalton makes this story. It’s such a great twist.

I won’t spoil the book but it’s a fast paced , highly entertaining, very suspenseful story. It’s got terrific characters, themes , and a fabulous ending.

There’s a few questions about Dalton’s family history, and his background but in general, this is a story that will keep you entertained and invested right until the end.

And it’s one I’m recommending!

The list of the series to date is below. Check them out.

🔹Operation Justice Force series:

✓ Lethal #1

◦ Rough #2

◦ Honor #3

◦ Rebel #4 – Nov 17, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showLethal (Operation Justice Force, #1) by Reese Knightley – Goodreads

Synopsis:

A traitor with stolen information.
Adam Campbell, 33, blacklisted CIA agent, needs to get covert information into the right hands. Alone and on the run, his world suddenly stops when he discovers the identity of the Pegasus operative who is on his tail. Arranging a meeting just to gaze into the eyes of the man he’s always loved, Adam is set up and almost killed. Out of resources and nowhere to turn, Adam returns to the only home he’s ever known.

An operative who always catches the bad guy.


Dalton Weber, 38, second in command of Pegasus, has a job to do: Stop ex-CIA agent, code name Sphinx, from selling classified information. When Sphinx disappears after Dalton’s botched attempt at contact, Dalton takes a much-needed break. Going home for the holiday, Dalton finds Adam, the man he’d walked away from years ago.

A surprising encounter.
Imagine Adam’s shock when Dalton shows up. Imagine Dalton’s disbelief when he finds out the facts about the man who has always owned his heart. When explosions, secrets, and attempted murder hit close to home, Pegasus opens up a lethal dose of ass kicking. Will that be enough to stop the bad guys and give Adam a chance to come clean?

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Department Rivals (A Valor and Doyle Prequel) by Nicky James

Rating: 4.5🌈

Prequels are tricky things, they are stories that set the stage and briefly introduce characters for a series to come.

I’m always fascinated how each author’s treatment of a prequel storyline differs,their take on formatting as well as what the approach will be.

James makes Department Rivals happen within the span of one day. Two interdepartmental law enforcement bitter rivals, Homicide and MPU (Missing Persons Unit), are forced by each other’s department heads to attend a team building day to start to break down the long established antagonism.

Teams made up of a Officer from each department will work together to solve a “crime puzzle” laid out throughout the city and win a prize.

This is our first time to meet the detectives, Quaid Valor (MPU) and Aslan Doyle (Homicide) as well as their partners .

James does an excellent job of creating strong characters in a short amount of space. Valor’s behavior in just the sounds of his phone chiming with texts from his ex is beyond expressive, telegraphing a history and pain that’s so complex.

As is Aslan’s reaction to Valor, a man his department has made mockery of, including derogatory names. He now starts to see a person with frailties behind the need for adherence to the minutiae of the law he’s known for.

As James puts Aslan and Valor through the game and investigation, and us with them, it becomes a revelation of character and personality.

I won’t spoil the ending. But if you’ve read the first book, you know this is the situation that they both refer to, and think of often. It’s an important day for them both.

I love Department Rivals (A Valor and Doyle Prequel) by Nicky James. It’s a concisely written, beautifully constructed prequel. Great format and wonderful characterization.

It has a job and boy, it got it done and then some.

I’m highly recommending it and the series that follows.

Valor and Doyle Mysteries:

✓ Department Rivals #0.5

✓ Temporary Partner #1

✓ Elusive Relations #2

◦ Unstable Connections #3 – October 17, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showDepartment Rivals A Valor and Doyle Prequel by Nicky James

Synopsis:

The hostility between homicide and missing persons division is high.
Something has to give.


When forced to participate in the department’s first annual team-building day, rival detectives, Quaid Valor and Aslan Doyle, need to learn to work together to win the prize.
Can they put their animosity aside?
Will their mutual attraction to each other get in the way?

**Department Rivals is a short, fun little prequel to the Valor and Doyle Mystery series**

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Playing The Player (Miami Piranhas#2) by Beth Bolden

Rating 3.5🌈

This was almost a book I put down within the first quarter. I’ve just read so many of the same type of romances recently with the same themes.

Roommate/Fake boyfriend, discovers he’s actually queer because he’s has a crush/lust/affection for the fake boyfriend/roommate. Who feels the same back immediately. Within the story there’s a drama or something. HEA. Sports NFL/NHL universe. The End.

I believe Bolden has written a few herself but they are all blurring together at the moment because it’s such a familiar trope that unless the characters have exceptionally interesting or strong characters and the storyline is very different then any of the usual that’s out there, then it’s hard to pick one out from another.

Dylan Leonard, kicker, has been traded to the Miami Piranhas and instantly (just walked into the office) acquired a bestie and roommate in Logan Banks. Logan is another recent trade. Another factor ? The Miami team, a queer friendly organization, knows he’s gay, but not out to the public. Dylan? Straight at the moment he becomes a roommate in Logan’s home.

Fast forward, and I mean blink and they go from introduction to best friends, with no exposition within the book, except a few scenes of cooking and vid game playing. Nothing to give them or a relationship any depth.

Still under 35 percent.

And they’re discovering feelings and attraction towards each other. Maybe Dylan’s not so straight. A question or two answered from a queer player about sexuality and Dylan’s ok with his feelings and new status on the spectrum.

I wouldn’t have a issue with that except that there’s no foundation laid for anything that’s happening here. We and the characters are just zooming along the author’s story zip line. Foundation and depth is the stuff whizzing past us underneath.

At 40%, Logan and Dylan are moving past fake. But I’m still waiting for something other than cute. Both men are sweet but I keep waiting for something of substance.

Halfway, Bolden’s storyline and characters gets more dimensional and with the arrival of the foundation we’d been missing at the start.

These men are starting NFL players in a new team in a changeover framework, with a coach under scrutiny. There’s a team that needs to work on its dynamics and line chemistry. A team that needs to win. This is where the story energizes, as it locates back to the locker room, the playing field, and the team’s players.

This section of the book felt believable with Dylan’s search for stability and confidence in his role, Logan’s not exactly being comfortable with his public face as a out gay player after being outed by a hookup, and the player ‘s issues as they work to pull together as a team.

What fell flat was the resolution about the person who’s been creating such a huge media embarrassment and potential legal issues that all the following storyline were fabricated to counterattack him. But he’s just a nonentity that’s handled in a few paragraphs. Basically a disposable villain. SMH.

So back to what did work.

Bolden has a good grasp of the issues and stresses that press in on players at this level, and her writing conveys that emotional and physical cost to each of them.

As cute a instant couple Dylan and Logan prove to be, it’s the team and their problems and battles to win that finally kept me reading.

I believe most readers who love contemporary romance will enjoy Playing The Player (Miami Piranhas#2) by Beth Bolden. They will find the roommate/fake boyfriend/sexual awakening theme a favorite trope and grab it immediately.

For me, a small wish. That authors decide to take a new path, maybe create a whole new trope, to bring their characters to romance and whatever else is in store.

That’s a really exciting thought. I’m just casting it out there!

Meanwhile, here the Miami Piranhas series so far.

Miami Piranhas:

✓ Playing for Keeps #1

✓ Playing the Player #2

✓ Playing by the Rules #3 -Release Date: October 12,2022

PREORDER ON AMAZON

ADD TO GOODREADS

Synopsis:

Center Logan Banks didn’t come to Miami looking for a best friend.

He came for football and for a chance at freedom—the freedom to live out of the closet.

But after a water main break, he lands an unexpected roommate, the new Piranhas kicker, Dylan Leonard. Between practices, games, and too many late nights on the couch, a best friend is exactly what he gets.

When Logan’s past rears its ugly head and threatens to destroy the freedom he’s hoped for, Dylan becomes more than just a friend. He becomes a lifeline.

But then their friendship gets incorrectly labeled as something more, and Dylan shocks Logan by suggesting they play along with a fake relationship.

Logan knows it’s off limits to fall in love with Dylan. He’s supposed to be straight, he’s his best friend, his roommate, and his teammate. But the closer they grow, and the more he and Dylan fake falling in love, the more real it feels.

The more real Logan wants it to be.

Making a play for love is the biggest risk he’s ever taken, but he wants it all and he wants it with Dylan.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Mother Parker (Mayberry Protectors #1) by Rhys Everly

Rating: 3.25🌈

Mother Parker , a new contemporary suspense romance novel and first in a new series by Rhys Everly, gave me several aspects I liked about the story and several I thought about that made me think potentially this was not going to be a series for me.

The aspects I liked about it was the multiculturalism. Hwan and his Halmeoni, grandmother in Korean, are the the more interesting and layered characters here. Every part of their interactions and relationship is flavored with the depth of their culture by way of the wonderful Korean foods and teas. They meet for lunch and Halmeoni is drinking her cup of boricha.

And it will gently be explained that it contains a sweet nuttiness of roasted barley. Bibimbap, kimchi , and other dishes make scattered appearances. It’s a delight as is Hwan’s shop, Bubble Bubble: Bubble Tea and Beverage Shop.

Bubble tea is explained in detail too for those unfamiliar with the beverage. It’s Hwan’s passion as is making his business successful.

His other companions are the crows that adopted him and his grandmother that are named after the Golden Girls. A fun element.

It’s with the other main character that drags the story. Parker Hawkins, ex SEAL, restarting his life after a divorce. That and the whole island element.

First Parker.

His almost endless litany of “woe is me, what an unlovable idiot I am” of inflicted wounds is not only tiresome but off putting. Add to that a combative, non communicative nature and a inability initially to see anyone else’s perspective, and I can say the description Officer Grumpypants wouldn’t be the first things I’d think of calling him. Although it’s the nicest, least accurate.

As one of the two narrators, I found him almost impossible to connect with, especially as he yelled, stomped, insulted, argued his way into and across his way and people who got him a fresh start in life.

The author’s intent is that we’re supposed to find Parker Hawkins attractive and think fondly of “Officer Grumpypants”? Because, at least in my case, the answer is no.

Even his “redemption “ rests in the author’s placing a sort of blame on Parker’s ex’s who in the author’s storylines withstood the same appalling behavior, had a house sold out from under one, and no communication. Only to have Hwan say in a scene obviously they didn’t love Parker enough.

That’s very misogynistic. Especially as Parker’s figured out he’s gay. I always appreciate it when a author doesn’t blame the ex, but takes another route with respect towards new sexuality and self determination.

Wish that had happened here.

Then there’s a lack of background or history about the town’s criminal elements, the background the ex SEAL s have with cleaning up the small town, and potential corrupt police force. None of that is explained here. So zero background info on The Outpost owned by former SEAL CO Wyatt Goodman, staffed by Maddox Shepherd and Asher Ford, a new couple and ex SEALs, dog Biscuit and Parker’s sister, Autumn.

Apparently one of the new couple was straight but Shep “ turned” him gay. Or comments to that effect. Several borderline offensive issues here.

◦ Then there’s a instant love factor that negates, narratively speaking, a strong character trait of Hwan’s. He’s almost obsessed with his shop and it’s success. Yet when things like , idk, clearly criminal activity happens to his shop , he acts as though it’s nothing. Totally out of character for a man who then acts as he does later on.

◦ It’s called consistency and continuity. Missing here.

Once I finished the book, there was still areas I felt were left so lacking. And I didn’t feel any real need to go further into understanding them or requiring more from these characters.

I also looked around and found a prequel for the series. It may contain some universe building but I’m not going there.

If you’re a fan of this author, I’m listing both below for your use:

Mayberry Protectors :

◦ Forever Asher #0.5

✓ Mother Parker #1

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesMayberry Protectors Series by Rhys Everly – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Divorced. Beaten down. A failure. Until a ray of sunshine comes into my life…

People call me Officer Grumpypants, but wouldn’t you be if life kept knocking you down?

My life is an endless sh*t list that I can’t even begin to unravel.

It all started when my parents died.

It continued when I was forced to sell my house.

And it all came to an epic conclusion when my wife walked out on me.

What I need is to get my mind in order and my life back on track.

So when my old commander offers me a job in Mayberry Holm, I grab the opportunity by the balls.

I’m ready to put my head down and my hands to work.

What I wasn’t planning though was becoming pet food for crows by this infuriating little man who throws seeds at my face.

Or being hired to help said man with his new store.

Or having to protect him from a bunch of criminals that prey on his softness and sweetness.

Even though he drives me insane, I can’t stop thinking of him. And even though he’s annoyingly cheerful, I can’t help but smile around him.

Or fantasize about him doing… naughty things to me.

What the hell is happening to me? Am I falling for the young, bubbly, pink-haired man? And is it too late to stop it?

Welcome to Mayberry Holm, a small island in the Atlantic full of crime, secrets and happily-ever-afters, and the ex-Navy SEALs that come to deal with them all.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer

Review: Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean

Rating: 4.5🌈

Murder mysteries are a favorite trope so discovering a new author and series of both made my day. Especially when the novel’s storylines and characters turns out to be so riveting and absolutely beautifully executed.

Dal Maclean’s Bitter Legacy, the first book in a series of the same name, is a gripping tale of multiple murders, intense law enforcement investigations, with a upcoming Detective’s emotional journey into passion, loss, grief, and love.

It’s such a remarkable story. At times it’s not easy reading. You have to be someone who enjoys the minutiae of police work, especially the tiniest of details laid down, that might be the one thing that helps solves the case later on in the story.

There’s more than one tragedy here, multidimensional victims and equally strong monsters.

The story is narrated by Detective Sergeant James Henderson, an up and coming officer in a Murder Investigation Unit. He’s being fast tracked for promotion if he doesn’t mess it up. James or Jamie as he gets called is out as gay in his unit, with no repercussions. Those came from his extremely wealthy father who cast him out when James refused to follow the family program as far as career and heterosexual marriage.

So James is a man who’s going through some very hard emotionally fraught issues as well as finding himself alone in a new career, new place with high expectations.

He’s a great character, one that as a narrator, only gets better as his feelings about the cases and people involved serve not only to pull us into his reality but all the others that he’s becoming closer to. Maclean’s writing is absolutely up to the challenges of painting a portrait of Jamie undergoing immense changes, handling unbearable grief, feeling great joy, and then the numbness of shattering death. The reader is there , feeling it all.

And not just Jamie’s emotional state, but that of others we come to care about through the cases and the Department James works in.

I thought the book was incredibly well written, the mysteries complex, and the ending just as shattering as you would expect.

Only the somewhat rushed ending and epilogue felt out of place given how much the rest of the book was well layered.

I am onto the next in the series. I’m highly recommending this story to all lovers of contemporary murder mystery romance. Pick it up and let me know what you think!

Bitter Legacy:

✓ Bitter Legacy #1

◦ King of Kings #1.5

◦ Object of Desire #2

◦ Blue on Blue #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showBitter Legacy #1 – Dal Maclean – Goodreads

Description:

London.

Detective Sergeant James Henderson’s remarkable gut instincts have put him on a three-year fast track to becoming an inspector. But the advancement of his career has come at a cost. Gay, posh and eager to prove himself in the Metropolitan Police, James has allowed himself few chances for romance.


But when the murder of barrister Maria Curzon-Whyte lands in his lap, all that changes. His investigation leads him to a circle of irresistibly charming men. And though he knows better, James finds himself enticed into their company.


Soon his desire for photographer Ben Morgan challenges him to find a way into the other man’s lifestyle of one-night stands and carefree promiscuity. At the same time his single murder case multiplies into a cruel pattern of violence and depravity.


But as the bodies pile up and shocking secrets come to light, James finds both his tumultuous private life and coveted career threatened by a bitter legacy.
“Bitter Legacy” was a 2017 LAMBDA literary award finalist (Mystery).

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer

Review: The Professor’s Date (The Script Club #5) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4.75🌈

I’ve totally enjoyed Lane Hayes Script Club romances, a sweet series of stories that are centered around a genius circle of friends that end up with their HEA’s with jocks or people with a sports related story.

But The Professor’s Date, the fifth and final installment, might just be my favorite of all. From the very first introduction to Tommy, our gentle geek (yes we have known him throughout the series), to that heartwarming ending, I was absolutely captivated by their personalities and love story.

Professor Thomas Hartwell , “I teach astrophysics and study biomolecular physics as it relates to astronomy” is one of the few remaining unattached members of The Scripts Club, and with Holden, still living in the old beautiful house on the corner.

Tommy is a PhD student and Professor at Caltech. He’s got a oddly stressful relationship with his family, including his twin sister who’s about to be married.

Tommy’s tight schedule and lack of time for fashion has both his sister and mother requesting him to get a makeover for the wedding. Also a plus one.

While this is a familiar trope, Hayes uses Tommy’s personality and his family’s inability to successfully communicate with each other to make this a poignant, emotional element. It believable, sad, and feels exhausting because it comes across as a family routine, not a one time issue.

So oddly, it’s not his family that sends him into the hair salon and his meeting with Noah Burns.

Noah Burns, former soccer pro now fabulous hairdresser at Stylin’Tea, a upscale hair salon.

Noah is a man with a deeply painful past he’s still dealing with, no matter the state of denial he’s in. Noah’s personality is that which is superficial only to those he wants to play and go. But Hayes ‘ crafting of Noah’s character gives us a man of depths, fragile and kind. He’s as easy to live as his counterpart.

Their meeting is moving, funny, realistic, and awkward. Perfect.

The relationship is one of stumbling, halting motion, introspection, terrific dialogue, sexy scenes surprisingly, and so much warmth.

This is a story you just dive into heart first.

There’s angst, and reconciliation. And a marvelous HEA.

I just adore this couple and their romance. As I said I think Noah and Tommy might be my favorites.

Maybe it’s their interesting romance that no matter what, they work, and they kept making their way back towards each other.

I’m highly recommending The Professor’s Date (The Script Club #5) by Lane Hayes. I’ve listed all the series below.

Plus the author has another book coming out with the last two men remaining, Ezra and Holden. That’s Love and History. Be on the lookout for that!

The Script Club Series:

✓ Following the Rules #1

✓ Rules of Play #2

✓ The Jock Script #3

✓ The Holiday List #4

✓ The Professor’s Date #5

New subsequent series:

Love and History: Ezra and Holden

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Professor’s Date (The Script Club, #5) by Lane Hayes – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…

Tommy

Help! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them.

Yes, Noah, my dazzling dreamboat of a hair guru created a mini disaster, but I don’t mind at all. He’s a sweet, funny, kind jock who—

Screech! No jocks. I have nothing in common with sporty people.

Except…Noah is different.


Noah

I don’t date. However, I’m not opposed to offering fashion advice to a sexy professor in need. A haircut, a quick shopping expedition…

Boom! Mission accomplished.

Not so fast. I’ve misjudged the situation and my attraction to the geek with the tragic sense of style. Sure, Thomas is too smart for me by a long shot, but there’s something about him that makes it easy to forget my past. It might be his quietly commanding nature or his movie-star good looks. Or maybe it’s just him.

All I know is that I’m very tempted to be the professor’s date.

The Professor’s Date is an MM geek/jock romance featuring a nerdy professor, a soccer-playing hair stylist, and a quest for the perfect date!

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer