Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

Review: Bluz (a Culinary Creatures novel) by L Eveland

Rating: 5🌈

Well, Bluz is by far my favorite in an extraordinary paranormal series of magical depths. In Bluz , L Eveland has given this story so many riches in terms of narrative structure and character development that its almost tactile atmosphere could be overlooked for its sublime world building.

It’s inherit within its location, its beings, the culture in this story in a way that is so unique and deeply personal to both characters but especially one. That’s Greyson Boggs,human ,guitarist, a blues musician with an old border collie, Simon. Turns out Simon is also his guide dog as Greyson been going blind since early adolescence from retinitis pigmentosa, another perfectly implemented element.

But that’s just the beginning to the layers of this man. Here’s his voice.

“Footsteps crisscrossed in front of me, busy folk shuffling to places they didn’t want to be. I used the steady beat as my percussion, counting out a one, a two, a five-six-seven-eight while the guitar cried into the humid morning, conveying all the words I couldn’t.

I sang about the places I’d been from the deep dark hollers in rural Georgia to that summer I rode the rails all the way down to New Orleans. I sang about the south, about crawdads and creeks, collard greens and running from the law. The words came with no effort, shaken free from where they rattled around in my head with no pre-planned pattern. “

There’s a particular melodic progression to that voice, one that the author is also born with. And one that’s unfortunately disappearing from the world. It’s the sound and vernacular of spoken Appalachian English language, one of the oldest nonnative spoken languages here in the US. Specifically, the Appalachian dialect or as it’s also known, Smokey Mountains Holler dialect, with its colorful imagery, slow linguistic patterns, and changing tones /spoken words. It’s a language that might even feel a titch familiar, such as where I might say “I took the dog out”

it becomes :

“One night that dog was a-beggin’ and a-cryin’ to go out.”

*In The Language and Life Project that set about documenting the dialects, one man said of his talk “…it’s more like singing than talking…”

That’s pure Appalachian. A dialect so beautifully suited for an Appalachian blind blues singer named Greyson Boggs and his old dog, Simon, that it makes me question that this man is really fictional.

Except, of course, for the werewolves, demons, incubus, and such.

But they get the same layered treatment. A pack in financial straits and leadership issues. A storm coming, a real mixed community to meet, which includes a homeless shelter,imminent storms, and the raw reality of those who live life on the margins. That’s very much an important part of this story and Greyson’s as well.

Gaston, the chef who returned home to help out his recovering father and the pack’s restaurant, Bluz, is a marvelous character. Eveland did a wonderful job in giving him his own issues to work through and challenges to overcome. Gaston is lovely. But he’s next to the powerful Greyson. And he is one of those sharp shining personalities whose life becomes important to the narrative and the reader because of who he is personally. We care so much for him that it’s hard for anyone else to measure up. It’s that voice.

Gaston has a pansexual coming out, not that he wasn’t already, but out to his parents and pack. Another nice aspect of the story because there so many equally strong emotional things that are going on in the story. That includes homelessness. A camp where people/beings live , homeless shelters and what it must feel like to have no where to go when a major disaster is occurring. And it’s done in a matter of fact way that drives home the facts about this aspect of society even more.

There’s a happy romantic journey with communication, some very sexy mate bonding, and very familiar faces from previous books that show up at the end for a satisfying conclusion. Love it.

And through it all, runs songs, and southern cooking. BBQ and the Blues. Do not miss out on all the recipes at the end of each book, this time for pork butt. So yummy. Put on some Etta James or Bill Whithers and grill you some BBQ.

I’m highly recommending Bluz (a Culinary Creatures novel) by L Eveland. This series just continues to get better and expand on the topics within a paranormal realm. Fantastic.

• YouTube: The Language and Life Project : see video

Culinary Creatures:

✓ Brimstone #1

✓ Beefcake #2

✓ Bluz #3

◦ Brewtiful’s #4 – April 30, 2024

Buy Link :

Bluz: A High Heat, Low Stakes MM Monster Romance Novella (Culinary Creatures Book 3)

Blurb:

No one cooks like Gaston, and I’m hungry like a wolf.

Eight years ago, I missed my chance to be with the love of my life. Now, Gaston is back in town to rescue his pack’s troubled bar and grill, Bluz. He’s keen to rekindle things between us, but I’ve still got the blues over how it all went down before.

Gaston’s got a whole life out west full of fast cars, fancy dinners, and famous friends. He claims he’s ready to settle down, and that his wolf has chosen me, but I’m just a country boy, a drifter. Gaston is refined and cultured. I don’t fit into his elegant lifestyle, even if our nights together have been sizzling hot.

His wolf wants me, and I want him, but I’m running out of time to decide. Can I put our troubled past behind me before I lose him forever? Or will our relationship finally go up in smoke?

Bluz is a smoking hot and sticky sweet second chance MM romance between an anthropomorphic werewolf and a visually impaired blues singer. This third installment of the Culinary Creatures series can be read as a standalone, and features a delicious BBQ recipe for you to try at home!

*Appalachian language: The Language and Life Project

Review: Assassin by Accident (Carnival of Mysteries) by E.J. Russell

Rating: 4.75🌈

“Welcome, Traveler! Join us for a series of M/ M fantasies by a talented group of both new and established authors. Whether you enjoy mystery, action, danger, or just sweet romance, there is something for everyone at the Carnival of Mysteries!”

Assassin by Accident is E.J. Russell’s offering to the Carnival of Mysteries series and it’s just a marvelous heartwarming fantasy read. Russell has combined her Mythmatched universe with the themes of the Carnival of Mysteries, giving each its due and letting the reader feel they’ve been immersed in a balanced narrative.

Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke’s young sister has been kidnapped by a nasty earth mage for nefarious purposes. And in order to get her back, Nevan made a hasty bargain to do whatever the mage wants, once. Unfortunately, he didn’t read the small print.

I love this story so much. It has so much depth and heart to it. There’s Nevan, a being who feels unloved by all, a true monster, except by his adopted sister. He’s raised her and kept her safe and loved until she wished to visit the Outside World, and everything went wrong.

And when under the horrible geas of the earth mage to accomplish a terrible task , it’s goes wrongly right in the best of ways. In this story, a case of mistaken identity and the introduction of a truly beloved character. Seb Ardelean, a nanny who’s mistaken for an assassin is a marvelous character. Seb’s one of Russell’s grand creations , a character who can marshal a horde of mischievous children with grubby hands to dealing with villains bent on destroying innocents. And do it with a sense of humor, compassion, and resolve that’s sexy and admirable. Yes, totally adore Seb.

There’s magical shenanigans, familiar faces, among them favorites Jordan and Doop the Hellhound, a race to find the sister, two beings facing danger and falling in love while coming to terms with past issues and traumas. It’s so lovely and heartwarming. I dove in and didn’t surface until I’d finished the book.

I like the different ways Russell plays with mythology and the types of beings found within the various cultures, here it’s the Welsh ceffyl dŵr. The central theme is well used, but unfortunately that means clowns. *Shudders*

Assassin by Accident (Carnival of Mysteries) by E.J. Russell is a favorite in this multi-author series. One I’m definitely recommending. And if you haven’t already found this author’s MythMatched series that’s an element here, look those up as well for some great reads.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell

◦ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis – Sept 13

◦ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky – Sept 6

◦ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver – September 20

◦ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill – September 27

◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy Link:

Part of: Carnival of Mysteries (13 books)

Blurb:

If a megalomaniacal earth mage kidnaps your little sister, do you:

A) Kill him

B) Kill him

C) Kill him

D) Magically indenture yourself to him to ensure her safe return

Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke would have happily opted for A, B, or C, but had no idea where his sister was hidden—so, option D it is. He’s not a fool, though. He made sure to limit his obligation to a single task.

Unfortunately, he neglected to nail down a few tiny details before the geas brand was seared into his skin, and now:

A) He can’t shift

B) He can’t swim

C) He can’t drink

D) If he fails, he’ll be bound to the mage for eternity

Oh, and that task? Assist in an assassination.

If only he weren’t so thirsty.

And if only his partner for the heinous job weren’t the most appealing man Nevan has seen in his entire two-thousand-year life.

Assassin by Accident takes place in E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched universe and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book features grumpy/sunshiny, hurt/comfort, mistaken identity, opposites attract, unexpected derring-do, and of course an HEA—no matter how little the men in question think they deserve it.

Review: Go For The Company (Carnival of Mysteries story) by Ander C. Lark

Rating: 4.75🌈

I believe that Go For The Company is a first published novel by Ander C. Lark and, if so I look forward to many more by this author. Ander C. Lark’s Go For The Company takes many popular paranormal themes and gives them the author’s own unique insight and twist to make them feel fresh and interesting.

Several things stood out here in the narrative for me. Lark’s knowledge of various cultures mythologies which plays In beautifully to the storyline in unexpected places. I also really enjoyed the fact that Lark never forgets that while so often the characters and narrative feels light and humorous, we are dealing with some dark and hellish elements. So yes, to the lovely moments and finding an engaging found family in Hell. However , Lark’s writing will insure that lurking in the shadows is something to be truly frightened of. And that the raw reality of the beings and place these characters inhabit is never far away from current events. Reparation/road to redemption or unrelenting torture. Disneyland rides or undergoing agony. Here we get both.

And a beautiful use of the central theme of the Carnival of Mysteries and Madam Persephone. Her character as a fortune teller is so poignant and layered. So well thought out.

As is the entire concept of Hell and Heaven, and its various entities. Such an entertaining place and a wonderful read.

Gabe’s journey through the afterlife isn’t one I would spoil for anyone. It’s just too good. The characters here are so multifaceted, the world building is extensive, and the plot horrifying enough to warrant a trigger warning or two about torture scenes, on page death, and domestic violence (not together).

As I said this author’s work was so enjoyable that I can’t wait to see what they do next. Until then, I’m highly impressed with Go For The Company (Carnival of Mysteries story) by Ander C. Lark and recommending it.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding

✓ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt

✓ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper

✓ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr

✓ Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark

✓ Roustabout by Morgan Brice

✓ Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell

◦ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis – Sept 13

◦ The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky – Sept 6

◦ Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver – September 20

◦ You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill – September 27

◦ Sting in the Tail by TA Moore – October 4

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy Link:

Go for the Company: Carnival of Mysteries

Blurb:

Someone once said, “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.” Gabe Rossi didn’t believe in either and figured it would be a long time until he had to deal with finding out if he was right. Instead, he’s dragged off a balcony the day after an unnerving meeting with a fortune teller and into a postmortem reality he never would have expected.

Now Gabe is in Hell, which ends up being full of some really nice people who have necessary (if unpleasant) jobs. He’s been promised a transfer to Heaven, but in the meantime Gabe will have to deal with a psychotic ex who’s turned out to be a former despotic ruler of Ancient Rome, an aged-down grandmother who keeps causing chaos, corporate politics, a pet hellhound, a lot of unanswered questions about his own existence, and a growing attachment to the guy in charge of the place. What’s a dead college student to do, aside from enjoy the company?

Go for the Company is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains slow-burn paranormal romance, asexual representation, and a guaranteed Happily Ever Afterlife.

Review: Warrior King (Warriors Book 1) by Eden Winter

Rating: 4.75🌈

Well, that was one fabulous fantasy epic romance! There’s forced marriages, death and deep intrigue, bloody battles, kingdoms at risk, and finally, finding true love.

I had such a fantastic time reading this and getting into the lives of these characters! And happily, this is only the first book in the Warriors series.

But starting us off is the taking of the Kingdom of Revellan by the Emperor’s son, Commander Draylon Aravaid. He’s leading the battle and the troops to defeat the traitor King and insure that the Emperor’s orders are carried out.

However, once the blood is spilled, the battle ends, left standing is two young siblings guarded by the enemy’s spare heir, Prince Yarif DiRici .

With those elements solidly in place,Winter creates a fantasy world of bitter kingdom politics that incorporates spies, assassins, intrigue on a vast scale, betrayal, forced marriages, and a cast of beautifully drawn characters, from the main couple to the several villains of the story.

Both men are easily seen by the reader, well defined by their personalities and rich descriptions. There’s Draylon Aravaid, Commander of the Emperor’s Army. Second son, scarred, a seasoned warrior with a thoughtfulness and determination that underpins his ability to strategize and fight. He’s such a splendid man and character. I adore him.

He plays up perfectly against his counterpart, the third son and heir spare of the traitorous and now dead King. That’s Prince Yarif DiRici, a multidimensional figure, protector, secretary, linguist, consort to be. And here he’s the one person protecting his younger brother and sister from the Emperor and his plans.

The Emperor is an evolving figure here , one I wish we could have had more insight into. He is more of a one dimensional character than he could have been, and the hints at the end would have made the Emperor a far more complex figure.

But the rest? Fabulous! Especially Rufe, Draylon’s best friend who’s suffered much in his past. The red-headed king who’s playing a big role here, no spoilers. And May from the kitchen.

Can’t wait to read more about the next in this universe from Eden Winters.

Love fantasy? Big epic adventures with romance thrown in? Grand characters and world building? Warrior King is all that and more!

I’m highly recommending it.

Buy link:

Warrior King: Warriors – Book 1by Eden Winters

Blurb:

One man is the son of a traitor. The other is the son of a tyrannical emperor. Together, they discover the fine line between duty and justice. 

Commander Draylon Aravaid doesn’t hide his lineage as the emperor’s son but doesn’t advertise his origins either. Loyal to a fault, he relies on his hard-won reputation rather than his family name, which his duplicitous father uses to full advantage. 

Prince Yarif DiRici trained his entire life to become a consort in a political marriage–all while secretly yearning for love. The death of his father and older brother suddenly thrusts an unwanted crown upon his head, and Yarif into a whirlwind of dangerous plans within plans as he and Draylon are forced into marriage. 

The political game is set, and Yarif is kidnapped. It’s up to Draylon to mount a daring rescue to prevent all-out war. 

The two men must get past each other’s mistrust, find common ground, and defeat an enemy neither knew they had…and may not survive!

Warrior King is now available for preorder on Amazon, releasing August 25.

Review: How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: WhoWoke the Dead? #4 (Princes of Mayhem) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4.5🌈

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: Who Woke the Dead? #4 (Princes of Mayhem) by Jocelynn Drake feels more like a stepping stone to more adventures than it does a series finale. One of the reasons why is that this is a prequel series to the author’s Lords of Discord series (the vampire Variks) and now, happily, a lead in to a new series about those chaotic male witches who are both Sky’s best friends and form his coven. Be still my heart.

So yes, Drake packs a ton into the fourth story of this crazy but highly entertaining serialized story about a powerful necromancer who finds a loving boyfriend in a human fantasy romance author and they continue to have grand adventures together along with their friends and demon minions!

Who Woke the Dead doesn’t come together as fully as a whole storyline like the previous books have. This felt more like a group of engaging events loosely tied together leading the characters and readers to a HFN for Sky and Nolan.

In each small scenario, Nolan and Sky get to discuss their experiences and why they are so different and yet well suited for each other. Whether it’s Nolan taking care of an exhausted Sky after he’s made sandwiches for the underworld (an element I loved) or having an after party for witches, this couple just is #couplegoals. They are supportive, committed, and they communicate, with humor and sexy affection. What’s not to love?

So maybe it doesn’t matter that there’s not an all consuming drama here but two men finding each other and becoming boyfriends under extraordinary circumstances. Plus I love me some Dandy Dogs! More of these please!

I really hope Drake makes a second season of this series. I’m really excited to see what happens next on this couple’s journey.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to the witches series starting with the blood witch , Moon. He’s up first.

I’m highly recommending the series (must read all four stories) , then continue on.

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life:

✓ Disaster #1: Fun With Family

✓ Disaster #2: Pet Problems

✓ Disaster #3: Date Night

✓ Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead? – finale

Related new series with connected characters:

Kings of Chaos- the witches of above

◦ Two Thousand Dreams (Kings of Chaos Book 1)-Nov 10,2023

Buy Link

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: Disaster #4 (Princes of Mayhem)

Blurb:

Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead?

Something has escaped from the underworld!

Sky would like to point out that this is NOT his fault.

But, yes, something has escaped, and it has all the dead crawling out of their graves.

Naturally, the humans are freaking out.

Except for the sexy one living across the street.

Nolan is ready to jump into the fray and help Sky round up the underworld fugitive.

Sky’s going to need all the help he can get–not just from his coven but all the witches he can get his hands on.

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life is a serial comprising four novellas that follow the insane adventures of necromancer Skylar Wallace and his next-door neighbor Nolan Banks. This is the final book and contains witches, demons, underworld minions, more sandwiches, stolen smexy time, an angry Grammy, and something scary running wild in Connecticut.

Review: French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 5🌈

“Choose love not in the shallows but in the deep.” – Christina Rossetti”

— French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2) by Lily Morton

French Fancy rose right into a tie for the top spot for favorite Lily Morton romances and, happily, into my small comfort read list of books I must have by my bedside to grab as needed for emergency occasions.

I picked it up when I got the notification it was out and, finished at 4 am in the morning, as a grumpy canine companion can attest to. I probably would have finished sooner but I kept going backwards over certain areas, laughing until I had tears in my eyes, or giggling in sheer appreciation of some of the sharpest dialogue and snappy interchanges in recent memory between characters.

Help me, some of those phrases are setting me off still! I don’t want to bring them up here for several reasons. One, I doubt Amazon would let most of the quotes get through with their racy content but more importantly, it’s because I want the readers to have the spontaneous delight in coming across them in context and having their own reactions! Whatever they may be.

This book and characters just does it for me! Ticks all my boxes in terms of excellent storytelling, fabulous writing, and memorable characters.

I could talk about character development and depth of personality but, honestly, the best thing I can say about French Fancy is that it’s not as if I’m reading a story about characters , but seeing people living their best lives, finding their true paths with help from their friends and families, whether they be through blood or through a foundation built by connections. I absolutely feel I know and genuinely love these people, would recognize them if I met them.

If someone asked me about them, I think I might actually reply as I would if you’d asked about a friend “yes, they’re doing fabulous last I heard , finally!”.

Pip Simmonds, Olivier Durand, the gorgeous villa Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, they have found a permanent place in my heart. It didn’t take long. My TBR pile will suffer as I’m heading back for a reread.

I really need more of them and look forward of getting that in future books to come just as saw delightful , moving scenes with Dean and Jonas and Ruby, their daughter.

I wish I could go higher than 5. Oh well.

Lily Morton goes deep into the fears of loss, the endurance people are capable of, the strength of the support of families and friends, and, finally, how, the power of love can overcome even the most painful of barriers.

French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2) by Lily Morton is a fantastic book and one I’ll have one reread. I’m highly recommending it!

The Model Agency:

✓ The Sunny Side #1

✓ French Fancy #2

Buy Link:

French Fancy (The Model Agency Book 2)

Blurb:

Pip Simmonds is the twinkiest twink in London. He’s loud, proud, and packed to the brim with sass. But when he’s laid low by illness, even his hotpants lose their sparkle and his worried boss sends him to the South of France to recuperate in his holiday home.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is beautiful, and the periwinkle-blue villa is luxurious, but the real draw for Pip is the villa’s other resident—his boss’s younger brother, Olivier Durand.

Olivier owns a perfume empire and has spent his whole life running from any other form of commitment. He’s worldly, carefree, wild, and the perfect choice for a holiday fling.

Drawn together by proximity, the two men become lovers and friends and then something more. Something special. But will their special bond hold true after summer’s end, when they both must return to their real lives?

This is the second book in the bestselling Model Agency series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Review: Bad Boys (Hot Off The Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4🌈

I’ve enjoyed A. E. Wasp’s hockey romance series, Hot Off The Ice, since the first book debuted back on June 29, 2017. That was the lovely City Boy, about farmer Dakota and closeted NHL player Bryce Lowery.

Now at book 7, with 2 more novels planned, the series continues with the Seattle Thunder going strong and a new troubled arrival from Las Vegas coming for a second and perhaps only last chance to make it in the NHL.

Bad Boys is a hurt/comfort, age gap redemption love story. And when it works great when it stays on the main couple’s relationship, and Noah’s journey to a more well adjusted, healthy adult who can then carry that new understanding over into his career. Those things make Bad Boys a terrific read.

There’s many aspects to Bad Boys that A.E. Wasp does so well narratively speaking. Her characters are so well done, layered with their own unique personalities and combined with elements that speak to their passions and strengths. If they’re hockey players, we see the difference in physicality between them and other people. We get great team dynamics and a depth of understanding about the game. For characteristics, if they’re cooks, business peoples or whatever, Wasp has given each the right amount of detail that they can standout and still be able to be believable and alive. This will add to the richness of the story and hurt it when certain people drop out of sight.

The relationship between Adam and Noah is engaging and wonderful to be a part of. It’s funny, serious, sexy , and real. While there is an age gap, it’s not mentioned or discussed much here, in the relationship or elsewhere. I only found that odd when it was brought up that Adam had played with Noah’s father, however, no mention of either man’s age at the time (Adam or Noah’s dad), although it was said Noah was very young at the time.

Wasp brings therapy into the storyline as a means to get healthy and understand what is driving certain aspects of a person’s behaviors. And how to counteract these behaviors through therapy. It’s a great tool for both men and the league. It was wonderful seeing it here.

Team dynamics, Noah’s redemption within the team and himself is real and fully worth the book. You can see him struggling with his toxic relationship with his father, it’s ramifications, and his mental awareness that allows him to move forward. All amazing elements here.

Same goes for Adam’s grief over his failed marriage and hidden secrets about his dead husband. That actually needed more page time for Adam to finish that chapter of his life. But the author is speeding towards the finish line.

Which brings me to what is still bothering me about this story.

Usually it’s a case of the disappearing animal character that has me so irritated. But here it’s a father, island, and a married couple. Read on but there’s spoilers ahead.

Elements that weren’t allowed to come to fruition or were dropped completely. ⛔️ Spoiler Alert ⛔️

1. Noah Braterman’s toxic father and his relationship with him. The last mention of this man was that the coach was fielding his insistent nasty phone calls, informing Noah the man was coming across as unhinged. Not a single word or sentence afterwards was given over to this man or large section of Noah’s redemptive storyline where he dealing with the toxicity of an adolescence and adulthood under this man. It’s an emotional matter not dealt with, and I can’t understand that. It’s not logical not to include at least some semblance of closure.

2. Then in a connected storyline thread, there’s the unexpected, startling way that the island and mansion were made to disappear from Adam’s life. Towards the end, Dev , the BIL, arranges for a Japanese firm to buy both the island and mansion. Deal done, and a major narrative element is dealt with and vanishes. Just a few sentences and buhbye. Goodbye to all the important scenes, places, whales, the boat, everything. Which brings us to big number 3.

3. Guess who else disappeared with the mansion and island not to be mentioned again. The all important, ever heartwarming fabulous strong women characters who live on the island too. The ones who have been Adam’s support system for years and who the readers get to know and love almost as completely as everyone else in this book. That’s Annie or Ms Potts and her ceramic artist wife, Tracy. They live on the caretaker’s cottage on the island and are a big part of not only Adam’s life, past and present, but become part of Noah’s as well. After parting with Adam in an emotional scene to tell him to, basically, go get his man, they disappear. Not a word about these important people is written again in this book. No goodbye’s, nothing. Not even a vague statement of missing them.

“You’re moving off the island?” Paul asked.

“Yep. It’s sold. House and island together.””

— Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7) by A. E. Wasp

A.E. Wasp writes in her author’s notes that it took her years to finish this book. If that’s the case, then I would have expected that the issues that popped up and have stayed with me to the detriment of the overall polished product and satisfaction I derived from Bad Boys to have been resolved.

I wonder about these issues. In the epilogue, the happy couple talk about inviting people over to their new place. Guess who’s not included in that list? Yup, the women who held Adam together.

If I was Wasp’s editor, that would have been on my list for things easily inserted that would have been expected and made readers happy.

So it turned out that Bad Boys is a good book but not a great one. I’m interested in seeing what the next two books will be about. And if some of the things that are a bit flawed here can get corrected in books to come.

I’m recommending this as a good hockey romance, part of a terrific series, and one that fans of this author won’t want to miss.

Off The Ice Series:

✓ City Boy #1

✓ Country Boy #2

✓ Skater Boy #3

✓ Boy Toys #4

✓ Boy Next Door #5

✓ Boys of Summer #6

✓ Bad Boys #7

Buy link:

Bad Boys (Hot Off the Ice Book 7)

Blurb:

Behave or be benched.

Noah Braterman’s hotheaded attitude may cost him his NHL career before it truly begins. After alienating his current teammates, coaches, fans, and the press, Noah gets a second chance to prove his worth when he’s traded to the Seattle Thunder with one ultimatum—lose the attitude or lose his spot on the team.

Enter Adam Labatt, former NHL player, and Noah’s last, best Vegas fling.

After his own rocky past in the show, Adam turned himself around and is now being asked by his old mentor to help Noah learn to play well with others. Living in isolation on his private island and still guilt-ridden over the way his marriage ended, how can Adam possibly mentor anyone? But the man he shared an unexpectedly intimate passionate night with is worth fighting for, even if he has to fight Noah himself.

Forced into close quarters, the walls they’ve erected to protect themselves crumble as they share their hopes, dreams, and fears.

Fate brought them together. Now it’s up to them to find the courage to face the world unafraid. If they do, they just might create a future better than they could have imagined that night in Vegas under the desert stars.

Review: Like I Pictured (Heather Bay, #0.5) by Charlie Novak

Rating: 3.5🌈

Like I Pictured is the prequel to Novak’s Heather Bay series. It introduces the reader to the series setting, a richly detailed and glorious scenic Yorkshire coastal landscape, complete with horseshoe bay, quaint village and hilltop castle.

We meet several of the series regulars including the two main characters here in this romance. That’s the fantasy author Anders Flynn, who’s from Heather Bay and photographer Bastian Roche, whose home it will become because of Anders.

I liked this story because of the introduction Novak gives us to Heather Bay. We see it in far greater depth and detail than we do in the later stories. From the moment Bastian views it from his car to his walks through the streets exploring shops and looking at the residences, it’s an closeup portrait of this village we won’t see again. And it’s one that will resonate with the reader, making Heather Bay come alive in every way.

Like I Pictured also does an amazing job in defining both main characters. Each totally different in from their age and outlook, Novak is able to create fully dimensional personalities with realistic backgrounds and depth of character. It’s easy to believe in them , their professions, and the manner in which they interact with each other.

Alas, it’s the last the suffers from the shortness of length here. While Novak has written a splendid location, given the story two fully realized, well defined characters, it’s in their relationship development where the romance faltered.

It starts off promising. I love the texts between them as they get closer to each other. But for the majority of the exploratory conversations and important part of the relationship, it happens “off page “. So the other aspect is one of a “meet, one night, move in” sequence. It just doesn’t do justice to the rest of the story and foundation work.

Rushed? Uh yes.

Like I Pictured (Heather Bay, #0.5) by Charlie Novak lays the groundwork for the series and the group of people that will be the found family of friends to find their HEA in this magical world Novak has created.

In truth, it’s a lovely romance and I enjoyed it. It’s just I had read the other books and backtracked to this one so I knew the voices and had them as an established couple already.

For me this is Heather Bay light compared to the other stories. But I wouldn’t have readers who are fans of the series or author miss out on it. It’s very lovely and a recommendation for you.

Heather Bay series :

✓ Like I Pictured #0.5

✓ 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 Pictured

Related to: Heather Bay

Blurb:

What if taking a chance photo led to love?

Bastian Roche is lonely and drifting. While he adores his photography job, he still hasn’t found a place to call home. Until he takes a chance photo of the elusive fantasy author Anders Flynn and makes a life changing connection.

Anders is grumpy, reclusive, and convinced he’s better off alone. But that doesn’t stop him from replying to Bastian’s emails. When Anders suggests Bastian scouts out his hometown of Heather Bay as a shoot location, Anders realises he’s falling fast for the man who brings sunshine into his life.

As Heather Bay pulls them together, both men must make a choice. Can a chance meeting give them the life they’ve always pictured?

Like I Pictured is a contemporary MM novella and is a prequel to the Heather Bay series but can be read as a standalone. It’s got a sweetness, steam, a small, British seaside town, and some grumpy cats.

Review: The Enchanting Nanny (Nannies of New York Book 4) by K. Sterling

Rating: 5🌈

Embracing this story is like embracing the all of life’s experiences, wrapped up in one amazing book. You’re going to laugh, breathe in the joys and heartbreak of family life, the memories that bring one feelings of incredible loss and that of deep love. It’s startling in the intimacy of emotions and vibrancy that Sterling is able to bring to the characters, both adults and children, that the reader meets here.

To misquote a famous story, your heart will grow three sizes by the end of your journey with this small family and you will embrace every moment.

It’s one enormous narrative hug and it tops all the books in this fabulous series to date.

I’ve been waiting for this as it’s been hinted at in the previous stories. The vaguest of scenes with the Poppins like nanny Penny Lane and the fabulously rich and beautiful Agnes Cameron. Each has close ties to all the other characters in the series and we’ve seen them countless times throughout other books in various scenarios.

Now they finally get together as Agnes has decided to adopt, after being an important part of her brother’s family and an aunt to his children. We dive in as Agnes arrives at a foster care home and meets the young girl who will become her daughter, June.

I don’t need to say that this is such an emotional moment for them and us as well. It’s done in such a sweet manner, and one that’s allows Agnes to have an intimate moment to let June express herself and then bond over their love for books.

This scene really sets the tone for the story and relationship between Agnes and June. It’s believable, genuine, and heartfelt.

The rest that follows involves Penny Lane arriving as the nanny, a necessity because of the factors at play here. Agnes’ status as a beloved aunt, wealthy woman, and someone who isn’t totally prepared for all the needs that a newly adopted child might have now has Penny Lane there to support them and guide them through as a family.

If only they hadn’t hooked up those several times and now cannot stop thinking about each other.

This story incorporates some amazing elements. Both women end up working through some deep psychological issues and adolescence trauma while giving June the opportunity to have the security and stability she craves for herself. It’s launches a family as they create a new core relationship in the most incredible location, a spot the reader sees so clearly due to Sterling’s beautiful rich descriptions.

This is a very sexy lesbian love story with a great HEA, their chemistry is off the charts and their relationship is layered with their own unique personalities and issues to overcome.

And June. I absolutely love June. She’s a young girl I recognize so much. The growth K Sterling writes into her from the moment she’s seen in the backyard of the foster home to the girl at the end of the book, we understand and cherish her journey.

Books like this almost should be the series finale because they are so well written, so beautifully nuanced in their narrative that any book that follows will seem faded by comparison.

It’s hard to say goodbye to “the new queens of Manhattan “ but I’m sure I’ll be revisiting them again soon.

Until then, I’m absolutely recommending this book and the series. Totally fabulous!

Plus that cover? It’s Penny Lane and Agnes all the way! Outstanding!

Nannies of New York :

✓ The Last Nanny In Manhattan #1

✓ Giles Ashby Needs A Nanny #2

✓ The Handy Nanny #3

✓ The Enchanting Nanny #4

◦ The Nanny with The Nice List #5 – Nov 14,2023

Buy Link:

The Enchanting Nanny: Nannies of New York Book 4

Blurb:

Love grows where you least expect it.

Despite being born into one of the wealthiest families in Manhattan, Agnes Cameron hasn’t had that many good things in her life. At fifty-two, she’s ready to change that. She’s adopting a child and putting her playgirl days behind her. Agnes is done piggy-backing and cherry-picking the best parts of her brother’s life and is ready to finally have a family of her own.

Enter Penny Lane Tucker: thirty, vegan, and a wild child who occasionally sleeps in trees. Like her older brother, Penn, she’s a nanny extraordinaire. There isn’t a problem Penny can’t fix with a little elbow grease and creativity. And while she believes in soulmates and the power of love, Penny suspects fate is playing tricks when she’s sent to The Killian House and meets her new clients.

Their brothers might not be aware, but Agnes and Penny have…history. Of course, neither wants to be the one to explain why Reid should send a different nanny. Instead, both decide to play it cool for the sake of Agnes’s newly adopted daughter, eight-year-old June.

That proves to be a challenge when the trio heads to the Tucker family cabin in the Catskills for the summer. Sparks fly and love blossoms as Penny learns that she’s not who she thinks she is and that Agnes and June just might be her soulmates. But can Penny trust wayward Agnes with her heart? And can Agnes prove she’s ready to put her wild ways behind her and tame her enchanting nanny?

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.