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

Rating: 4.5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heather Bay series :

Like I Promised #1

Like I Wished #2

Like I Needed #3

Like I Pretended #4

Like I Wanted #5 – Sept 28,2023

Buy Link:

Like I Promised (Heather Bay Book 1)

Blurb:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the author’s note:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the series in the order that they were written.

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

✓ Most Wanted #3

✓ Deep Impact #4 – series finale

Linked series: Wrecked

Buy Link:

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

Blurb:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4.5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Redemption Ridge:

✓ Guys Like Him #1

✓ The Fortunate Son #2

◦ Saints Like Him #3 – October 19,2023

Buy Link:

The Fortunate Son (Redemption Ridge Book Two)

Blurb:

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

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

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

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

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

Review: A Wedding in A Week by Con Riley

Rating: 4.5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cornwall universe:

Learning to Love :

✓ Charles ❤️

◦ Sol

◦ Luke

◦ Austin

◦ Heppel Ever After

Cornish Shared World Standalones

✓ Finding Mr. Fabulous

✓ A Wedding in a Week

Christmas Collection

◦ His Last Christmas in London

◦ We Only Kiss at Christmas

Buy Link:

Amazon

Description:

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

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

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

Review: Wayward by Mary Calmes

Rating: 5 🌈

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

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

That’s a Mary Calmes story at its finest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy Link :

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

Description:

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

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

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

Rating: 4🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

✓ Most Wanted #3

◦ Deep Impact #4

Buy Link:

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

Description:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Storm Boys:

✓ Outrun The Rain

✓ Into The Tempest

✓ Touch The Lightning-finale

Second Chance at First Love: Prequel to The Storm Boys

Buy Link:

Book 3 of 3: The Storm Boys Series

Description:

The Storm Boys Series – Book Three

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

Tully, on the other hand, can’t wait.

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

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

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

Review: Make Me Stay (Safe Harbor Book 2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.5🌈

Make Me Stay is my favorite so far in the Safe Harbor trilogy by Annabeth Albert. It’s got so many interesting characters and compelling storylines attached to it, but by far, it’s the main characters here that make the book fascinating.

We have central to the series arc, a mass murderer who’s killed the mother of a character known to many people featured in the series. The house of the family of the victim is currently being renovated, and the son of the victim is a long time crush of the man who’s bought the house.

Now around that float various main characters with their own respective issues and evolving relationships.

In Make Me Stay we have Professor Holden Justice, former police officer who retired on disability. Holden’s a professor who , along with his friend have a successful true crimes podcast that’s been working on the murder mystery.

A chilling new clue from the murderer himself brings retired Navy SEAL diver Cal into the area and ongoing investigation. Albert is well known for her well crafted damaged characters and Cal fits beautifully into this category. He’s fighting a battle with survivors guilt because of a mission in his past, the same event that’s causing the untreated PTSD that’s making sleep difficult and relationships not worth fighting for.

Putting him next to Holden, a survivor himself, who use’s humor as a front to hide his own feelings of control and fear of loss, and the author’s giving the reader a dynamic relationship that’s complicated and often compelling reading.

It’s not the usual journey. Cal has a need to give up control just as Holden is one to take it. So ropes, ties, kink is included as part of the process of getting each other to trust and lower their boundaries. It’s both a sexy and superb aspect of the story.

The lake and the diving elements are also strong and chilling. There’s just enough of this part of the plot to keep us intrigued about the murder as well as the diving dangers inherent in Cal’s professional capacity.

The murder itself remains the weakest link here. I expect that to change in the next book. I’m really excited to see what happens there.

In the meantime, this is a fabulous story. Love the well written characters, the difficult issues they face, and how they personally grow to become a couple that will face the future together.

Highly recommended!

Safe Harbor series:

◦ Bring Me Home #1

◦ Make Me Stay #2

◦ Find Me Worthy #3 – Sept 28,2023

Buy Link:

Make Me Stay: A Hurt/Comfort Small Town MM Roommates Romance (Safe Harbor Book 2)

Description:

Roommate Not Wanted

I’m a forty-year-old homeowner and former detective. My friends think a roommate is the solution to my recent funk, but I know that’s the last thing I need.

And even if they’re right, sharing my home with Cal is a bad idea. The prickly SEAL rescue diver has muscles for miles, haunted eyes, a wounded soul, and wandering feet that won’t be happy for long in Safe Harbor. Yet those fathoms-deep blue eyes have me making an offer I’ll surely regret.

Our arrangement may be doomed, but Cal is an amazing roommate. We’re soon cooking my mom’s favorite recipes, watching terrible TV, accidentally cuddling, and trying not to cross the line from friendship to fling.

Until I discover Cal’s sexy secret.

Boundaries blur, and I forget I’m not supposed to fall for Cal. Every kiss, touch, and discovery we make together pulls us deeper until there’s no denying our feelings.

I want nothing more than to keep Cal in town, in my bed, and in my heart, but Cal seems destined to swim back to his solo ways.

Can I bear to let him go, or will our love make him stay forever?

MAKE ME STAY is a hurt/comfort roommates-to-lovers MM romance. It features two mature, wounded heroes, disability rep, a proud pansexual, a SEAL having a demisexual awakening, and sexy discoveries involving rope. Deep feels, dual point-of-view, and big fluffy HEA guaranteed.

MAKE ME STAY is book two in the Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. This small historic Oregon town has a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together, making reading in order more fun!

Make Me Stay touches on grief, loss, military-related PTSD, disability and chronic illness, and the realities of modern military service.”

— Make Me Stay: A Hurt/Comfort (Safe Harbor Book 2) by Annabeth Albert

https://a.co/a7TwIqp

Review: Rookie Mistakes (A Lights Out Novel) by Beth Laycock

Rating: 4.75🌈

““Anything happens in Grand Prix racing, and it usually does.”—Murray Walker”

— Rookie Mistakes by Beth Laycock

What an excellent read!

I’m not sure what the title and the beginning of the synopsis refers to because it really doesn’t pertain to anything in this story, imo.

In a multi-author series about one F1 racing season, the authors focus has been the F1 racing circuit itself, from the owners to the drivers. As the series says:

Twenty-three races

Twenty drivers

Ten teams

Five Lights

One Winner

Laycock , interestingly enough, takes the lowest team, Maverick Racing, an older, newly returned veteran driver, Robert Andilet, and matches him up with absolutely no one attached to the F1 world. Instead, the author creates a betrayed, damaged, older chef, coming out of an awful relationship.

Mitch Griffiths has lost everything due to his ex, but his father, a F1 fan, decided to gift to his oblivious son something he,the dad, would love to have for himself. A day at Silverstone F1 track.

In this fashion, Laycock manages , by way of a total neophyte like Mitch, to bring the reader more throughly into the racing scene than I could have imagined. We are seeing this world through new eyes, feeling the thunder and roaring of the engines, smelling the oil and gasoline, and get an adrenaline boost along with Mitch as he understands just why , from being there in person, it gets under the skin. Instantly, a fan is born. Maybe not just Mitch.

The interactions between Robert and Mitch are such a joy to read. As Robert fights his way through the crowd to better his pole position, enough to get an extension on his contract and prove himself, there’s Mitch trying to figure out his future and a pathway towards trust and a relationship.

Except for that odd title, Laycock excels at keeps her themes, the dynamic elements of F1 racing and those lovely men firmly in the heart of the story. I was so involved in every aspect of this narrative, of each man’s life and their separate journeys.

My only quibble was that the ending, the epilogue, was a bit rushed. There’s only one year’s difference between them, but so much more has changed in that time. I wish it had been covered in the story instead.

This is really one of two books in this series that , for me, got the racing aspect, the adrenaline rushing, heart pounding experience down pat. And then delivered a grand romance as well.

Love it.

I’m highly recommending it and the series. Each has something different to say about the sport. But this keeps the heart of F1 racing alive and roaring!

Well done! Terrific way to close out the series!

Lights Out:

✓ Team Orders by RJ Scott❤️

✓ Full Throttle by Lisa Henry

✓ Pole Position by Charlie Novak

✓ Scoring Points by HL Day

✓ Black Flagged by Emma Jaye

✓ Rookie Mistakes by Beth Laycock❤️

Buy Link:

Rookie Mistakes

Description:

Can a rookie mistake lead to love?

Mitch Griffiths is an ordinary man just trying to make ends meet. He lost everything thanks to his ex: his restaurant, his partner, his home. So, when his dad gifts him a ticket to the British Grand Prix and a Silverstone Driving Experience, well, a change of scene for the weekend couldn’t hurt, could it? Even if Formula 1 is kind of boring.

Robert Andilet is a veteran F1 driver on his returning season after a six-year absence. He has a lot to learn, not least of which is how to deal with the media attention, a “rivalry” between him and his rookie teammate, as well as his attraction to a man who readily admits he thinks F1 is tedious. It was a rookie mistake to let Mitch walk away after their first meeting, will Robert make the same mistake again?

This M/M romance from Beth Laycock features a famous/ordinary man, older MCs, and is set in the high-octane world of Formula 1 featuring fast cars, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, an HEA

Each book in the Lights Out collection is a standalone story, and the books can be read in any order.

Review: Full Contact (Wrecked: Guardians, #2) by Kelly Fox

Rating: 4🌈

I’m a fan of the black op action team romance series and Full Contact is the second in Kelly Fox’s Wrecked:Guardian series of the same trope.

The characters were encountered in the first book, Hard Target, when the mercenaries were assigned to help Rafi, then an associate linguistics professor who falls for one of the team, Everett.

We met Anders, a medical doctor with his twin brother, Odd. And Rafi’s tightly guarded cousin, Omar.

This is Omar’s and Anders romance, definitely an opposites attract, frenemies to lovers sort of relationship. That’s all on Anders who started out a very problematic character.

Fox makes Anders by definition a man who doesn’t have any real idea of the way he’s acting is being seen by others. He acts impulsively and childishly, pranks frequently getting out of hand. And in the case of the pranks he plays to get Omar’s attention, they are hurtful and disrespectful, in one case dangerous.

So I really didn’t think that I could relate to Anders at all.

But Fox does a terrific job here, taking the reader’s frustration and the other people’s and makes it part of the story. There’s feedback for Anders over his behavior, communicating how impactful his actions are being, and the changes it brings about to his personality.

I love when an author takes that approach.

There’s more here. It’s also about Omar’s horrific background, the terrors he’s been through, and the PTSD he’s enduring.

Fox’s stories include a fast tracked high action plot, filled with the team following the events around an investigation, many things go boom, bullets fly, and yes, people end up in the hospital.

It’s very satisfying. I liked the character growth and that it sets the stage for more interesting things to come for them as the relationship progresses.

I’m recommending this and the series to date. A fun, exciting mercenary adventure romance romp!

Wrecked: Guardians

✓ Hard Target #1

✓ Full Contact #2

◦ Most Wanted #3

◦ Deep Impact #4

Buy Link :

Full Contact: An M/M Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (Wrecked: Guardians Book 2)

Description:

If that joker doesn’t stop annoying me, I’m going to give that mouth of his something better to do.

The first time I saw Anders F***ing Bash, he was shirtless, armed, and simultaneously the most beautiful and frustrating man I’ve ever met.

He has not gotten any uglier. Or any less frustrating. And today I finally took a swing at him.

Our boss thinks a simple op in East Texas is exactly the thing we need to mend our relationship and restore the team dynamic.

I think two men are driving to the Pineywoods and only one is coming back.

Look y’all—sane isn’t really where I shine.

Does it make sense to mess with the Guardians’ new hired gun every chance I get? No. Does it mean I’m going to stop? Also no.

Honestly, there’s nothing more fun than irritating a sexy grump who can’t stand how pretty I am.

That said…the more I get to know him, the more I realize how much he’s hiding behind those walls of his. And this little road trip is the perfect opportunity to thoroughly explore the real Omar.

I just hope I haven’t pushed him too far this time.

Full Contact is a mercenary MM romance set in Austin and the Pineywoods of East Texas. It features smoking hot mortal enemies, a small vehicle fire, inappropriate bumper stickers, and a couple of alligators named Millie and Dave.

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

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: