Gentle, sweet , lovingly well crafted story of acceptance and love, Geoffrey the Very Strange is certainly a Angel Martinez tale!
By that I mean it contains all the signature elements I have learned to expect and frankly hope to see in one of her stories. Quixotic humor, recognizable fantasy beings with that Martinez twist to them, like a necromancer whoās not exactly what youād bring to mind when conjuring up said necromancers.
And situations that speak of hilarity as well as horror, poignancy as well as soft joy.
Geoffrey the Very Strangeās journey towards acceptable, community, and love is lovely and sweet. And funny.
Well, really my only issue here is with the title. It should be called Keeping Brant because Kellen? Heās a done deal here. Has been for years since he realized he saw Brant as more than his BFFās younger brother.
So the question here? Thatās Brant not Kellen. So yep, a definite change up in title needed.
Otherwise, this is a splendid story that sees us catching up on the lives of the group of men from Keeping Casey. Itās been a while, theyāve graduated from Glen Hill College and moved forward with their partners and future plans.
As with Brant, those years has been ones of growth and now he sees himself ready to move forward again, this time in a familiar directionā¦ home and new opportunities.
Aislin opens a path into Brantās world with this story, one barely hinted at in the first novel. Now Brantās past, present, and , his potential future is laid out in all its pain, love, familial dysfunction , and emotional distress. It also includes his boyhood crush which has never faded. And who now has returned as well. Aislinās writes this all so superbly that you are pulled into Brantās world and situation, feeling easily a part of it.
Yes, I googled that region even. I could go there, indeed I could.
Then thereās Kellen, the crush. Kellen, an immediately likable and connectable character, is one with a few painful layers himself. Although not as many as Brant.
The story and the menās relationship begins immediately as they reconnect over a drive home from the airport and bond over Ollie, a āshared dogā and just great chemistry.
Through obstacles and new challenges raised by career changes, this pair grows together by using communication and love to get stronger and solidify their partnership. I just loved that.
No failure to talk things out, no childish misunderstandings. Just two adults working together towards a loving, mutually respectful relationship. Sigh. More pls.
And they treat others in the same manner. Be still my heart.
Ok, yes. Iām so happily on board here.
Even if Keeping Him series stays at two novels , which I expect it wonāt become there are others unattached, this is absolutely a book and series I recommend.
Brant Harkrader is done living by other peoplesā rules. He may not know exactly what he wants out of life, but heās perfectly happy letting that question figure itself out while starting a new job as a tour guide.
Too bad the one thing he does wantāhis sisterās BFFāonly sees him as a little brother.
Or so he thinksā¦
Kellan Shelby-Briggs has never shied away from going after what he wants. And what he wants is the important contract that will put his brand new company on the mapāand Brant.
Too bad Kellanās career keeps yanking him away just as things heat up between them.
Now that Brant is back in townāup close and personal in Kell’s living spaceācan they finally get the timing right to go after the love that has eluded them both for too long?
Ryker Madsen and Jacob Bentsen have been through a lot in their years together but actually making it to their wedding day might be the most trying times theyāve faced yet.
If youāve been reading this series and the Arizona Raptors one concurrently, as I have, then youāve watched this couple undergo incredible growth separately and as a couple as they graduated college and moved to Arizona when Ryker was drafted by the Raptors.
Not a smooth transition, emotionally, especially for Jacob who missed his snow, family, and the farm that was lost financially. He had to adapt to a new environment and potentially new goals while Ryker fought to gain footing in what was initially a hostile team.
Scott puts both young men through an education on relationships and balance over the course of both series to arrive hereā¦ weeks before their wedding. And a somewhat shaky feeling emanating from both of them.
Reading the previous stories are a must otherwise you will be lost as to what the conflicts are between Ryker and Jacob at the start of the story.
And considering the gravity and huge emotional impact this element will have on them , their relationship, and the entire circle of people around them, knowing whatās behind this turmoil is essential .
While Iām surprised itās not worked in earlier in the book, Iām also not sure how the author could have recapped such a large storyline with so with to tell with this story too.
Anyway, this brings into Valentineās Hearts such an emotionally heartbreaking and shattering new stage to this couple and their relationship as they face together the unthinkable.
Without any spoilers, Scottās in her element here with this section of their story. The treatment is responsible, we feel , so painfully so, that we have a window into the traumatic impact and ongoing nightmare that Jacobās life becomes.
And the love, support, and therapy that gets him through it.
I love the simplicity and paired down ending. After everything theyāve been through, it seemed perfect.
Plus we have the finale to look forward to and itās out now.
While itās hard to say goodbye to this series, we still have the Raptors so really itās not a forever goodbye.
Iām definitely recommending this and the previous stories.
Just make sure you have a bunch of tissues at hand.
Owatonna U Hockey Series: 6 books
Ryker #1
Scott #2
Benoit #3
Christmas Lights #4
Valentineās Hearts #5
Desert Dreams – #6 series finale out now
Synopsis:
Will broken hearts replace the wedding they dreamed of?
Life has certainly thrown many twists and turns in Jacob’s path. Most of the goals heād set for himself as a teenager had to change, but one has remained constant: finding his heart’s desire and marrying him. That aspiration was reached when Ryker said, “I do”. Planning their wedding was meant to be the best time of their lives, but Jacob unwittingly puts his trust in the wrong man and finds himself in danger. Is their love strong enough to survive the fallout?
Keeping Casey is another terrific contemporary romance from Amy Aislin. Loosely connected to her hockey series through the Glen Hill College Mountaineers hockey team, which has made its appearances in other stories , this novel is the first in a new Keeping Him series.
In Keeping Casey the author weaves many of my favorite tropes together to form a sweet and moving romance. Here we have a nerd/jock relationship thatās a friends to lovers with elements of slow burn, hurt/comfort, even LGBTQIA bullying within a fake boyfriend storyline.
Yep, all that and it works so well together.
Of course it helps tremendously if you have adorable, layered characters with realistic chemistry that whenever theyāre together the warmth and love just flows off the pages.
Thereās a bullying aspect here but on the jock side which is unexpected but again completely realistic. Also twinned painful pasts for both men where each has taken that trauma and emotionally internalized it in vastly different ways.
These elements, two incredibly different characters and one amazing relationship. It all makes for a fantastic romance and terrific secondary characters whose stories will be appearing shortly.
Another aspect I loved is that people, hockey players and their partners, from her other books and series , pop up here as supporters. It works beautifully. And itās great to see them all again.
Iām highly recommending this story and Iām onto the next!
Keeping Him series:
Keeping Casey #1
Keeping Kellen #2
Synopsis:
Casey Preston is the guy with the plan. The list-maker. The one who micromanages his own life.
Spontaneously offering to be his best friendās fake boyfriend to get Ethanās annoying team captain off his back?
Thatās not thinking things through. Itās not even smart given Caseyās been fighting his feelings for Ethan for years.
Ethan Rain just wants to play hockey and get his college degree. Adding a fake boyfriend to the mix? He doesnāt need that complication.
If Casey were his real boyfriend, though? If he got to keep Casey forever? Now weāre talking.
Yes, my holiday reading is in full swing! And hereās another book guaranteed to bring about an onslaught of the Christmas cozies and a need to bake a gazillion sugar holiday cookies!
Itās N. R. Walkerās Tic-Tac Mistletoe! What a Christmas heartwarmer!
It will, as it itself will tell you, bring up the imagery of every great Hallmark Christmas movie, including all the spot on elements we expect to see in those holiday stories and happily delivers us a Walker Hallmark Christmas story that exudes so much heart, Christmas cheer as well as poignancy, family, and love that you will want to include this as a holiday story to return to.
It even has an adorable doggy character and memorable quotes from one of my favorite movies. And no, surprisingly, itās not a holiday one.
Walkerās characters are perfectly imperfect, layered and connectable. And so easy to love. Here it also includes a town straight out of every Hallmark tale and itās citizens.
My only issue is that stories like these end far sooner then Iām ready for. I can always linger a tad longer than the pages allow.
Maybe next season there will be a return and a wedding. I can always hope.
Til then, make this a part of your holiday reading list. Yes Iām highly recommending it.
Synopsis:
Hamish Kenneally is moving from Australia to the US for a fresh start, starting with Christmas at his sisterās place in Idaho. When a snowstorm diverts his plane to Montana and leaves him stranded two days before Christmas, he hires a car and drives right into a blizzard.
Ren Brooks has always called Hartbridge, Montana, and his family hardware store, home. After a few failed attempts at love, heās resigned to being single foreverāafter all, no guy wants to stay in his sleepy little town for long. And after his dadās passing earlier in the year, Renās Christmas is looking bleak. But when a car runs off the road in front of his property, Ren pulls the driver out and takes him home to get out of the cold.
With the storm and the holidays leaving Hamish with nowhere else to go, Ren kindly offers a place to stay. Hamish is certain heās crashed right into a Hallmark Christmas movie, despite more car delays and road closures and the prospect of not seeing his sister for Christmas. And with help from Hamish, Ren is beginning to feel a little Christmas cheer.
These two unlikely strangers have more in common than they first realise, and after two days of Christmas decorations, cookies, and non-stop conversation, it looks like Christmas might be saved after all
As we head into November, itās time for the Holiday stories (and movies) to start being released.
And for those of us who love to read them (and watch them) to start our holiday feasting!
First up for me was the first in this adorable Amy Aislin Christmas series Lighthouse Bay. Currently running at two books, both holiday novels, itās a great way to dive into your seasonal reading.
Christmas Lane is a heartwarming age gap, friends to lovers romance set in the appropriately snowy New England (and Hallmarky) town getting ready for its Christmas parade! It doesnāt get more holidayish ( Iām on a roll with yes, those absolutely should be words thing) then that.
Zach Greenfeldās helping out his sister in the familyās, now hers, store while figuring out his next step. Turns out he gets roped into running the townās parade, since event planning is his specialty, and ends up next to his forever crush.
Holland Stone, former teacher, now exclusive dollhouse maker and float designer ā¦ of his own. And Zachās crush.
The slow burn romance between Zach and Holland occurs through a parade day countdown format which I love. Day by day as we get closer to the actual parade, the men grow closer through planning the parade, the details of each float, the disasters the arise, the community as it works together and the overall sense of achievement and love that pervades this story.
Everyone and everything has such warmth and depth to it. It may all be covered with the rosy glow of Christmas but by the end thereās no place or town and with no couple youād rather be spending your time with.
Christmas Lane is charming, heartwarming and romantic. Just a marvelous way to start your holiday reading. I highly recommending it.
Lighthouse Bay series:
Christmas Lane #1
Gingerbread Mistletoe #2
Synopsis:
It’s recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld’s favorite time of the year and he’s just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush–Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float–Santa’s sleigh–gets damaged.
Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa’s sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.
Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.
Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!
Itās Amy Aislinās m/m hockey romances that normally I gravitate towards but thatās primarily out of habit. This author writes a great catalog of contemporary romances that shouldnāt be missed.
That includes this sweet HFN love story As Big As The Sky.
Itās one of those that combines several tropes into a engaging, totally satisfying heartwarming romance. Itās got enemies to lovers, a bit of hurt/comfort. Even quirky animals courtesy of a animal rehab/rescue center. Plus characters we absolutely connect with and wish we could get more of.
The relationship between Sam and Bo is so interesting because the potential for not just a great romance but an amazing one runs through this tale. There is just so many neat elements here. It cries out for a more substantial telling, fleshing out the families relationships, as well as theirs.
Indeed, Aislin has built such a marvelous universe here that I feel so much of what the author incorporates isnāt given its due.
But what we do see as far as the dynamics between Sam and Bo? Incredible and heartwarming.
I love this couple and would love to see the author revisit them and this world again.
Iām definitely recommending this sweet romance and couple.
Sam McAuley isnāt having a great start to the summer. Served with papers? Great. Heās being sued. Perfect, pristine yard overrun with chickens? What theā? Clearly, the new guy running the animal rehabilitation centre next door has no idea what heās doing.
Itās one town to the next, one school to the next, one job to the next for Bo Novak. Everything is temporary. Even his current jobārunning his sisterās animal rehab centre while sheās away on a four-month leaveāis temporary. And he does know what heās doing, thank you very much. Sure, things donāt always run smoothly, but the stick-in-the-mud next door could be a little nicer about it.
One overheard conversation, an olive branch, and a baseball game might show these guys that being at odds isnāt really what they want, and that what they want might just be each other.
[As Big as the Sky was first published in August 2017. This new edition has a brand new cover but no content changes.
Lane Hayes is at her best when it comes to characters deeply anguished by choices theyāve made or failed to make in their lives. People who are now failing under the pressure, stress, and pain the situation they now find themselves in.
Hayes has that ability to deliver that pain, that shame and doubt directly into the readers hearts, connecting us to the characters and their life choices.
Here in book 3, the angst has never been so apparent, the pain of repression and itās repercussions so widespread.
We start off with Asher Fitzgibbons,genius, works at NASA, immediate-goal to work at the JPL. Heās decided to, one time only, to hook up with a app for a one night stand.
Asher, diminutive blonde genius, has made a number of impactful appearances in the prior stories but here the tiny perfectionist is given his due.
Oh, what a complicated man he turns out to be, with a heartbreak of a past as a foundation.
The man on the other side of the app? That would be Blake Johnson, coach of girls LaCrosse at a posh private school , and very closeted bisexual.
At first you believe that all the anguish, the repression, and the pain is coming from Blake as he deals with years of self denial and the situations at school. This is heartbreaking stuff here.
But slowly it becomes apparent that Asher too is suffering from some deep emotional issues, and past trauma.
How both men work through all the issues and barriers to arrive at a satisfying relationship is a richly rewarding journey and wonderful read.
I adore these uniquely nerdy geniuses and the men they come to love. Apparently the series isnāt over yet. Another holiday novel and book four is coming.
Great characters, well written storylines, including some deep elements all leading up to heartwarming romances.
Swipe left, swipe left, swipe left. Sure, the idea of a quick, no-strings intimate rendezvous via hookup app sounds oddly thrilling, but itās simply not me. Or maybe it is me, because it happenedā¦and I liked it. Until I realized he looked familiar for a reason. A bad reason. Now Iāve made a faux pas with the sexiest man on planet Earth, and my internal karma system requires me to fix it. Help!
Blake-
I may seem like I have it together, but the truth is, Iām a hot mess. Iām so deep in the closet that I canāt remember my real name some days. Thatās okay. The benefit of one-night stands is anonymity. Until Asher. Not a total surprise. Iāve always had a thing for geeks, but Iāve never met anyone like him. Heās a pint-sized dynamo on a quest for perfection who can help me come outā¦if I follow his script.
Hmm. Iām in.
The Jock Script is an MM bisexual, geek/jock romance starring a bowtie wearing nerd, a sexy lacrosse coach, and a shenanigan inducing script!
I really wondered about this story because of the character of George.
Thatās tall, cape wearing, genius whoās been a bit of an enigma although heās gotten a lot of page time within the series to date.
Nice trick. Very vampire like.
So whoās heās paired up with becomes as much as a surprise as he is . And that makes this story more satisfying all the way.
Rules of Play helps fill in Georgeās important adolescence stage as well as advance the timeline for the focus group of friends. We get his past and see the entire group more settled into jobs or relationships.
Maturity is advancing,,,, somewhatā¦
But the person about to come back into Georgeās life is someone very familiar and close to Georgeās family.
Aiden is one of Simonās best friends, and Simon is one of Georgeās older brothers. Aiden also spent much of his younger years at the Murphy house because of his parents dysfunction and love of alcohol.
A broken down car and a night rescue is all it takes to bring Aiden ,as a mechanic, back into Georgeās life. Georgeās bossās unfortunate love life will keep him there as they plot a way for Newton to romance the girl of his dreams.
Close proximity and really heated libidos bring about all sorts of changes in their relationship, including ones Aiden never anticipated. One where he just might be bisexual.
Complicated characters, realistic situations, emotionally charged conversations about sexuality, and, friendship. All those elements wrapped up in a great romance.
Lane Hayes delivers a marvelous tale full of humor, lusty scenes, warmth and love.
This series continues to evolve and get better with each story.
Love this and everyone novel. Recommending them all.
My brotherās friend is hotāif youāre into flannel-wearing lumbersexual former jocks who eat donuts for dinner and still scribble to-do lists on their palms. Iām not. Iām a serious scientist in my final year of grad school. Okay, I admit I have few quirks of my own. I also have a broken truck and a boss who thinks I can help him find love. Iām in over my head. Help!
Aiden-
A few quirks? Really? George is the weirdest dude I know. He wears capes in public, brings a book everywhere he goes, and loves all things spooky. Heās also the smartest person on the planetāwho somehow thinks I can help him write a How-To-Get-A-Date playbook for his boss. Yeah, that sounds suspicious. I know baseball; I donāt know anything about love. But I canāt say no. The thing isā¦Iāve always had a soft spot for George. But falling for my best friendās brother is against the rules, isnāt it?
Rules of Play is an MM bisexual awakening story where opposites attract and shenanigans ensue!
Lane Hayes has another great series in The Script Club, winning me over immediately with the first novel which introduces us to the central characters and universe.
Following the Rules also sets out the formal by which all the rest of the romances and stories will follow.
There is a main group of geniusā friends in their last semester of grad school. They have similar intellects and are pursuing careers in Aerospace engineering generally, but more complicated. Iāll let each character describe it. Take my word for itā¦ space, NASA, ā¦.
All are huge nerds in different ways, which makes each a vastly unique personality.
First up is Christopher āTopherā Thornton, aerospace engineer studying Astrodynamicsā¦ and Iāll leave the rest to him. Heās in need of money as a grant and summer job fell through. His friend, George (and roommate) suggests that his brother Simon needs help to make it through his college courses while he waits to see if heāll return to the NFL.
That brings up all sorts of issues for Topher as ājocksā both attract him and end up being his Kryptonite.
Simon Murphy, ex NFL player, Georgeās brother, was cut by his NFL team after a series of injuries, including a number of concussions. Now that heās finished rehab, heās enrolled in college to finish his degree while waiting to see if his agent can get him back in a NFL team.
But heās having trouble with his courses, especially the math snd science so itās George or more specifically Topher to the rescue.
Except straight Simon starts to realize heās extremely attracted to Topher in every way.
This is a terrific series that deals a lot with a person examining their perceptions about their own sexuality and then realizing that perhaps theyāve either been repressing or denying their true selves until now.
That meeting, here itās Topher, the person that makes them able to want to ācome outā for themselves and live their truth is everything.
Hayesā characters are always so well done. They feel so unique but never stray into the cartoonish. Like Topher and Simon, they are opposite personalities but layered enough to feel vulnerable and open to both hope and disappointment.
Theirs is a funny, sweet, and a bit dramatic (of course) romance. Itās lovely and a great way to launch this series.
My friendās brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problemā¦jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions tooānot a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?
Simon-
Finishing college isnāt high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. Heās also a little strangeā¦but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when Iām around himāas though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, weāll find what weāre looking for. But that means changing the rulesā¦
Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 