Review: Dragon It Out (Blackhaven Manor #3) by Arden Steele

Rating: 4.5🌈

Dragon It Out, the third installment in Arden Steele’s Blackhaven Manor series, is my favorite yet. Fated mates is central to this series but instead of the quick mating of the previous novels, this is a slow mating romance, in a novella.

Surrounded by a mystery and full of suspense, with just a fantastic couple at its heart.

Uriah Maddox, dragon shifter , brother to siblings, Skye and Thade, is half of our fated couple. He’s thousands of years old, yet still mired in guilt over a past loss. One that’s keeping him from moving forward with his life, even when he meets his mate.

That’s Kit Meyers, human, and someone clearly in trouble. He arrives at Blackhaven Manor in at most inauspicious way. His car breaks down in the parking lot and he doesn’t have the funds to repair it.

Odd how things meant to be happen at Blackhaven just when they need to.

Scared Kit and huffy Uriah, in full out surly mode, are a great couple. One , a human, in survival mode, the other, a dragon, attempting to flee at every second, avoiding the being he knows to be his mate. Plus two exasperated siblings watching it all.

Combined with a very serious danger to Kit in a past that he’s on the run from? And Dragon It Out is just a great exciting fantasy romance, with a touching romance, and a suspenseful side element.

Steele’s ability to add small scenes with secondary characters in a diner, just make this story that much richer.

I enjoyed everything about this. As I said my favorite so far. And loving this series.

Smooth flowing, well crafted, and really quick romantic reads.

I’m highly recommending this and them.

Onto #4! Grin and Bear it.

Blackhaven Manor Series:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

✓ Dragon It Out #3

◦ Grin and Bear it #4

◦ Pixie Little Liar #5

◦ Dead Over Heals #6

◦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showDragon It Out (Blackhaven Manor #3) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Synopsis:

As some of the last remaining dragon shifters in the world, Uriah Maddock and his siblings are regarded as something akin to royalty in the paranormal community. It’s one of the main reasons their hotel has become such a coveted destination for Otherlings. All he wants, though, is to be left alone. He’s not looking for love or romance. In fact, he actively avoids relationships and all their damning consequences. Too bad his meddling sister didn’t get the memo.

Kit Meyers is pretty sure he’s hit rock bottom when his car breaks down in the small, mountain town of Echo Falls. He has no money, no place to live, and no prospects. When a not-so-chance encounter leads him to the infamous Blackhaven Manor, he figures he’ll stay for a few weeks, earn some cash, then head back to the safety of the road. But all that changes when he meets a surly dragon shifter with wounded eyes and even more baggage than himself.

Uriah can’t commit to a houseplant, let alone to being someone’s mate. Convinced that Kit is better off without him, he’s prepared to leave everything behind if that means the skittish human will be safe and happy. Yet, as the days pass, he keeps finding new excuses to stay, until he’s finally forced to admit that he’s not going anywhere.Especially when he realizes he’s not the only dangerous person in Kit’s life.

Review: Mist and Marrow (Breaking Tradition #2) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.75🌈

It’s been a while since I read the first installment in this series about Omegas and their search for HEA.

Finding a HEA is a extremely difficult situation, given the fact that in both books 1 and 2, Omegas are basically property, with little to no rights as a being , within their own species laws and human legal system as well.

First they belong to their fathers, then to whoever their fathers sell them to, regardless of gender and age. It’s a contract between father and whatever Alpha he sells them to. To do whatever they like with.

Linden Van Doren, a omega we met in the first story, had been sexually abused by his father and those his father had sold him to for years before being rescued by the Cyan Alpha of the previous book and his mate.

Much of that abuse is recounted here, in conversations held with his therapist and others. It’s those conversations that account for the trigger warning at the beginning of the novel. It’s warranted. While it happens off page, some of it occurs while he’s just a child and it’s brutal and raw hearing it. So if this is a trigger for you, please think about if you can read these scenes or if this is a story for you.

This is not one of the established Calmes “golden boy type“ character we could expect here. While Linny certainly has golden hair , he’s a wolf who’s lead such a traumatic life that he’s more a wounded soul than anything else. The omega charismatic personality is clear as is the need to establish a home but Linden is also a fighter in ways subtle and witty. I adored him.

Wade Massey, homicide detective and partner to the omega of the first book, is a very neat character. He’s got all the characteristics of a wolf alpha while being a human detective. It’s a mystery that has its answers at the end, although hints are sprinkled throughout the story.

Calmes has included a horrific mystery, with a investigation that will have Lindsey and Wade on a dangerous journey to find the villain behind it.

Calmes has a smoothly flowing, well written supernatural mystery romance that has some very raw and brutal elements to it. I think it is far darker and better than it’s predecessor, Muscle and Bone.

I wonder what the final book will bring to this trilogy. Can’t wait to find out.

I’m highly recommending Mist and Marrow.

Breaking Tradition trilogy:

🔹Muscle and Bone #1

🔹Mist and Marrow #2

🔹TBA#3

https://www.goodreads.com › showMist and Marrow (Breaking Tradition #2) by Mary Calmes – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Trigger Warning: Discussions of repeated sexual abuse of a main character, including when he was a minor. No abuse occurs on page

Linden Van Doren is in a strange position. He’s an emancipated omega holding down two jobs, so he should be out from under anyone’s thumb but in reality, there are still weird lupine rules to follow. For instance, if an alpha wants to court him, he’s not allowed to say no. If that same alpha asks for his hand in bonding, however, as there’s no contract that anyone holds but him, he can certainly say no to that. And would. He trusts no alpha to keep their word even though they’re the only ones who could make his dreams come true. It’s all very confusing and a bit ridiculous but until all omegas are free to do whatever they want with their lives, his odd circumstances are the norm. He’s also doing his very small part to help others—and that just became a problem.

Wade Massey is a homicide detective with the Chicago PD. He’s partners with Avery Davenport, which puts him in close, continual contact with Avery’s friend, Linden Van Doren. Wade isn’t sure what it is about Linden that drives him nuts. And annoying the hell out of the stunning omega should make Wade want to stay away from him. The problem is, he can’t seem to do that. Besides, Linden needs a keeper. Wade has never actually met anyone who needs someone looking out for them more and really, no one but Wade can be trusted to do it and keep their hands off the tantalizing man.

When the FBI comes knocking because omegas have gone missing, Wade finds out that Linden has been far more active in the fight to help other omegas than he imagined. When both men are drafted to help, they are suddenly thrown together in a situation where, for once, neither of them can walk away. Wade’s been great at making excuses and Linny’s been fantastic about hiding his feelings. None of that works anymore.

Linden knows he wants Wade—he knew the night the possessive human carried him out of hell—but loving someone who can never return his feelings is stupid and Linden’s finished with that. Wade’s never been attracted to a man before and perhaps it’s not desire or lust, but simply his protective instincts gone wild. If neither of them can be brave, there’s no hope for the future. But perhaps just winnowing through the mist of confusion down to the marrow where the truth lies will set them both free.

Review: Short Stack (a short story collection) by Lily Morton

Rating: 5🌈

If you’re a fan of Lily Morton, especially her Mixed Messages and Finding Home series, this is must reading.

These short stories follow those couples at various stages of their lives and relationships, from the stage after the wedding is over to a marriage proposal we always hoped to read about.

None of these scenes appeared in those stories, cut for various reasons or written for her fans later on. They are now gathered together by couple, and it makes for some very amazing and very rewarding stories.

For myself, it changed my thoughts on a couple and story. That would be Rule Breaker, Dylan and Gabe’s story. Told primarily from Dylan’s pov, It was the romance and relationship I least connected with. The reason was the character of Gabe. For me, without his perspective, he came across as selfish, cold, and his actions often cruel, especially towards Dylan. Who repeatedly took him back.

That missing pov is here. Gabe, his emotional state, and his background, everything that would have made him an emotionally accessible character is here in scenes that never made it into that story. To its detriment, in my opinion. Because after reading this, I look at that novel totally differently.

For the rest of the couples and books? Short Stack just enriches our involvement with them and their relationships. Where we always wanted to know what happened next? This is our answer to that question, and it gives us a often realistic, and emotional satisfying one.

Not read one of the stories? This might make you hold off, stop at a couple. Go get their book. Read it. Then come back for their shorts.

Win on every level.

I got this for my Kindle but I just might need it in a copy for my bookshelf.

I’m recommending it that hard for lovers of these series, this author, and those readers to come.

Short Stack by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

What happens after the happy ending?

Drawn together for the first time, this is a collection of Lily’s short stories about the much-loved men from her Mixed Messages and Finding Home series. Follow them through awkward marriage proposals, birthdays, a fraught babysitting job, and a very drunken Eurovision Song Contest party.

It includes stories previously written for her website and readers’ group, along with deleted scenes and four brand new and exclusive short stories – Bad Valentine, Marrying Jude, Babysitting Billy, and House Hunting.

Mixed Messages:

Rule Breaker #1

Deal Maker #2

Risk Taker#3

Finding Home:

Oz #1

Milo #2

Gideon #3

Review: Night and Fae (Blackhaven Manor #2) by Arden Steele

Rating: 3.75🌈

Night and Fae, the second in Arden Steele’s Blackhaven series about fated mates is another sexy, short supernatural romance. This time it’s a fabulously wealthy corporate vampire and an adorable hairdresser Fae getting their fated mate matchup at Blackhaven Manor!

Courtesy of the meddling owner Dragon siblings ,of course .

I enjoyed Night and Fae (terrific name), and the pair. But what I was missing what a sense of history, layerings for either of them.

With the previous story, each character was grounded in a way. Kol in the small town and Manor. Remington had his brother and a backstory.

But in Night and Fae, with the exception of bodyguards (neat ones, I admit), both Fae Leeland Rivers and Master Vampire Sebastian Delgado exist alone without substantial knowledge of their background. I miss that.

Luckily, Leeland’s personality is vibrant, funny, and endearing. He is a wonderful character. Sebastian is everything you would hope a handsome, commanding, wealthy vampire would be. Their mate connection or mis-connection is interesting and makes sense given their species.

There’s a dramatic element, which is swiftly resolved. And then a epilogue.

These are quick, smoothly plotted stories and they’re over before you can blink . I found the characters, the storyline and the ending satisfying.

I’m moving onto the next. I’m also recommending this for anyone who enjoys a HEA supernatural love story.

Blackhaven Manor Series:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

◦ Dragon It Out #3

◦ Grin and Bear it #4

◦ Pixie Little Liar #5

◦ Dead Over Heals #6

◦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showNight and Fae (Blackhaven Manor #2) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Colorful and eccentric, Leelan Rivers knows he’s a little too “extra” for some people. Since those people are exceedingly boring, he couldn’t care less about their opinion. Yet, when a night out leads him right into the arms of fate, he never expected the broody vampire to deny the connection between them.

Wealthy and powerful, Sebastian Delgado is used to people wanting things from him. He’s not even surprised at the lies they’ll tell to get them. So, when Leelan claims to be his mate, he’s skeptical to say the least. Leelan might be beautiful and enchanting, but Sebastian has been disappointed too many times in the past not to be suspicious.

All it takes is one bite to reveal the truth but claiming Leelan as his own comes with its own set of problems. Especially when he realizes he’s not the only vampire at Blackhaven Manor interested in the faerie.

Review: The Fairy Shop by Tara Lain

Rating: 3 🌈

I debated over the rating on this one. A lot. Liked the storyline. The main and one secondary character were charming. Overall holiday message was lovely.

But.

This is a short story that also deals as major elements childhood trauma stemming from domestic violence, where a small child is witness to her drunken mother being beaten (off page) by a large abusive boyfriend. More than once. To the point the father removed her ,got custody, and now the child has nightmares and serious issues with large men in her vicinity.

This child needs therapy. But beyond that. The story develops nicely. Father meets huge stranger. Immediately attracted for both. No intro to daughter for obvious reason. But daughter and father find just the most incredible tiny shop selling handcrafted wands, unicorns etc. This part of the story is excellent. Even the person running the shop , amazing.

The story runs it’s course, including a traumatic event. That’s where I have a issue. Big issue.

Because, spoiler alert. The abusive boyfriend is involved in what is clearly a crime. He’s been involved in domestic violence in the past. So the solution here is :

A. Let him walk free out the door with a drunk/drugged out mother , call him a Uber too , don’t worry about that poor driver.

B. Call the cops, charge him with assault, let him get a criminal record so when it happens again the victim has a support.

What should a responsible author do? Yes, it’s fiction but shouldn’t we start showing that actions have consequences in the stories?

What do you think happened?

One guess, it wasn’t B. Because, hey, it’s Christmas, and even drunks and domestic abusers need to just be sent off. Uh no. Wrong message sent.

One last thing. You leave your child with a caregiver to go out for the evening. The door is busted in by an drunken perhaps drugged out ex of the person you are sitting for, and their abusive boyfriend. You know she doesn’t have custody and are aware of the violence in the past. What do you do? Child is screaming.

A. Call the police.

B. Call the father.

Yup. B. That story just made every wrong choice, not for the child safety but father’s consideration. SMH.

Spoiled this story.

Maybe this hit me wrong. Maybe I’m tired of violence and it not being reported or responsibly handled. But this? Could have been better. Given that the child’s trauma was a major element here.

Read it and decide for yourself. Or not if any of this is a trigger for you.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Fairy Shop by Tara Lain – Goodreads

A single dad who needs love. A child who needs courage.
Sounds like a job for a fairy.

When Nate Hawthorne meets Asher Dane, the huge, tattooed hunk embodies Nate’s dreams – and his daughter’s nightmares. Delly’s terrified of big men.

Then Nate and Delly find The Fairy Shop, a mysterious store where a unique proprietress sends Delly in search of the wand that will make her brave.

On a snowy Christmas Eve, love and courage meet under the influence of a most unusual fairy and Nate and Delly’s lives change forever.

THE FAIRY SHOP is a single dad, opposites attract, small town, MM holiday romance—wrapped in the magic of love.

Review: Got Me Thinking (Vet Shop Boys #4) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Thinking, fourth book in Casey Cox’s terrific Vet Shop Boys series, is a very sweet,low angst, contemporary romance.

Chase Higgins is the vet who’s life has just had a complete life upheaval, after a long period of stress, and a inability to conceive children in a dying marriage. It was finally coming to the realization that he needs to live his truth, even if it hurts people close to him. That means telling his wife he’s gay, divorcing, and starting to live as a gay man. In his 30’s.

Fisher West is a single dad of twin girls. Recently relocated back to his hometown of Brookhaven, Virginia, to raise his girls, get his life settled after a heartbreaking dissolution of a relationship.

Each man has undergone enormous changes in their lives, made mental decisions as to any new romances, and new goals at home. Whether it’s small pigs as pets, houses to redo, or just getting reestablished in a community.

Cox gives us two wonderful, relatable men, puts each into situations the reader will connect to, then starts to push them together in the most delightful way.

As Chase figures out what being a “ out” gay man means , and Fisher helps just by being his friend, the warmth and joy of their growing relationship rises off the page. Whether it’s through interactions with all the kids, animals, Saturday dinners, or many conversations, all very realistic and funny and , thankfully, adult, it’s all so smoothly done, that I’m all in without realizing it.

I’m full all in love with the men, the idea of a combined family, the way they actually talk through the issues bothering them. That alone was masterful because it was so thoughtful and yes, grownup. It lacks drama, and I appreciate that. Sometimes, being a grownup, if there’s respect and intelligence, as well as the idea you communicate your thoughts and issues, that’s a great element in a romance and relationship.

The epilogue shows that they had obstacles to overcome but it’s such a marvelous chapter and we see how the family and men went on. Happy and very much in love.

Got Me Thinking (Vet Shop Boys #4) by Casey Cox is a wonderful contemporary romance, with a man who starts to live his truth and finds love, family, and a happy future. It’s a warm-hearted, loving book that will leave you smiling. What’s better then that?

I’m highly recommending this and this gentle series.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

◦ Got Me Going #5 TBR

◦ Got Me Merry #6 TBR date TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showGot Me Hoping (Vet Shop Boys, #1) by Casey Cox – Goodreads

Synopsis:

He’s a single dad ready to start dating again. I’m newly divorced and new to…well, everything. This is going to be a disaster… Isn’t it?

When my marriage ends, I decide to buy a run-down house and get a drove of piglets. My friends think I’m having a breakdown, when really, all I’m doing is the one thing I’ve avoided my whole life––figuring out who I am.

One thing I’m quickly learning is that life loves nothing more than to throw you a curveball when you least expect it.

Take Fischer West. From the moment we serendipitously collide on a midnight stroll, he ignites something within me. We have a connection. I want to explore it, even though the timing is all wrong.

There’s no way either one of us is ready for a relationship, so why has Fischer got me thinking it might just work?

Review: Sink or Swim (Shore Leave #2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.5🌈

We meet Calder Euler in Sailor Proof, the first book in this series, and he wasn’t exactly a sympathetic character. Nor did he come across as anything but one dimensional. He wasn’t exactly someone who’s story I looked forward to.

However, Sink or Swim totally changed my perspective on Calder. Albert takes a bare outline of a man and fleshes him out into a individual who we get to know deeply and connect with once we understand the history and events that drove him into person he appears in Sailor Proof.

That man is now at a point where he’s starting to question his goals in life, his career and his path forward. It happens to coincide with his meeting Dr. Felix Sigurd. Newly, bitterly divorced, with two children he’s a guardian for, and still trying to figure his way through his life when a mixup finds himself, the kids , and Calder , all together snowed in at a cabin.

Albert starts a very complicated relationship process from this beginning. The foundation that each man is standing on is firm of character but each man’s past has built a crumbly mound upon it that needs to be reconciled and resolved between them before they can move forward together and as a family.

The two pov format works so smoothly and well to help define both characters and assist the reader in understanding the difficulties each man faces in their lives, as well as the realistic obstacles they face in their relationship.

For Calder, it’s not just perceiving where that uber competitive attitude came from, but how emotionally he’s able to finally acknowledge it, and let it go. Importantly , its also the research and military career knowledge that’s Albert’s done that’s goes into Calder’s decisions that makes this so believable. The Euler family just comes off as military unit, at every level.

I can’t forget the fantastic children here too. Both girls, so very different, each with opposite emotional reactions to a new man in their and their Uncle’s lives. They are so believable and a little heartbreaking. It’s the outgoing, exuberant Charlotte, ready to climb mountains and brave new realities, with a outlook that remembers love as well as loss. It’s the retiring Madeleine, who needs to be shown a path is safe before she takes a step, her reticence bourn of grief and instability. She’s not yet ready for change. For change hasn’t meant anything good. Both girls are children we can believe in, connect to, and love totally. And in turn, they bring us closer to both men and their relationship.

I don’t know if Annabeth Albert is done with the Eulers. I hope not. They are quite the family. I’d love to see this series continue, along with the Eulers, so we can see more of these couples in future stories. And at the annual Euler camp!

I’m recommending both stories. Read them in the order they are written. It’s very interesting, especially for characters development and relationships.

Happy Reading!

Shore Leave
Book 1: Sailor Proof
Book 2: Sink or Swim

https://www.goodreads.com › showSink or Swim (Shore Leave #2) by Annabeth Albert – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Winning and losing are subject to sexy interpretation…

Navy chief Calder Euler loves to win big. His latest score? A remote mountain cabin. Checking it out is supposed to be a quick trip, but Calder’s luck abruptly turns when a freak injury and a freakier snowstorm leave him stranded.

Oh, and the cabin isn’t empty. A silver fox caring for two young girls claims that the property is his, but Calder’s paperwork says otherwise.

Felix Sigurd is on a losing streak, and his ex-husband risking the cabin in a reckless bet is only the latest in a series of misfortunes. He’ll tolerate the handsome stranger for a couple nights–even care for his injuries—but that’s it.

Calder doesn’t know a damn thing about kids, but making pancakes for Felix’s girls is a surprising delight. Trapped in the cabin, the four of them slip easily into the rhythms of a family. But when the ice melts, they’ll have to decide if a future together is in the cards.

Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.

Review: Hot Wings (The Hot Cannolis #2) by Eli Easton and Tara Lain

Rating: 5 🌈

Hot is right. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this story since the author’s announced it was Donny’s story with a newly transferred gay fire pilot.

Donato “Donny” Cannoli is a mess of a man, something of a norm actually for the men of the enormous Italian family where the ideals of manhood run adjacent to those of toxic masculinity. Where they , actually everyone, are expected to go into careers of service, dangerous service. Firefighters, law enforcement…nothing less. Marry, produce another generation to do the exact same, and carry on the Cannoli name and reputation.

No matter the personal cost.

Hot Seat, Mike’s story was a dramatic representation of exactly how high that cost could be when the stress and denial became too great.

And it caused an emotional, heartbreaking,sea change in attitude in Donny. Prior to the shattering event towards the end of that story, Donny , like his older brother, Gabe, was a homophobic machismo sneering bully. But afterwards?

A changed man who had his brother’s back and started standing up for Mike and against those uttering homophobic slurs.

That’s where we find him now. A man who’s foundation has been shaken, the cracks appearing… when out and proud Dell Murphy arrives , to further the job of disassembling the man Donny always thought himself to be.

Lain and Easton do an absolutely superlative job here with Donny’s emotionally profound and painful journey, with himself and Dell, to his truth. He’s bisexual, he’s never going to fit within his father’s ideals, and he’s got a new better future if he’s brave enough to accept it and himself.

It’s a path you’re on with Donny that’s at times raw, sexually hot, and heartwarming, and also so deeply complicated that you just hurt for him as he unravels all those familial issues that have him trussed up so tightly in old ideals that have never fit him.

Dell Murphy has his complications. All just as well executed and emotional. And like Donny’s, they stem from family. His issues with his father has driven home certain areas of behavior and trust that Donny’s triggering. He’s also the one who’s the security for his Mam and sister , Gala. Those characters too are just amazing.

There’s so many great elements here. Dell is a realistic pilot and the research into the plane, flying, fire intensity…. It’s all here. And it makes for some incredibly high suspense action. Awesome co- pilot too.

The truth is this book is so fantastic I could babble on about all the great things the authors have put into this story that enrich the storylines and support the characters growing relationship, but why not just pick it up and read it? It’s fabulous!

I will say you should read Hot Seat first to get an indication of the events that happened previously and how far Donny’s characters has changed.

I’m highly recommending this and the series to date.

Now an interesting note on the next two stories. Due to unexpected complications (author Tara Alain’s surgery and recovery), Lain and Easton aren’t co-writing the next books. Instead each will write a single novel.

I’m wondering how that will effect the sort of edgy balance they’ve achieved here in the series to date between raw , deeply emotional issues each character has had to process and overcome and the romantic relationship element. It’s been a delicate maneuver. In Mike’s novel, it was really more about his journey towards self acceptance, and then it was his romance.

Here in Hot Wings, I thought it was equally important. Beautifully crafted.

Now to see how and who is next.

The Hot Cannolis series:

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

✓ Hot Seat #1

✓ Hot Wings #2

◦ Hot Pursuit #3 by Eli Easton date TBD

◦ Hot Lips #4 by Tara Lain, date TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showHot Wings (The Hot Cannolis #2) by Eli Easton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The alpha meets his match.

Most macho of all the super-alpha Canali brothers and proud of it, Donny’s famous for his gorgeous face, his firefighter prowess, and for going through girls his family doesn’t approve of as fast as he changes jeans.

Donny’s biggest hero is his fire captain dad, until his life gets saved from the skies by fire pilot Dell Murphy.

Dell’s certain about most things. He’s been proud to be gay since he was ten, handled a helicopter in Afghanistan like it was part of his body, and can fly a fire bomber in the worst conflagration. And he’s absolutely certain that Donny Canali belongs to him.
Dell also knows how to show a lover he’s in charge.

Donny’s shocked to discover how much he’s turned on by dominant Dell, but Donny’s not gay. He’s not. He can’t be. It would break his father’s heart.

Leaving Dell will break Donny’s.

HOT WINGS is a battle of the alphas, hot firefighters, two crazy families, dominant lover, HEA romance with a helping of laughter and even more feels.

Review: Tough Luck (A-List Security #1) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4.5🌈

Tough Luck, the latest from author Annabeth Albert, is the first in her new A-List Security series. The series has at its center a newly established company formed from a group of men who served together on a SEAL team. As they’ve retired, the men are brought together by their Lieutenant, the owner of the firm.

It’s a terrific concept as it allows us to meet a range of complicated men, with different personalities and backgrounds who regard each other as brothers.

First up is Cash “Money “ Erwin, recently retired. Not by choice, exactly, more because of a “reduction in numbers “ move he got caught up in. Now he’s out, crashing on his Lt’s couch and trying to figure out where to go next.

That’s when Duncan Love, his former Lieutenant and close friend, asks for a favor. Duncan has been trying to get Cash to join his new company, A-List Security without success, now he needs help with security for his younger brother, a former Hollywood Star with a stalker.

Albert’s two person perspective works smoothly to help the reader get into the mindset and immediate emotional issues of each man.

We are aware of Cash’s inability to move forward. He’s stuck because he just doesn’t know what to do next, so ingrained has been his military service and lifestyle. That includes always being part of a team, and having your directions and goals already planned out. A future alone and goalless is confusing and unclear.

We get this man immediately. And the more he reveals of his adolescence and background, the greater the clarity of the character. Cash is a amazing gift of a man.

When Albert introduces us to the former actor Danny Love, it’s in a remarkable scene. For both men. It sets the tone for establishing a relationship of trust , respect, and eventually friendship. That’s a lot for a man who’s a addict, and has come to expect the worst reactions from those he meets because of his past behavior and status. Including people his older brother might have sent to “take care” of his issues. Danny has successfully completed rehab and has now been clean for a while. However, he understands that his former friends and lifestyle definitely contributed to that addiction. And avoids both.

Danny is a well thought out character, not just defined by his addictions but by a upbringing with toxic parents who contributed to his damaging adolescence and negatively impacted his outlook in adulthood.

Their romance is one of sexual exploration, communication, and personal growth. It’s sweet, tender, and very sexy.

The stalker element is a big mystery that I thought got resolved a tad too quickly , which is why the story didn’t get a full 5 🌈. For all the buildup, there was no history or explanation into the perpetrator or their actions. Or what happens to that person. It just finished. It felt incomplete to me.

The relationship and romance? Stellar. Love both men and how the author leaves them. Excellent ending.

Tough Luck is a fantastic contemporary romance and a great start to a new series. Can’t wait for the next one, Hard Job, to be released. I’m highly recommending this!

Happy reading!

A-List Security series:

✓ Tough Luck #1

◦ Hard Job #2 – July 7, 2022

Amazon.com: Annabeth Albert: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks …amazon.com

https://www.goodreads.com › showTough Luck (A-List Security, #1) by Annabeth Albert – Goodreads

Synopsis:

My best friend’s little brother needs a bodyguard. Now I’m the one in danger…

I’m a SEAL. Or rather, I was. Retired at the grand old age of thirty-eight, I’m at loose ends. My best friend wants me to join his security team. I’m not sure I’m bodyguard material, but he needs someone to protect his kid brother. How hard can spoiled brat duty be?

Somehow, I missed the part where former child star Danny Love went from dorky TV darling to all grown up and disturbingly attractive. All the gossip about his wild ways fails to mention that he’s trying hard to clean up his act. But now he’s got a stalker.

Hiding out together in a remote mountain cabin, alone, the temptation keeps building. I’m feeling things I never have before. Secrets I’ve kept even from myself bubble to the surface every time Danny looks my way with those puppy dog eyes.

I’m a SEAL. We leap into danger. So why is it so terrifying when that danger comes with the softest pair of lips I’ve ever known? At some point we’re going to have to return to Hollywood and our vastly different lives. Will Danny still want me around when he doesn’t need me for protection? Can I be brave enough to give him a reason to?

TOUGH LUCK is book one in a brand-new SEAL bodyguard series. It features an age gap, steamy first times, and all the high heat, big emotions, and found family feels readers expect from this fan-favorite military romance author. Join A-List security for this lower-angst series featuring former SEALs and the celebrity clients who win their hearts. Happy endings and no cliffhangers guaranteed!

Review: Switch – Hitter (Hit and Run #1) by E.M. Lindsey

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Switch-Hitter is the first book in a new sports series by E.M. Lindsey. It exists , per the author’s forward, within a universe where in MLB out athletes are accepted as are those with various disabilities .

Wouldn’t that be a lovely place? And indeed it is, for the characters in Switch-Hitter and readers who will enjoy as I did.

Lindsey incorporates a number of elements that definitely make their characters more multidimensional.

Pietro Bassani, baseball player for the Denver Vikings, is also a man with his own personal issues. He’s ADHD, late in life diagnosed, and he’s hiding it from his team and teammates. He feels guilty that his beloved barely older brother , Gabe, who was just as talented a ball player as Pietro, was injured by a car crash and lost the one thing they thought they’d be doing together. At times he’s just a mess. That doesn’t begin to cover his ex, Herve’ and that damage.

Pietro is one mess of a kind man. Someone the reader relates and roots for , no matter what else is happening. He’s one well crafted character.

Thierry Bourget is his equal. He’s also someone who started off as his enemy. Which makes this enemies to lovers romance even more fascinating. The author takes the path of both men , once they start communicating which is immediately, as people who recognize the toxicity of the person who connected them. It gives the author and the men moments to reflect on what elements made those relationships toxic, and the positive ways they’ve both changed. Just terrific.

The story and the romance, the men, all come across as adult. Each also has to deal with the ongoing issues that stem from Thierry’s physical semi paralysis.

That’s a lot to unpack in one story but it’s done so beautifully here . From exactly how Thierry’s recovery is going, through rehabilitation, and every bit of painful injury both men undergo, it’s believable, well written, and emotional.

Herve’ was the only aspect that felt a tad unresolved. He was too much a tenacious creature to just disappear. I wonder if he’s going to make a reappearance somewhere in another book.

I absolutely enjoyed Switch-Hitter and look forward to more in this series.

If you love contemporary romances and sport’s love stories, put this on your must have list!

I’m highly recommending it.

Hit and Run series:

Switch-Hitter #1

Line Drive #2 – out July 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showSwitch-Hitter (Hit and Run, #1) by E.M. Lindsey | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Get a personal chef, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

And then Thierry shows up and Pietro realizes his mistake. Because he knows Thierry. A little too well.

Thierry is the man who told his ex to leave him.
Thierry is the man who punched Pietro and ran.
Thierry… is his ex-boyfriend’s best friend.

But Pietro also knows the man needs a job. An injury destroyed his former career and Pietro is nothing if not a bleeding heart. Besides, he doesn’t have time to search for a new chef, not with the World Series looming and his team ready to go all the way.

Life gets more complicated, though, when he and Thierry cross a line one night after a lot of wine and several bad jokes. And while hooking up is one thing, Pietro knows the last thing in the world he needs is for his heart to get involved.

Too bad it tends to make decisions without him.

Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series featuring a lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and hope in his heart, a team ready to win no matter what it takes, a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death, and a few bottles of dry red wine leading to the sweetest happily ever after. Each book in the Hit and Run Series stands alone, contains no cheating, and has a happily ever after.

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