Category: M/M Romance

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: A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 2) by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.5🌈

I love it when the author improves upon the original themes and world building they originate in the first novel of the series. In A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 2), Mae continues with the humor of humans and demons finding each other their eternal soulmate, and all that entails.

But here in Mistakenly Summoned Demons, she ups the heart factor, emphasizing the importance of emotional connections and the depth of their relationship to each other and ones family. Whatever that means.

The humor and laughter is still here, but the serious topics and larger issues are always present. Not to pull down or burden the characters or storylines, but to underline their various roles, or themes within the plot.

Gabe is a perfect example. Having his marvelous grandmother summon a lust demon for his birthday, it’s not going according to plan. Gabe’s newest companion is asking Gabe to explore his sexuality, to think about how and why he’s not had a fulfilling sexual relationship or any at all. How this is done, by letting human Gabe and the Infernal King of Hell, Prince of Lust, Asmodeus, get to know each other as friends, gradually becoming more deeply acquainted (yes, it’s not just any ol’ demon).

They do start to work on Gabe’s idea of what he finds sexually attractive (there’s some kink) and it’s very hot! However, it’s also character driven with a sharp focus on plot growth and series world building. Mae throws in some fabulous plot twists and great new character developments . She’s building a group of characters who will eventually find their soulmates too. And by doing that, add to a greater pattern.

I am so enamored of Gabe and As that I’m thrilled to hear from the author they will be popping up again in the other books. They are simply amazing and too good to contain to one story.

So far there’s three ready and more planned. I’m so excited to see what happens next.

Absolutely recommending the series. Read them in the order they are written.

Check out the great covers and dates for book three to drop!

Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures:

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Death, Demons, and Other Afterlife Disasters #1

✓ A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures #2

◦ A Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, Chaos, and Other Absurd Escapades #3-Oct 5,2023

Buy Link

A Beginner’s Guide to Mistakenly Summoned Demons and Other Misadventures (Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures Book 2)

Description:

Gabriel:

Mistakenly summoning a lust demon was not on Gabe’s to-do list, but with a meddling grandmother, he’s gotten used to the unexpected. The real trouble begins when Gabe realizes exactly who he’s summoned. What’s a guy supposed to do when an Infernal King of Hell has decided he’s staying and wants to follow Gabe around like a stray puppy? Add having a job as a teacher, living in a family of meddlers, and dealing with a bureaucratic underworld, and Gabe is about ready to lose his patience. When the Prince of Lust decides he’s going to help Gabe figure out his sexuality, though, things really start to get interesting. Maybe mistakenly summoning a demon wasn’t the worst thing to happen after all.

Asmodeus:

Asmodeus has dealt with humans and their lust since they were first created, and he has never met someone immune to his powers. So when he’s forcibly summoned (which should be impossible), and he realizes he has no power whatsoever over the human (which hasn’t happened before), he’s more than a little intrigued. No way is he going back to hell when he’s found such a mystery. When he realizes that Gabe is confused about his own sexuality, Az happily decides to help him figure it out. Who better than a lust demon for the job, after all? If Az happens to get slightly obsessed with his human in the process, who’s going to tell him he can’t keep the guy? Now Az just needs to convince Gabe that keeping a lust demon around forever is the perfect plan.

Tags: A lust demon meets his match in a human who experiences limited sexual attraction; Grams cannot be trusted when she’s in the kitchen; siblings are annoying; Az doesn’t understand why Gabe thinks a demon shouldn’t pretend to be a high school teacher; sexuality is not always clear cut; Az likes to watch, and maybe Gabe does too; exploring what checks your boxes can be tons of fun with the right person (or demon).

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 : How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: Disaster #1 (Princes of Mayhem) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4.75🌈

This fun little story is the start of a spin-off from Drake’s Lords of Discords vampire series. Luckily, since I’m unfamiliar with that series, Drake has made this , Princes of Mayhem, filled in with all the necessary details that’s it’s basically standalone .

Serialized at four books, you quickly fall into the universe of necromancer Skylar Wallace and his goth next-door neighbor Nolan Banks. It’s Nolan who’s in trouble and Sky, the Necromancer with the positive attitude and yellow sunshine house, who’s happy to step in to save the day.

Drake adds in just the rights amount of humor, horror, quirkiness, and terrific characters that carry the reader right through a plot that’s sort of murky.

What I was surprised at was the twist at the end which came with a cliffhanger. It took the story and this element in an unexpected direction. Really enjoyed this.

A cliffhanger isn’t uncommon in a serialized story. Instead, it’s almost a given.

I’ve listed the four books below. They will be released fairly quickly. I’m absolutely recommending this story! Highly entertaining! Can’t wait for the rest to roll out.

Great cover.

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life:

Disaster #1: Fun With Family

Disaster #2: Pet Problems-July 28

Disaster #3: Date Night -Aug 11

Disaster #4: Who Woke the Dead?-Aug 28

Buy Link:

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life: Disaster #1 (Princes of Mayhem)

Description:

Disaster #1: Fun With Family

Nolan is the hot but grumpy goth boy who lives across the street from perpetually sunny necromancer Sky.

Nolan wants nothing to do with Sky.

That is until his older brother is on the run from a local vampire clan after he failed to deliver on a promise.

Nolan is about to learn that vampires, shifters, witches, and magic are very real. He needs an expert to guide him through this dangerous world.

It’s Sky’s time to shine!

And just maybe he can win the heart of a grumpy introvert. (Assuming he doesn’t scare the man to death first.)

How the Necromancer in the Gold Vest Saved My Life is a serial comprising four novellas that follow the insane adventures of necromancer Skylar Wallace and his next-door neighbor Nolan Banks. This book contains vampires, werewolves, witches, underworld minions, danger, surprises, sassy corpses, and some pretty amazing sandwiches.

Review: Crow’s Fate: Carnival of Mysteries by Kim Fielding

Rating: 4.5🌈

The one of the best gifts I can receive when it comes to my books is a multi-author series, especially when the center focal point or theme is so fascinating. It allows a reader multiple opportunities to view the same elements in a variety of wildly varied ways, including perspectives from characters and storylines vastly different from each other.

Kim Fielding kicks off this series from Tin Box Press with her story, Crow’s Fate. It has many of the best of the Fielding narrative touch that I expect from her tales. Some spare narrative that weaves together elements of mythology, sparsely told but heart wrenching plot lines , compelling characters and an ending that intrigues the mind but still leaves the reader satisfied.

And Fielding includes two of my favorite images from various mythologies, crows and ravens and combines it with the series theme of a Carnival of Mysteries where Midwest farmer to be Crow Rapp first meets English Simeon Bell who works within the traveling Carnival.

The imagery immediately turns from a normal scene of a foursome out for some fun to Crow discovering his world shattering.

We follow a complex duo making hard decisions about their lives, their future fate, including discussing the if humanity has freedom to choose between their own path or does fate choose for them.

There’s so much to this story and these characters that it can’t possibly fit all the exposition I felt it needed to convey all the foundation details of the big picture Fielding’s drawing here. It’s on a huge scale and, honestly, they’re not the room to fill in all the historical gaps or context we need.

However, since what we do get is so dramatically charged up and so emotionally wonderful, I admit to overlooking it at the end. It wasn’t until I finished the story and was thinking back that I realized that certain portions of her explanation for Crow was never delivered here.

It certainly deserves a sequel. For them as us. They are wonderful and the elements are fascinating and could use some additional foundation.

Crow’s Fate: Carnival of Mysteries by Kim Fielding is a grand way to start the series and I definitely recommend it.

Carnival of Mysteries series:

✓ Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding

◦ Step Right Up by L.A. Witt – July 19

◦ Magic Burning by Kaje Harper July 26

◦ Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr – Aug 2,

◦ Assassin by Accident by E.J.Russell-Aug16

◦ Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis – Sept 13

◦ Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella – October 25

Buy Link

Crow’s Fate: Carnival of Mysteries

Description:

You can’t fly away from destiny.

Crow Rapp assumes he’ll spend his life growing corn in rural Illinois, like the grandparents who raised him. But during a visit to a traveling carnival, he encounters a handsome stranger named Simeon Bell—and receives a prophecy of a horrifying future. When that future materializes soon afterward, Crow flees… only to find that no matter how far he goes, fate pursues him.

Simeon reenters his life a decade later and causes Crow to consider whether actively fighting his fate might be better than constant attempts at escape. In a world tinged by magic, where myths are as real as the sky above them, the men try to determine Crow’s true identity. Along the way, they test the powers of friendship and love and explore the boundaries of free will—ultimately discovering whether the force of destiny can be overcome.

Crow’s Fate is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains an Illinois farmboy, a roustabout from London, and realizations about the power of love.

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

Authors:

Kim Fielding * L. A. Witt * Kaje Harper Megan Derr * Ander C. Lark * E. J. Russell Morgan Brice * Sarah Ellis * Kayleigh Sky”

Nicole Dennis * Elizabeth Silver * Ro Merrill T. A. Moore * Z. A. Maxfield * Ki Brightly Rachel Langella”

Review: A World Away (Learning to Breathe #1) by Carole Cummings and Andy Gallo

Rating: 4.5🌈

I was immediately intrigued to hear about a new series being launched by two authors I respected. That’s the marvelous Carole Cummings and Andy Gallo and their Learning to Breathe series.

The series revolves around two young men, who’ve grown up together, in a world at war. I wish the authors would establish more of the current universe structure the characters inhabit but a huge part of the story and future books is parallel worlds, so I’m imagine comparisons will be added continuously, filling in more of this world’s foundational knowledge.

What we do know it’s a total East/West global war and it’s got the potential to annihilate everyone. The West is searching for a new way to get the upper hand in the fight, magical users are the key to the success and there’s a national conscript that tests all the children for their magical potential, read war usage.

Into all this , Cummings and Gallo have created two families and two sons who share several shattering events and one horrific experience.

Nathan Duffy and Cam Almenara have been together since the arcane magic camp Nathan attended , run by Cam’s father, a military man teaching and testing children for their arcane skills. It was a drunk driving accident that cemented their relationship and lives in a certain dynamic until another momentous magical event shatters status quo to change their lives and those around them.

It’s hard to discuss all the details and complex story threads here that Cummings and Gallo weave into their book and relationship. Military secrets, war machine intelligence, science fiction elements, parallel worlds, personal choices, guilt and love. It’s looked at on multiple levels, through varying perspectives. That of father to son, friends to friends, potential lovers to those that are already loved.

It’s done through some great writing, suspense filled scenes, scary scenarios, and some heart wrenching moments. Both Cam and Nathan are especially well defined, and show depth and emotional growth as the story develops. There’s so much past emotion and heartache, along with guilt and unacknowledged love between the two of them that they need to deal with.

While I felt the story had a slow start, it steadily gets stronger, more intense and action oriented as the narrative evolves. By the time we reach the climactic stage point, it’s full blown chaos, and craziness!

I love it.

Now that one element is settled, the authors set the couple and stage for the next adventure in the book to be released. I’m eager to read it.

I’m highly recommending this story. It’s beautifully written, great characters, and a complicated plot will keep you invested from start to finish.

Learning to Breathe:

✓ A World Away #1

◦ A World Apart #2 – Oct 10,2023

Buy Link:

A World Away: An MM Urban Fantasy Romance (Learning to Breathe Book 1)

Description:

Nathan Duffy knows how to keep things locked down so tight even he doesn’t know they’re there. Like his childhood trauma over the near-catastrophe he almost caused when his power manifested. His adolescent resentment over the near fatal injury he still hasn’t really accepted. His futile not-so-platonic love for his best friend Cam. And that one pivotal moment when the love and the power had merged to save Cam from the accident that left Nathan unable to walk. Nathan figures losing the use of his legs was a fair exchange for Cam’s life. He just can’t ever let Cam know why.

For Cam Almenara, life has been an ongoing cycle of questioning reality. What if his mother hadn’t died when he was ten? What if that drunk driver hadn’t almost killed him and Nathan? What if Nathan’s powers hadn’t protected Cam at the cost of Nathan’s ability to walk? What if Nathan had never convinced himself that Cam’s feelings for him are nothing more than attachment and survivor’s guilt? And what if Cam can never convince Nathan otherwise?

When Nathan is suddenly stricken by seizure like nightmares, his power slips its leash—again. Fearful his rogue abilities will hurt—or worse, kill—Cam, Nathan comes to the conclusion that it’s him or Cam. Nathan knows who he’ll choose.

Trouble is, so does Cam. And he’s just as willing as Nathan is to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the best friend he loves… and prove they belong together.

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.

Review: Haven (Operation Justice Force Book 6) by Reese Knightley

Rating: 3🌈

If you’re reading these books, it’s not only because you’re a fan of Reese Knightley but because you’re also a fan of this series as well as the other overlapping series that connect characters and even plot lines.

A reader can’t just narratively waltz into a book and expect to understand the characters, their dynamics, even the organizational structure that’s inherent to the series and the team’s success. You need the whole whopping amount of knowledge about the leadership, the multiple agencies, and the various aspects of each along with its agents to get a grasp on the individual storyline presented by each book as it’s released.

That’s a ton of stuff, I know.

I’m a fan of this series, love the action sequences and the quirky characters but this has several elements that just worked against it for me.

The main characters , Eagle and Link, have a shared history based on chemistry and no communication. It’s even stated in the book, they agreed to not talk about their pasts and their relationship with their fathers/families . That’s fine if you are colleagues, superficial friends, and, or able to successfully emotionally segregate your life.

Knightley’s characters can’t and that inability to communicate detonates their relationship . That the stage the reader is dropped off at when the book starts.

I’m not a fan of characters that don’t communicate.

Here that lack of communication is elevated to the height it has either man going off , doing his own thing during a mission with a criminals murdering people, bombing establishments, with a highly visible threat to two states. Why? Because one has an anger management issue, they won’t talk to each other, and unbelievably, their supervisor still sent them out together without explanation when it had been requested, reasonably , not to.

I get this isn’t an alphabet agency or military organization, but the way both Eagle and Link acted outside of their respective team’s communication channels continually here frustrated me as a reader. Where’s all this so called professionalism? Where’s the major skill sets that got them onto this agency to begin with? Missing.

Lastly, there is the use of a young man as a victim of sexual assault, continued sexual trafficking by a family member. Instead of it being an integral component of the story the entire time, it becomes a last minute element. Why? This character, Tyler, who could be part of the series now, could have been a victim of domestic violence, parental abandonment, any sort of other types of violence. But instead we get the absolute worst. Adolescent rape as that feels less like a necessary thread and more like an add on for dramatic effects.

Taken together with the fact of two characters who don’t communicate with each other or their team, and I found a story that lost much of the charm this series has held for me in the previous books.

Read it for the series and author. Or because those types of main characters don’t bother you.

It does me, unfortunately. Not a recommendation.

Buy Link:

Haven (Operation Justice Force Book 6)

Description:

For years Link and Eagle have danced around their attraction for each other, and neither one is willing to cross the line from friendship to lovers.

Link doesn’t want to lose what they have.

Eagle lets things go, following Link’s lead.

But ignoring their attraction isn’t working anymore, and one more spark ignites their mounting passion. Can they truly make the leap from best friends to lovers? They were brothers-in-arms through the military and are now co-workers—can becoming involved beyond that even work? Not to mention they are complete opposites… One man is laid back and easygoing and the other—not so much.

When one explosive encounter leaves Link pissed off and Eagle contrite, they’ll have to do some hard work to repair their rocky bond.

Mix in a bomb, drug dealers, gangs, and illegal drugs with kids involved and Link and Eagle will have a lot to focus on as they try to fix things between them and tackle their building desire.

Come along for the action-packed ride in typical Reese Knightley style as Link and Eagle kick ass on bad guys, save the day, and attempt to navigate love.

Review: Taken Under Fire (Paranormal Investigative Service Book 3) by Cassidy K. O’Connor and Sheri Lyn

Rating: 4🌈

It’s been 6 months since I read Stitched Under Fire, the 2nd book in this series, so it took me awhile to remember what had happened to the characters and were we were in the various investigations.

Turns out Taken Under Fire it’s a very politically and racially charged atmosphere where xenophobia is ramping up, fueled by the revelations that the paranormal body parts could heal humans. Black market for paranormal body parts is off the charts.

Agents Maddox and Tristan have settled into a happy relationship, both personally and professionally. Tristan is still exploring his new, rare shifter identity as a Phoenix paranormal because no one is exactly sure what that means, and the P.I.S. (Paranormal Investigations Service) and the Police Department are coming together to try and figure out why their missing persons cases are overlapping.

The authors have so many storylines threading through their series and the above details don’t even include the personal aspects of Maddox’s and Tristan’s lives. Those are woven into the story too and will, obviously, have enormous impact on the main plot and main characters as the investigations and revelations continue.

And yes, there’s some whoppers as far as both shocking revelations and heart wrenching drama collide here at the end.

I love the universe that O’Connor and Lyn have created here that feels so very current and still so unearthly at the same time. Racism, or any ism appears , historically to have no ending time frame. That Xenophobia might be universal is an idea the authors are working with effectively, but also building in a horrific mystery/conspiracy that will continue forward into the next book.

It’s laid alongside the romance relationship of Tristan and Maddox, which takes a traumatic hit.

My issues with the story are that it’s so packed with drama and plot lines that the ending just stops. It doesn’t try to tie up anything but sets a path for the characters to move to the next stage in the investigations. Investigations that are getting murkier, higher up, and with greater danger for everyone involved.

So if that’s the sort of finish that leaves a reader a little frustrated, especially with no new book in sight, then perhaps you might want to consider waiting until the series is complete and binge reading it at that time.

This is a jam packed terrific paranormal thriller but it’s hard to consider it totally satisfying because of the ending. Love the characters, the shocking twists and emotional scenes. But it wasn’t enough. Close but no.

So I’ll wait for the next one to be released. And ponder my own reading decisions.

I love the series and will recommend it. You decide how to read it.

Paranormal Investigative Service:

✓ Faeted Under Fire #1

✓ Stitched Under Fire #2

✓ Taken Under Fire #3

Buy Link:

Taken Under Fire (Paranormal Investigative Service Book 3)

In a city divided, Agents Maddox and Tristan must protect the paranormal, unearth the truth, and prevent darkness from claiming all.

In the aftermath of the devastating destruction that befell the city six months ago, an ominous shroud now looms over them. Paranormals are vanishing at an alarming rate. As fear and suspicion cloud the minds of the city’s inhabitants, calls for drastic measures grow louder, igniting tensions between supernatural beings and humanity.

Maddox and Tristan receive a mysterious visitor who unveils a hidden truth: the supernatural realm they were told had been obliterated is not only intact but still has people living there. As the agents delve deeper into the enigma, they find themselves being threatened by an unknown opponent.

With the city teetering on the brink of an all-out war, the agents must act swiftly. They form an unprecedented alliance, uniting humans and paranormals in a new task force, breaking barriers that were once thought insurmountable.

Can they untangle the web of deception and find the missing paranormals before it’s too late? Only time will tell if their

courage and resilience will be enough to save the city and prevent a catastrophe that could alter the fate of both realms forever.

Books in the series:

Faeted Under Fire

Stitched Under Fire

Taken Under Fire