Category: M/M Romance

Review: Stroker (Big Bull Mechanics #2) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 5🌈

Stroker, second novel in the Big Bull Mechanics series, is such a strong, emotional story. Not just a romance but the journey of two men back together, their individual struggles with their past history (together and their own), and their current shaky status to discover if they can learn to grow and trust enough to have a relationship.

Honestly, the bar has been set high by this story for any that follows it.

Gates, Steele’s 40 ish younger brother, who’s always been a family disaster and vagabond, is someone we met in Crankshaft. Gates was undergoing a personal physical crisis that made him return to his hometown after a significant amount of time traveling around the country.

The mystery and pain hinted at there between Gates and Tallahassee is delved into fully here, along with Gates dealing with the ramifications of his surgery for testicular cancer.

Somehow , the Big Bull Garage works so well as a grounding point for the men of the series and the story. Like a family’s kitchen table, the garage acts like a center where everyone comes together to work, chat, reflect, act as a Greek chorus on each other’s lives. It feels believable and , ‘wipe the grease from your hands’ sort of real.

Tallahassee has been working with Steele, his best friend, hiding the pain that still feels so raw whenever he sees Gates, the man he used to call a friend, the one everyone calls a screwup, the man he married and who left him eight years ago.

Tallahassee is a great character. With a pet parrot with a smutty mouth, Tallahassee’s anguish over Gate’s return, then his illness, then his close proximity is so raw , and torn. Neuhold makes Tal’s indecisiveness and anger absolutely understandable.

But so does the author make us and Tal eventually understand that Gates has been growing up, especially since his operation. He’s making internal changes. Ones the readers are there with him, as the revelations hit. Sad, painful revelations about himself and his decisions. And how they have effected others and his family.

It’s so moving, and emotionally realistic the way Tallahassee and Gates slowly find their way back into each other’s trust and hearts. They communicate, share their fears, and hopes. It’s fragile. Especially when Gates is confronting his fears about his scars and the ramifications from his surgery.

This is what makes this so wonderful to read.

I felt like I was sharing a special moment with them. And Nigel, the parrot, of course.

Stroker is sexy, sensitive, beautifully written with fantastic, well defined characters. One of my favorites!

I’m highly recommending it.

Big Bull Mechanics:

✓ Crankshaft #1

✓ Stroker #2

Book 2 of 2: Big Bull Mechanics

Synopsis:

Is there an easy way to tell your lifelong best friend that you secretly married his brother eight years ago? Asking for a friend…

When Gates shows up needing a place to crash , I offer him my spare room. Whatever happened between us nearly a decade ago is water under the bridge. I don’t lie awake at night wondering what could have been. Nope, definitely not.

But Gates seems determined to get a rise out of me. He’s tie-dyed all my clothes, removed my bedroom door, and replaced my hand soap with lube. I’m not sure if he’s hoping I’ll kick him out or kill him, but he won’t break me that easily.

When he tells me his Stroker Rod is broken… What kind of mechanic am I if I don’t get hands-on with his problem?

We put our feelings behind us a long time ago, and there’s no way I’ll let Gates break my heart again. No amount of fiddling under the hood will fix everything broken between us. From here on out, it’s purely physical. Right?


Yup, just a couple of guys and their stroker rods.

***Stroker is a best friend’s brother, secretly married, super steamy MM romance.

🔹Connected to The Four Bears Construction Company series.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Balanced and Tied (Marshals #5) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.75 🌈

Balanced and Tied, fifth in the Marshals series, is a terrific story. It combines the wonderful qualities I love about Mary Calmes characters with a slow to realization love story and a mystery for added suspense.

Uniting the unique worlds of law enforcement and ballet, we have two men whose love for each other has been balanced between deepest friendship and that of something more since the day they met.

Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has long since admitted to himself that what he feels for Eli is definitely more than friendship. But Eli is his everything, including family, and he’s hesitant to go for more.

For Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn , Cel is his constant. Without even noticing it, Cel is the one he wants to talk to, listen to, and just have near when things have gone wrong. What Eli hasn’t done, is taken a hard look at what that means in terms of a relationship. He’s never thought of himself as bisexual but he hasn’t ruled it out.

Calmes brings us intimately into this established relationship, giving us small memories of their past moments, so we see how they reached their current stage of a unacknowledged partnership that’s deep and fully realized. It’s so believable. And it includes Eli’s Jewish mother, who immediately adopts Cel as part of the family, taking him to synagogue, enveloping him with maternal love and grounding him in the religion that’s so much a part of the Kohn family lives. She’s a wonderful heartwarming element here.

Calmes swings easily between narrators, threading through storylines of law enforcement and ballet events as well as characters from both men’s professions. We get to know many secondary characters when a mystery and dramatic events start to happen when a new ballet is to be staged to great misery.

I wish the one villain had been a little better fleshed out but the rest of the characters, story, and romance was so terrific and entertaining that I can move past that.

Cel and Eli are a great example of friends to lovers trope. They make sense in that they had the relationship already but one just hadn’t made the connection mentally when the emotional elements were already in place. Calmes makes us believe in them and their love.

I’m highly recommending Balanced and Tied (Marshals #5) by Mary Calmes. It works as a standalone so it’s not necessary to have read others in this series.

Marshals series:

◦ All Kinds Of Tied Down #1

◦ Fit To Be Tied #2

◦ Tied Up In Knots #3

◦ Twisted and Tied #4

✓ Balanced and Tied #5

https://www.amazon.com › Balance…Balanced and Tied (Marshals Book 5) – Kindle edition – Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Deputy US Marshal Eli Kohn is doing fine. As the Director of Public Affairs for the Northern District, he represents the USMS in Chicago and that suits him. Yes, it’s wearing to always be on, to smile and wave even in the face of adversity, but he’s good at his job, and no one ever sees him sweat. His personal life, though, has been stagnant, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. But that’s fine too. Eli would much rather spend his free time with his best friend Cel. And lately, when they’re not together, he’s been missing him more and more…

Celso Harrington, principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet Company, has been feeling adrift, yearning for someone to be there for him, to ground him. Strange to find that anchor in a man who caught bad guys for a living. Celso is all about art and beauty; Eli is all about safety and public service. They could not be more different, yet from the moment they met, it felt like they’d known each other forever.

They are exactly what the other needs, and Celso would love them to be more than friends, but he can’t jeopardize what they have, and Eli’s too stuck inside his own head. When events threaten to unravel their carefully built haven, they each must take a chance on the other or risk losing everything.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Second and His Bonded (Kincaid Pack #2) by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4🌈

Kiki Clark continues the saga of a blended shifter pack struggling to survive against a unknown powerful enemy continues with The Second and His Bonded.

With each new installment, the author adds a new layer to the ongoing arc mystery, deepening the suspense and danger to the growing Kincaid pack, especially as more seem to be heading towards the pack as sanctuary.

The McAlllistairs were proven to be enemies. How much is revealed here. But Kieran, a son, also pulls back the abusive nature of his father’s rule as Alpha.

The story is as much about Kieran’s dealing with his own personal history as a McAllistair, his feelings of being an outsider in a new pack, and a survivor of abuse.

That along with a Tiger shifter who’s certain Kieran’s his mate but uncertain that tigers are even capable of a mate bond that wolves have.

Lots of complications here to go with the arc storylines and dramatic events to move everything forward.

It’s fast paced, exciting, and the characters easy to connect with. I read right through and was ready for the next book in the series.

The mystery has me hooked!

Definitely a recommendation from me.

Kincaid Pack series to date:

✓ The Alpha and his King #1

✓ The Second and His Bonded #2

◦ The Deputy and His Enforcer #3

◦ The Hunter and His Mates #4

◦ The Enforcer and His Heart #5

◦ The Witch and His Doctor #6

The Second and His Bonded (Kincaid Pack Book 2)

Synopsis:

As the son of an enemy, Kieran never expected to find a family with the Kincaid Pack… or a true mate’s bond.

After barely escaping his abusive family, wolf shifter Kieran McAllister struggles to find his place in the Kincaid Pack. Especially with the pushy but gorgeous second-in-command showing up every time Kieran turns around… and making him want things he shouldn’t.

The traumatized wolf who continuously refuses Bennett Young’s help has begun to haunt his dreams. But if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that tiger shifters don’t have mates. So why can’t Bennett get Kieran’s sad eyes out of his head?

Despite their differences, Kieran and Bennet find something they never expected in each other. Just as their bond begins to grow though, Kieran’s past threatens to destroy the very pack they both have been fighting to protect.

The Second and His Bonded is the second book in the Kincaid Pack series and features an overprotective tiger, a touch-starved wolf, lots of purring, an excessive amount of sunbathing, and a happily ever after.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Blade (Boston Rebels Book 5) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

Blade, the 5th novel in the Boston Rebels series, is absolutely my favorite story to date. Even with the issues I’ve mentioned when reviewing some of the preceding books still present, the storylines, the outstanding characters, and their quietly remarkable romance shine so strongly that everything else is forgotten.

We are given two main characters, with different traumatic events in their background. Both stem from catastrophic events.

For former Boston Rebels hockey player, Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk, it’s a plane accident that has left him a depressed amputee without his team and unable to go forward.

Cooper Harvey, inventor and billionaire, was orphaned at a early age in an volcanic explosion, that came close to taking his and his uncle’s. A brilliant inventor as well as owner of a enormous company which uses his inventions in multiple ways, Cooper is autistic which makes relying on a special circle of people necessary in order to navigate life .

In every way, through dialogue, detailed scenes, the authors knowledge of people who have or are struggling with PTSD, adjusting to life as a amputee, the loss of a lifetime passion and love of hockey, depression, the challenges someone who is autistic faces throughout their lifetime, from bullying in school to prejudice in the board of directors.

It’s such a deeply honest and emotional display of men at their most raw and flayed. Watching Dunny rebuild his life with the help and love of Cooper is so heartwarming, so heartfelt that you want to reread passages as soon as you finish them.

I laughed at Cooper’s jokes, and cried with Dunny at each step forward he made. And together, they were quietly unstoppable.

I wasn’t ready for their story to finish. As I’ve remarked before, this really isn’t about a team as it is the men leaving it. I have zero feelings about the Rebels. But about Dunny and Cooper? They are everything!

I could see a series about a sled team. Now THAT would be something to read about.

I’m highly recommending Blade (Boston Rebels Book 5) by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey. It is easily the finest book in the series or contemporary romance I’ve read lately.

https://www.goodreads.com › showBlade by R.J. Scott – Goodreads

Boston Rebels:

🔹Top Shelf #1

🔹Back Check #2

🔹Snowed #3

🔹Royal Lines #4

🔹Blade #5

Synopsis:

Love doesn’t have a formula. It’s messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control for the autistic billionaire inventor and the hockey player who believes he’s lost everything.

Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk has a passion for life. A robust outdoorsman, lover of life, and one of the Boston Rebels fan favorites, Dunny has always embraced excitement and the drive to try new things. During his inaugural flight behind the controls of a small plane, the fates decide to test his mettle in a way that he had never envisioned. When everything crashes down around him, he’s lost in depression and alone in his cabin, facing an existence that is nothing like the one he previously led. Desperate to find some hope, Dunny reaches out to The Harvey Foundation who might be able to help, and he soon finds himself being lifted out of the pit of darkness he’d fallen into one shy uplifting smile at a time.

Accidental billionaire and inventor Cooper Harvey is only happy in the seclusion of his lab, creating new and wonderful things he is sure will make the world a better place. Being on the spectrum, he knows being autistic means he’s different to others, but it’s in a good way, and it only makes him better at what he does. Other than being blackmailed into spending every fourth Sunday at his PA’s house for dinner, he avoids the chaos of the world, and if that means no social life, then he’s okay with that. In the most splendid isolation money can buy, he escapes the complicated and difficult emotions surrounding attraction, and his single-minded focus means that sex and love have never appeared on his list. When his latest invention reaches the testing stage, he would normally hand it over to his development team, but a chance meeting with the test subject makes him rethink. Something about the hockey player who’d lost it all makes him think life isn’t all about measured chemical reactions, and sometimes it’s just about the craziness of love.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Notorious (Shifter Scoundrels #1) by Macy Blake and Charlie Cochet

Rating: 4.5🌈

Cochet and Blake start a new paranormal series with Notorious, a story that combines shifters, Regency romance, political intrigue, murder, and a series arc mysteries.

That’s a lot to handle but it works somehow. Even with a universe ,who’s foundation that needs more weight in terms of solid information and history , the current Shifter Monarchy is intriguing, with its modern perspective and Regency structure. I really appreciated how the authors adapted certain aspects of this era of this to their story and look forward to seeing more.

The emotional components, especially that which sets off the heartbreaking events to follow the rest of the book and series, is so well written. You don’t even know the characters, yet they and the situation pulls at your heart.

I really enjoyed getting to know both characters and their respective “families “ from each person’s pov. So different, Caspian Drake, Fox shifter, and , Saphir Vepkhia, tiger shifter. Each with their various roles to play in the Royal family’s life before the tragedy, and then afterwards.

Watching them apart and then together is entertaining, romantic, and, highly addictive as they both investigate the events of the past.

Notorious ends with this pair in a very satisfying situation (no spoilers), but the mystery, which is part of the series arc, continues.

I can’t wait for the next story and couple. Until then, I’m definitely recommending Notorious!

Shifter Scoundrels:

✓ Notorious #1

◦ Dangerous #2 – TBD

https://www.amazon.com › Notorio…Notorious (Shifter Scoundrels Book 1) – Kindle edition – Amazon.com

Synopsis:

IF YOU CAN’T BE GOOD, BE NOTORIOUS

Caspian Drake knows what it takes to get ahead in modern-day shifter society. He is an Earl, after all, and known for his wit, style, and ability to charm the pants off of anyone he chooses. Getting his best friend Brandr, the Prince of the Dragons, in and out of trouble is only one of his many talents. When a horrible attack shakes Cas’s world, he’s forced to pair up with Saphir Vepkhia, the esteemed tiger shifter and former Captain of the Royal Guard.

Upon retirement, Saphir is granted the title of Baron Archer and, much to his dismay, becomes part of royal society. Years later, when he’s summoned to the palace, the last thing Saphir expects is for the king to request a favor that ties him to the scoundrel, Caspian Drake. Despite his misgivings, Saphir accepts the assignment, knowing it will give him the access he needs to infiltrate the wealthy and powerful while trying not to get outfoxed by the exasperating Earl.

Forced into a fake relationship by an outdated matchmaking ritual, Cas and Saphir each face the upcoming season with their own agenda. The secrets pile up as the two mates navigate the complexities of a modern world that plays by historic rules. But the closer they get to the truth, the greater the danger–and their attraction to each other–grows.

With their lives on the line and the very foundations of their society at risk, Cas and Saphir must unravel the mystery, even if it means creating a scandal more notorious than their newfound love.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Hot Lips: A MM Romantic Suspense Mystery (The Hot Cannolis) by Tara Lain

Rating: 3.75🌈

Hot Lips is the last of The Hot Cannolis series. It is written by Tara Lain, when the original plan was to continue to coauthor , with Eli Easton, all four books was halted by Lain’s personal health issues that had Easton and Lain dividing up the last two stories.

She mentions all this in the prologue but I bring it up again because unlike the other books, Hot Lips seems the only story removed from the encompassing “embrace” of the Canoli compound and family we’ve come to love. Even Tito, one of its main characters, is an enigma. His personality , with those vague hints of shyness, a lack of history, and a real disconnect to everyone in the Canoli family, wasn’t that interesting.

The reader, through every book, has no idea, who this shadow is.

That’s completely opposite of every other novel where we had a semblance of the person we were to meet going in. Here? Nothing.

Lain assembles Tito’s personality like a puzzle at the same time she’s crafting her storylines, and I’m not sure it works. It’s not a smooth or fluid construction.

Tito ‘s character has endured trauma. Has PTSD, has become housebound. Has another identity. Lain piles onto Tito multiple layers of elements that don’t have “page time” for full treatment. There’s mystery, kidnapping, stalking , and other elements that would act as trigger warnings.

Then there’s Ari Cohen, the undercover Detective. He’s huge, sweet, has a great cat. I mean he’s a good character but his role within the Canoli “universe “ is barely there when Uncle Rick asks him over to talk to Tito. Which is a real stretch here.

I think that’s part of my issue here. All the preceding books felt like a part of a family. They naturally flowed together. They had history, substance , a firm foundation that the storylines and characters stood upon.

This easily could have been a standalone with nothing to do with the Canolis. It felt like the author kept pushing to make connections to the series instead of letting it be what it was, it’s own novel.

So it ends up being something that almost succeeds but doesn’t because it tries so hard. Sweet romance with trigger warnings.

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

✓ Hot Lips #4 by Tara Lain

https://www.amazon.com › Hot-Lips…Hot Lips: A MM Romantic Suspense Mystery (The Hot Cannolis) – Kindle edition

Synopsis:

Sometimes there are too many closets to come out of.

For two years, Tito’s been hiding from his past in the midst of his uncle and aunt’s big, crazy, compound full of relatives in a tiny town in California.
Now his past’s come to get him – and threatens not only Tito’s life, but to reveal the secret that will get Tito kicked out of the family he loves.
Time to fight back!
Ari Cohen, a tough cop on the hate crimes task force, knows about hiding and fighting, since he spends his life undercover searching out bad guys.
Ari’s got a big secret too that perfectly matches Tito’s –both in and out of bed.
But don’t play hearts and flowers yet.
The price they have to pay for the match may send them running back to their closets – if Tito can stay alive long enough to get there.

HOT LIPS is a M/M romantic suspense mystery, packed with sexy secrets, danger, family love, and a crazy, one-eyed cat

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Claiming Rys (Dark Forest Pack #1) by Annabelle Jacobs

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I enjoyed Annabelle Jacobs’ Regency Park Pack series so I jumped onto her latest release and first book in her Dark Forest Pack series.

A strong mixture of magical mysteries, secrets, second chance at love with old lovers reunited, it goes further by bringing in another Realm and the Fae. The Fae, aren’t considered treacherous but a species where extreme care needs to be taken so as to not be indebted to them.

Rys Calder is a wolf shifter, a being with a past he hasn’t shared with those he’s closest too. That past betrayal has haunted him through the years.

Gabriel Mason is Calder’s past , one that’s deep inside the kidnappings and mysteries that are happening around them.

Jacobs storylines creates a suspenseful atmosphere, one wrought with strong character dynamics, chemistry, often a lack of communication, and a string of revelations.

I read it all the way to the end, then wanted more. I’m highly recommending this story and waiting on the ones to come. Happy reading.

Dark Forest Pack to date:

✓ Claiming Rys #1

◦ Redeeming Nick #2 – TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showClaiming Rys (Dark Forest Pack, #1) by Annabelle Jacobs | Goodreads

Synopsis:

All that time apart and yet the pull between them is as strong as ever…

Rys
Ten years ago Gabriel Mason betrayed me in the worst way. He made me question my instincts because I’d trusted him with a bone-deep certainty, and for that I will never forgive him.


Seeing him again after all this time sparks memories I thought I’d buried so far down they’d never surface. He’s as beautiful as I remember, but I’m older and wiser now, and I refuse to make the same mistakes again.

Gabriel
Rys Calder, wolf shifter and the biggest regret of my life. I loved him, and yet I didn’t share with him the one thing that eventually became our undoing. I broke his trust and I’ve carried that guilt for years. I knew seeing him again would hurt, but no matter how many times I’d imagined it, being on the receiving end of his cold stares and indifference hurt more than I’d anticipated.

Thrown together again with a killer on the loose, will the past continue to haunt them, or can they move past it and claim the future that fate always had in store for them?

Claiming Rys is an MM paranormal romance with second chances, fated mates, pining, angry alphas, and feisty ex-hunters.

Review: Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.75 🌈

I knew I was in for a wonderful time when I found myself laughing out at a awkward moment just pages in. Hilarious, believable, and totally entertaining. For the readers and other characters watching.

Tyler Morris has a few issues. He loves being a veterinarian, but he can’t cope with losing patients, the heartbreak and grief. He’s also determined to lose his V card. Past trauma has made him feel like no one wants someone like him.

Daly Evans, new owner of the cafe and bakery, is also hiding major issues. Health issues that have effected his body image.

Taking the cafe over from his grandmother , Daly is struggling.

Tyler is a character we’ve met before, but here in Got Me Going, with his background exposed, and his inability to deal with the worst consequences of being a vet, Tyler comes vividly to life. Just as Daly does, as he fights to keep the shop open and his fears for his future in check.

I love this series and each couple has grabbed at my heart, but Daly and Tyler had me laughing, sniffling, and throughly enjoying their journey to HEA.

Cox has written a remarkable romance, full of heart and joy. I’m highly recommending it and the 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

◦ Got Me Merry #6 – Dec 5, 2022

Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5)

Synopsis:

Can a veterinarian lose his V-card before turning twenty-five? Oh, one hun p he can!

On the surface, I’m super sassy and just a little bit extra. But underneath, I’m hiding a painful secret from my past and one hugely embarrassing problem in my present—I’m still a…I’m still a…Dammit, I can’t even get it out.

Let’s just say it starts with V and ends in irgin.

Daly’s the new barista, and he takes Thirsty Thursdays to a whole new level. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a sexy shaved head, ocean-blue eyes, and an insane smile that lights me up whenever he aims it my way. He’s also kind, friendly, and interesting. In other words, the perfect guy to be my first time.

A night of too much coconut tequila leads to us making a drunken pact. Daly will help me with my V-status issue, but he adds a caveat. We have to get to know each other first. Then, and only then, can the physical stuff happen.

It sounds simple enough. But the more I get to know him, the more I realize what we have is more than just a physical attraction. We share a connection. We like the same things. And stupidly, I’ve gone ahead and caught feelings for the guy.

This was never meant to be anything more than just a physical thing, so why has Daly got me going out of my mind the way he does?

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Alpha and his King (The Kincaid Pack #1) by Kiki Clark

Rating: 4.5

Another new to me author as well as a new series to read! The Alpha and his King , the first in The Kincaid Pack series, is a hurt/comfort paranormal romance that I really connected with .

Clark has a wonderful premise to begin with, as Alpha Rick Kincaid establishing a pack of mixed shifters, taking in those kicked out or rejected by their own rigid, old fashioned packs. It has a Tiger, bird species, and witches, along with wolf shifters.

So we start with a large foundation of found family, and a Alpha who’s carrying the weight of pulling together the new and old members into a integrated pack.

Clark’s descriptions and scenes make everyone easy to “see” and become invested in the more we learn about themselves and how the pack was established after Rick took over.

But the story really flourishes when it comes to the abused King teenagers and toddlers. From the moment they are rescued all throughout the story where each continues to work through the trauma they have lived through and have not had any help in moving past it or dealing with it.

The little ones are adorable, but the deeply painful, almost entrenched damage is realistic and emotionally painful enough to hold both Kai and Samantha , his sister back from integrating into a new better place and pack.

On top of all this is a mystery and danger to the pack, and new members.

I was absolutely hooked from the beginning and read on until the story was finished. The terrific storytelling and characters kept me engaged and glued to the page until the end.

I’ll be binging the rest of the stories, and so I’m onto the next in the series.

Kincaid Pack series to date:

✓ The Alpha and his King #1

◦ The Second and His Bonded #2

◦ The Deputy and His Enforcer #3

◦ The Hunter and His Mates #4

◦ The Enforcer and His Heart #5

◦ The Witch and His Doctor #6

The Second and His Bonded (Kincaid Pack Book 2)

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Alpha and His King (Kincaid Pack #1) by Kiki Clark – Goodreads

Synopsis:

When Kai flies out of a shed, swinging a rake, Rick’s life flips upside down.

As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near.

Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate.

Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together.

The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Replacement Husband (Goddess Blessed #1) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 3 🌈

I was looking forward to The Replacement Husband (Goddess Blessed #1) by Eliot Grayson based on the description and the author. But unfortunately this romance just doesn’t work.

Grayson’s plot has a mythical element (as does the series) where there’s a Goddess based religion, a Goddess who’s a actual influence, and a element where men are characterized as “goddess blessed “ upon birth.

But the foundation, history, or actual facts for any of that is scarce to none. Which is frustrating considering that the main character of Owen Honeywell is a goddess blessed person.

I think it was meant to mean he could be married to a man, but , honestly, the whole thing is never well defined. Owen says at one point he thinks he should act the part of a wife. But however he should act is dropped.

So much of what happens here in terms of plotting or exposition just has so little grounding or narrative legwork done before the scenes occur. Owen agrees to a marriage, we see no courtship. So when the drama arrives, we really are connected to anyone or the situation.

Fighting with the family? Why? Because, due to lack of history , there’s absolutely no reason to believe anyone’s arguments. Why should we care? Plus we don’t know these people.

It continues like that for every aspect of the story except for Arthur’s and Owen’s sex life. We don’t see much of their daily marriage and how they are getting closer. Which I think is a shame. Because what the author does show is sweet and romantic.

A rushed ending, with yet another climactic event just prior, and a few more odd “out of the blue” elements that are needed for the next story, and it was over.

It’s not terrible but it’s just missing so much, like a foundation and details , that would bring this into focus.

There’s two more after this, including one that actually makes the villain of this piece (a vile person) the new main character. Uh no. Skipping that and probably the series.

Anyway here they are for your reference:

Goddess Blessed series:

✓ The Replacement Husband #1

◦ The Reluctant Husband #2

◦ Yuletide Treasure #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showGoddess-Blessed #1 – The Replacement Husband – Goodreads

Owen Honeyfield lives a goddess-blessed life. His picture-perfect courtship and engagement to the man of his dreams is proof of that. But when his betrothal takes a disastrous turn, Owen’s only hope to restore his tarnished reputation comes from a most shocking source—the cold, disturbingly sensual brother of the man who just shattered his heart and abandoned him. Perhaps he’s not as blessed as he’d always thought…

Arthur Drake is accustomed to cleaning up after his impulsive and selfish brother. After all, he’s done it his whole life. The latest debacle, though, is much worse than usual. This time, his brother’s actions have threatened not only their family name, but Arthur’s own happiness. The only honorable choice is to marry Owen. But while he knows he can repair the damage to his beautiful new husband’s reputation, mending his broken heart might prove infinitely more difficult.

It’s not long before the lines between duty and passion blur, and Arthur finds himself in the inconvenient position of falling for his new husband. Will his love be enough to convince Owen to let their marriage of convenience become the happily ever after they both deserve?

This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency with waistcoats, awkward tea-drinking, and pagan goddesses on the loose. It is the first in a series, but it can be read as a standalone.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.