Review: The Real Baxter (The Baxter Chronicles #1) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4 🌈

The Real Baxter starts off so awesomely. We dive into the universe and get an immediate understanding of both men, their personalities, and backgrounds.

Sebastian Rourke, wealthy, gorgeous. A true silver fox who’s a producer and much sought after executive . Also a single gay father, and damaged adult who’s mourning the loss of his ex who is about to be remarried.

Trent Mackay. Actor, fake bodyguard, and now fake boyfriend maybe. With more then a few walls of his own he’s erected for his own protection.

Lane created some fascinating characters, gave them both realistic and painful back histories. Surrounded both by layered personalities and utterly charming people I loved, from Seb’s mini me older son Charlie to his adorable younger one, Oliver. Let’s not forget Macy as well.

Each man has had some emotional mountains of trauma to surmount. One is still trying. All rings so true and painful. All while navigating LA celebrity scene and slowly connecting.

So I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t enjoying what was clearly a great story. Then around the 2/3 mark it hit me! There’s never been any point where the men have really been at ease , where there’s no anxiety , no tension, or possible emotional explosions waiting to happen in the next 60 seconds. It’s that way for them. It’s that way for the reader. We never relax or take a breath.

And that makes for an equally anxious, hard, stressful read.

A story, imo, needs to behave a bit like a stream or rivers. With eddies , flows, and different ranges in its movement. At times peaceful, so you can have time to appreciate the scenery and at other places, high swells, fast currents, to make your heart race and laugh or screaming, and hang on for dear life.

But if all you’re doing is clutching with white knuckles, and trying to win out over a undertow, that stress and anxiety wears you down.

The characters are amazingly well crafted. Believable with real depth. Seb, especially with his pain over the loss of his ex to his marriage and the memories of his past faults. Extremely well done. It’s so haunting that it tears at you.

His relationship with his children? Also realistically portrayed. Charlie and Oliver are both charming and perfectly realistic.

Trent too , from the moment we meet him is someone we get. From his background and family to the existence he’s scrabbling away at in LA.

But my issue is when they’re supposed to be having a semblance of normalcy, happy times. It’s a as “related by” situation. Trent tells us about them. The reader never gets that part of their relationship that developing., until we’re almost finished. We only get the fake news bits, the stress, the anxiety.

The reader needs to be “in” on what makes them work for everything else to make emotional sense.

Plus there’s this.

“He made me feel…important. Necessary. Not just for sex, although sex was amazing and got better every day.”

Made. Not makes. Past tense.

That was Trent speaking. See what I mean about tension? As a reader I’m not thinking happy thoughts about their future here…

Took me a while to realize everything was past tense. I loved, I had, he made… and the story is about 3/4 over. Shouldn’t I be feeling a bit more hopeful about them by now?

There’s so many different interesting interconnected relationships here. Grey, Seb’s ex, and his love, rocker Justin. * Charlie, Seb’s oldest son, (who also was devastated when his father’s broke up) and his husband , Ky Baldwin, bassist in the same band as Justin.*. Oliver, the youngest son, his mother and with her newest boyfriend. Everyone is interwoven into a extensive family unit of multiple households and at times, strained relations. It seems very realistic.

Lane’s story comes across, for me, at its best when Trent and Seb are dealing with Olivier. Navigating a child’s feelings about a new person entering their very complicated and crowded life, with all the ramifications, is a delicate matter. Something that’s not done with Charles, who I thought maybe needed it more, even as grown up as he was.

The pain Charlie felt was telegraphed perfectly along with his divided emotions. But as beautifully as Lane deals with Olivier, I thought that Charlie was overlooked in all the drama and it’s resolution towards the end. Except at the Epilogue.

The Real Baxter (The Baxter Chronicles #1) by Lane Hayes is a exceedingly well written story but the anxious flow of the romance, getting to have some happiness not until later, and ,for me ,leaving much of the fundamental work on relationship foundation to Trent , Oliver, and ,only lastly Seb, made this a wonderful but less fun read.

I think a lot of people will bring many different emotions to this story. It will be interesting to read all the reviews.

Gorgeous cover!

I’m recommending it. And wonder how the series is going to continue going forward. With another person or the same couple. Stay tuned.

*Both Grey and Charlie’s romances can be found in Hayes’ Starting From series. Starting From Zero is Grey and Justin’s. Starting from Scratch is Charlie’s.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Real Baxter (The Baxter Chronicles, #1) by Lane Hayes – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The silver-fox and the faux bodyguard…

Sebastian Rourke

Who’s the true hero behind the Hollywood heartthrob, crime-fighting, adventure-seeking international man of mystery? Me. I’m the real Baxter.

Well, I wear the suit and let the action play out onscreen. You want to know the secret of my success? Sell the story you want to tell. Even if you have to bend the truth a little.

Okay…a lot.

Trust me, no one will notice. Except Trent, who seems to notice everything. And for some reason, I like that. I like him. I’m just not sure what to do about it.

Trent

Look, I’m not exactly killing it. I’m a typical struggling actor-slash-waiter, hoping for a break. And boom…in walks Sebastian Rourke. He’s a cutthroat, wickedly charming silver fox, a Hollywood legend in the making. No joke. You’ve got to sell a piece of your soul to get in this man’s orbit. Or fake a British accent, then take a job playing bodyguard to fool the press. As one does.

I know I should take advantage of the very strange situation I find myself in, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for it. However, I’m willing to take a chance, ’cause I want the real Seb.

Even though it might cost me everything.

The Real Baxter is a MM age-gap, bisexual romance featuring the man who has everything and the actor who’s willing to show him what’s real.

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: An Affair for Aumont (The Lords of Bucknall Club, #5) by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry

Rating: 5 🌈

An Affair for Aumont is my absolute favorite of this fantastic series, The Lords of Bucknall Club, by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry. If I didn’t already know there was another book in the series with an expected release date, I would have thought this was an incredible series finale. That’s because all the characters from the previous books appear in their now harmonious couple form to indulge in some hilarious hijinks, be included in the huge investigation (yes, everyone), and end up still wandering or strolling in at the ending.

Even my fabulous, now happily married twits, Rivington and Notley, the incomparables of the Season, bring their sheep, Euphemia, who eats the scenery. Pun intended. Hilarious. I adore those two lovers.

Rock and Henry leave nothing out of this book. Besotted pig farmers (I adored Mr. Foster), button art, a sexy swim in the old pond, but they never once take their attention away from the heart of the story.

That’s the broken Aument, former French spy , and George Darling, the Runner, who’s reluctantly fallen in love with him. Aument is a tremendous character, and one we’ve slowly had knowledge of through other stories.

It was Soulden’s brother, Luke, who Aument loved and refused to marry, preferring to return to France to fight, a act that has disastrous consequences for Luke and his family. Aument has never forgiven himself and neither has Soulden who once regarded him as a brother.

This story is about Aument’s redemption and forgiveness as much as it is about the mystery of who’s stalking the very beautiful and kind Teddy Honeyfield. That’s a task that Lord Christmas Gale has asked them to take on at the beginning of the book. Insure Teddy’s safety and find out who’s threatening him.

A not so easy investigation! It takes everyone we’ve come to know to get the culprits and Teddy safe. As well as tie up one more pesky loose end.

While there’s humor and charm a plenty to be had amongst the scintillating dialogue and extremely well written storylines, Rock and Henry include gritty elements such as Aument’s withdrawal from alcoholism as well as his own self inflicted guilt over Luke’s choices.

The authors manage to weave a rawness into a Regency romance and relationship that’s also full of humor, intellectual philosophy, and love . It’s absolutely magnificent.

There’s another to be released in July , about a character that always floated about the very edges of this group. That’s Stratford, he of the horses that’s always about to be bought or talked about.

Honestly, the bar set by An Affair for Aumont is so very high I can’t see how that’s going to top it. But I’m certainly going to see how Stratford plays into this amazing group and uniquely talented characters.

I’m highly recommending An Affair for Aumont and this series but read them in order for the sheer joy of the couples relationships and series development.

Series – ThLords of Bucknall Club

✓ A Husband for Hartwell #1

✓ A Case for Christmas #2

✓ A Rival for Rivingdon #3

✓ A Sanctuary for Soulden #4.

✓ A Affair for Aument #5

◦ A Scandal for Stratford #6 – July 5, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showAn Affair for Aumont by J.A. Rock – Goodreads

Synopsis:

All he wants is the love he lost.

Four years ago, Louis-Charles Aumont, the Marquis de Montespan, chose duty over the man he loved. And then the man he loved chose death in service to England. Now, after finally cutting ties with his king, Aumont is living in a slum in Seven Dials–and intending to die there too. But when Bow Street Runner George Darling shows up at his door with a strange proposition, Aumont is intrigued by the prospect of something–anything–that might make him feel alive again. Or at least provide the funds he needs to drink himself to death.

All he wants is the love he couldn’t have.

George Darling joined the Bow Street officers out of a belief in order. He accepts no bribes, indulges in no vices, and tries very hard not to dream above his station. If only Lord Christmas Gale hadn’t put that last one to such a test. Now that turning his thoughts from Lord Christmas only lands them instead on the handsome Frenchman with whom he recently crossed paths, Darling is more determined than ever to keep his head down and focus on his duty–until a knock on his door sends his life into disarray.

Teddy Honeyfield, a former companion of Lord Christmas’s, is in need of a temporary bodyguard. Darling would never pass as the sort of gentleman Teddy requires…but he knows someone who might.

Neither wants to take a chance on a love that can never be.

When Aumont and Darling join forces to help Teddy, they’re not expecting to risk their hearts as well as their lives. Darling’s striking looks remind Aumont quite painfully of the man he’s lost, and Aumont’s title reminds Darling he has no right to desire a nobleman. But the rising threat soon drives them to flee with Teddy to the country–a journey that puts them face-to-face with their pasts while showing them a chance for happiness is within reach, if only they’re courageous enough to grab it.

An Affair for Aumont is the fifth book in The Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club books can be read as standalones but are best enjoyed in order.

Review: Sailor Proof (Shore Leave #1) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4 🌈

Sailor Proof , the first book in Annabeth Albert’s series about a submariners group of men, is a wonderful contemporary romance. Low on the angst, it’s sweet, fake boyfriend trope that quickly turns real over the course of a massive group family annual camp outing.

It all starts with dumped Naval Chief Derrick Fox who’s ex is now paired up with another mate on board his submarine. That person has been making a point of rubbing that new relationship in Derrick’s face as well as the fact they got the all important “first kiss” off the ship.

To stop the hazing and remarks, and make the ex a little jealous, Derrick’s best friend hatches a plan for Derrick’s own kiss. With his little brother, now grown into a hot 25 year old musician.

Arthur Euler remembers the man he crushed so hard on growing up . And decides to take on his brother’s mission of the fake boyfriend meeting at the dock and whipping up their own great kiss!

What follows is a memorable, lively scene full of chemistry, unpredictable moments, and a romantic situation that both men sort of fall into, after one of the best kisses of their lives.

Albert’s characters are believable and layered. Both Derrick’s past lonely history and Arthur’s perhaps too full one mesh beautifully. And where it doesn’t? Communication, from different sources, and reflection helps move the men through the obstacles they’ve raised to the point they can see a life and HEA together.

There’s many wonderful elements in Sailor Proof. The camp and the show the two men put on with the kids. That’s amazing.

The only aspect that’s a bit missing is the lack of connection with the brother that initially started the process. It’s a bit broken, and it never feels fixed here. Perhaps that happens in the next story.

Sailor Proof (Shore Leave #1) by Annabeth Albert is a terrific contemporary romance and one I’m highly recommending.

Enjoy!

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

https://www.goodreads.com › showSailor Proof (Shore Leave #1) by Annabeth Albert – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The sexy Navy chief and his best friend’s adorkable little brother…

It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon and Derrick knows all too well there won’t be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome.

Enter one ill-advised plan…

Arthur Euler is the guy you go to in a pinch—he’s excellent at out-of-the-box solutions. It’s what the genius music-slash-computer nerd is known for. So when he finds out Derrick needs a favor, he’s happy to help. He can muster the sort of welcome a Naval Chief deserves, no problem at all.

Except it is a problem. A very big problem.

When Arthur’s homecoming welcome is a little too convincing, when a video of their gangplank smooch goes enormously viral, they’re caught between a dock and a hard place. Neither of them ever expected a temporary fake relationship to look—or feel—so real. And Arthur certainly never considered he’d be fighting for a very much not-fake forever with a military man.

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

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.

Review: Camouflaged (A Bureau Story) by Kim Fielding

Rating: 5 🌈

It’s been a while since I’ve delved into Kim Fielding’s Bureau universe but this book stands on its own feet and what superlative feet they are.

Considering it’s a Bureau tale, it’s remarkably straightforward. Agent Ralph Crespo, ailing dragon, has been given the assignment to deliver a sealed letter to Anton Steinmann.

That meeting has unexpected ramifications for both Ralph and Anton, including an immediate emotional connection and physical attraction.

In the fantastic, Kim Fielding manner, Camouflaged many storylines and romance slowly comes together, as aspects of Ralph’s and Anton’s species mutual histories are revealed as well as a murder plot against Anton’s clan.

This story is one of those that’s feels effortless because it’s that well crafted. You can easily miss some special small elements tucked here and there because it flows so smoothly. I had to reread it again to pick up a few of the tiniest clues and pieces I’d passed over because I was reading it so quickly. I was just that involved in both the romance and that conspiracy!

Kim Fielding’s a must author. I think I’d read a new urban dictionary if she wrote it. Camouflaged is simply just one more example why Fielding’s an auto buy, auto read for me.

I’m highly recommending Camouflaged, and the Bureau series if you’re not familiar with it.

Enjoy! And happy reading!

The Bureau:

Corruption #1

White Clay #2

Creature #3

Chained#4

Convicted #5

Conned #6

Caroled #7

Camouflaged #8

https://www.goodreads.com › showCamouflaged (Bureau #8) by Kim Fielding – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Life isn’t always easy for a Bureau agent who’s also a dragon.

Ever since Ralph Crespo was trapped in human form, he’s been going through the motions at a job he once loved. Maybe that’s why the Bureau chief seems to have demoted him to messenger. But this time a letter delivery allows Ralph to meet Anton Steinmann, and Ralph’s life takes a turn toward the unexpected.

Anton loves his remote home with its extensive caves. He’s less fond of his leadership position, however, and definitely doesn’t want the offer Agent Crespo hands him. Then Anton is kidnapped and tortured. Someone wants him dead and he doesn’t know why.

How can anyone be true to himself in a world where he doesn’t really belong? Perhaps Ralph and Anton can find the answer together—if they survive long enough.

Review: Trials By Fire (Shadows of London #3) by Ariana Nash

Rating: 5 🌈

It’s been almost a year since I finished Tide of Tricks (Shadows of London #2), which left Nash’s incredible characters and tightly woven storylines in a bit of a cliffhanger. Ok a major one.

So the minute I saw this was released, I grabbed it up and started reading, diving back into Nash’s wildly addictive urban fantasy world of people with latent talents, governments who both fear them and want them, as well as those who strive to possess power and knowledge for goals unknown. The layers for the storylines and the characters the author’s has crafted feel both familiar and absolutely imaginative, the magical and ghastly soaring to creative levels that engage both our hearts, and our minds.

In Trials By Fire we get to see characters we’ve grown to love expand personally in their ability to love, become more vulnerable and make commitments yet also place themselves at greater risk. It’s Alexander Kempthorne’s time to reveal more of himself, his past history, as well as his ability to love. If I didn’t already feel deeply connected to Alex, this book will let Alex ‘s powerful personality open up , become even more layered and fascinating then before.

John “Dom” Domenici is in enormous danger when the story opens. He’s been the heart and key to Alex and the series, or so I thought. This book really has me rethinking several of the theories I had drafted in my own mind about where Nash was taking this and the couple. Dom is such a extraordinary character. He’s complex, immensely “talented latent”. His past history with his criminal king father and military training just further the complexity to his personality. And with all that, he still manages to have a huge forgiving heart.

The other characters are extremely well written and actions that occur are complicated, fast paced, and highly suspenseful. You’ll be tightly gripping whatever device you’re reading on much of the time, trust me!

We end , yet again, on a smaller cliffhanger. But the overall storyline has been satisfactorily resolved. But not without some truly pain filled, traumatic moments, and times of heartbreaking loss.

Shadows of London is a outstanding urban fantasy series and Trials By Fire is a magnificent installment!

I’m ready for Truth or Dare, the forth book on the series. It’s coming soon!

Until then, if you’re not familiar with this series, start at the beginning. They should be read in the order they are written so you can understand the relationships and the situational development.

I’m highly recommending them all.

Shadows of London Series reading order:

Twisted Pretty Things #1
Tide of Tricks #2
Trial by Fire #3
Truth or Dare #4 – coming April 22,2022
Without a Trace #5

https://www.goodreads.com › showTrial by Fire (Shadows of London, #3) by Ariana Nash – Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s not just Alexander Kempthorne’s secrets bubbling to the surface of London’s streets…

Time is running out for John “Dom” Domenici.

Outmanoeuvred at every turn by the figure known as “M”, only Kempthorne can free Dom, but juggling the horrors of his own past, containing a rising preternatural threat and the twisted machinations of “M” might just be too much, even for Kempthorne. Can Kage Mitchell be trusted to help?

Alexander Kempthorne lost an agent before. He’ll not lose another. He’ll do anything to save Dom, and if that means revealing who and what he truly is, then his time has come.

***

Trial by Fire is the mid-series finale, in this action-packed all-new Shadows of London urban fantasy series. Action, mystery, and gay romance combine in this fast-paced adventure from the author who brought you the award-winning Prince’s Assassin series.

Content warning: mention of past mental and physical abuse.

Please note the Shadows of London series is set in London and the characters are all British (so is the author). Although the series has been edited in US English for the US market, to include US spelling and grammar, many English slang words and spelling remain as part of the character of the work.

Review: Listen (Single Dads #5) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 5 🌈

R.J. Scott has written an beautiful, emotionally moving story, one that happens to include a romance, with her latest installment in the Single Dads series .

Listen revolves around the potential adoption of a 3 yr deaf child by investigative journalist Nick Horner. Nick, a widower and single parent to three children, is someone we meet earlier when he’s still deeply grieving the loss of his husband to cancer, and depression has his spiraling.

At that time he meets Elliot Curtis, teacher at St. Joseph’s. Nick’s actions at the time and their interactions have repercussions later on. Nick’s background , his thoughts give us a thorough perspective of the man himself. Especially when we see him together with his children. We grieve with him and connect with him.

Elliot is an amazing character. Scott has poured a huge amount of research of Deaf culture into Elliot and his family. It shows as Elliot comes across so realistically as a CODA or child of deaf adults. Many aspects of the ramifications of this are reflected in Elliott’s memories as a child, as ASL as his first language, to his feelings as being the only hearing person in his family.

This is such a remarkable element. It’s not just Elliott. It’s also Elliott’s family but most importantly it’s Teegan, the 3 year old. It’s concerning her needs , how and what a deaf child needs, develops, and what decisions she might make for herself in the future. In addition, she’s been in foster care and a victim of FASD. Teegan is a child as winning and real on the page as they come.

And none of it feels like a info dump . Indeed , it’s all folded into a fantastic book of deep love, concern for a child , and the family who wants to adopt her. It’s a joyous romance that will slowly become about two men forming a new family.

I heart this book and it’s wonderful characters so much.

Scott has a outstanding, warm-hearted story of second chances, family and love in Listen. It’s one I’ll be rereading and one I’m highly recommending!

Happy Reading!

Single Dads series:

◦ Single #1

◦ Today#2

◦ Promise #3

◦ Single Dad Christmas

◦ Always #4

◦ Listen #5

◦ Pride#6

https://www.goodreads.com › showListen (Single Dads, #5) by R.J. Scott – Goodreads

Synopsis:

He only wanted to make the best home for his new daughter; he never meant to fall in love with the man who might steal her away.

Nick and his husband had always wanted a big family, but when cancer took Danny six years ago, Nick was left a single dad of three. He never considered his broken heart would heal enough to add to his family, but as soon as he meets Teegan he knows he wants to adopt the little girl. Born profoundly deaf, Teegan has been rejected twice already in the adoption process and hasn’t found her forever home. Nick wants to be her hero—her dad—and create a world that is safe and happy for her. He knows he wants to make her life perfect—he doesn’t know how to go about it or understand the best thing to do for his family, and he needs help. Enter Elliot, and Nick finds himself falling for the frustrating, sexy, inspiring, and caring teacher who can make things right.

Elliot is wary of helping the man who appears more interested in public opinion than the needs of his own family. But, learning that Nick, wealthy and entitled, is now adopting a deaf child, Elliot knows this is a step too far and strides into battle. As the child of deaf adults, Elliot knows he is the best person to advocate for little Teegan and, if needed, he is determined to intervene and halt the adoption. Nothing and no one will get in Elliot’s way when it falls on him to protect Teegan. Not even love.

This single dad story features a widower struggling to make things right, a teacher battling for a child’s wellbeing, an adorable toddler, three loving siblings, and a home with a view of the ocean.

Review: Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) by S.E. Harmon

Rating: 5 🌈

Spooky Business finishes up the amazing paranormal trilogy from S.E. Harmon. The author manages to pull off an absolutely perfect series finale that ties up all of Rain Christiansen and Daniel McKenna’s relationship issues satisfactorily as well as finalizing the cases the Brickell Bay, Florida PI squad (and the FBI) were investigating.

As with everything Rain seems to come into contact with , it’s all connected once more in Spooky Business but the how’s and why’s are so complex and the methodology to getting the answers so labyrinthine that the reader is so deeply involved with the investigations (yes, multiple) that when the true danger to Rain and Danny becomes apparent, it’s not from the person everyone would suspect.

How surprising ! And shockingly perfect! And it makes for a needed character growth that begs for a sequel trilogy. Especially given that ending!

An aspect of these stories is that Harmon never lets us forget the person and lives behind the ghosts Rain encounters. A conversation with a ghostly cantankerous grandmother turns into an unexpectedly poignant and loving moment. And I’m sniffing when I least thought I would.

The investigations are filled with raw emotions, moments of pain, confusion, and death. Ghostly and the very realistic.

Harmon also finds humor and threads it throughout to mitigate the themes of murder and death the plots deal with.

Amazing writing, incredible characters, storylines that are complex and beautiful in their way. This is a series you won’t want to miss. Including this fantastic finale.

Read them in the order they are written for relationship and storylines development.

I’m highly recommending this and the series.

The Spectral Files : 3 of 3:

✓ P.S. I Spook You #1

✓ Principles of Spookology #2

✓ Spooky Business #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showSpooky Business (The Spectral Files, #3) by S.E. Harmon – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Being insatiably curious is a good way to end up dead.

Rain Christiansen, cold case detective and reluctant medium, is very aware of that fact. But when infamous serial killer Thomas Kane wants to meet, there’s no way Rain can say no. He also can’t refuse Kane’s offer—find his missing wife, Delilah, and he’ll reveal the location of his victim’s bodies.

Rain has never turned down a good quid pro quo, and he doesn’t intend to start.

The hunt for Kane’s wife leads to yet another cold case, three copycat murders, and an investigation where nothing is as it seems. Soon, Rain is dealing with a ghost unlike any he’s ever dealt with before…a ghost capable of doing things he shouldn’t be able to do. How can Rain control something he doesn’t even understand? And what will he do when the unknown threatens the safety of the most important person in his life?

Rain is starting to realize that he can only battle the supernatural with the supernatural, and that is spooky business indeed.

Review: Role Model (Game Changers #5) by Rachel Reid

Rating: 5🌈

I was getting ready for the release of The Long Game, the 6th in Rachel Reid’s fabulous hockey romance series, when I figured out I hadn’t read the 5th story yet!

Somehow I’d missed Role Model. Now was the time to fix that oversight! I’m so happy I did because Role Model is such a fantastic story.

It’s a standout in a truly great series of books as Rachel Reid gives a two remarkable men on a slow path to love and happiness. But the journey is about redemption for one, courage to recognize and acknowledge your true self, and the heart and passion another will give to understand and support him.

Troy Barrett is an incredible character. He’s so conflicted, full of pain, and we meet at at perhaps a time when everything he thought he had in his life that was solid and positive has been lost. His closeted boyfriend has dumped him, his best friend has turned out to be a monster who Troy has now reviled in public, and a team who he thought would support him has traded him to the lowest winning team in the league.

We feel everything this man is thinking, he’s numb, and stumbling.

We’re with him, certain he’s going to grow, just not sure how.

Then we meet the utterly engaging, Harris Drover, team media expert, and we see where Troy’s journey will begin. Harris is open, smart, people oriented, and openly gay. He’s also compassionate and sees in Troy an underlying pain that not immediately apparent to others. He also realizes Troy needs a friend. It’s the start of something beautiful.

They build their relationship over a puppy, a family, cider, so many elements… it’s amazing to be a part of this sexy, thoughtful romance. It’s added by a certain Russian player who also helps Troy see that living as a closeted gay man is denying himself a true life.

I have so much praise for Reid’s writing and characters here. They are relatable. The conflicts they face , within and without, are ones so many other members of the LGBTQIA community face , from themselves, their families, and their own societies.

It’s within the sports world or just a person trying to figure out their sexuality. Reid’s emotional turmoil and thoughtful communication has the ring of truthfulness to them.

I believe in Troy and Harris. I was emotionally connected to them throughout their story and I wanted to stay past the ending, a typical feeling for me on a Rachel Reid book , especially this series.

If you haven’t read Role Model yet I’m highly recommending it as well as the entire series. I’ve listed it below. The 6th is almost out.

Until then, check out and see if you’re caught up before The Long Game arrives!

Happy Reading!

Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game

https://www.goodreads.com › showGame Changers #5 – Role Model – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The highly anticipated fifth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series sees a grumpy professional hockey player meet his match in an out-and-proud social media manager…

The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.

Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade—anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well—but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: