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Review: Invisible Strings by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.5 🌈

At the end of the fabulous Sinister in Savannah trilogy Walker let us know that she planned to write further stories in this universe. Specifically, one’s for some of our favorite secondary characters that deserved a HEA and full out storyline.

Mentioned were Kendall Blakemore, aka Sugar, who was Jonah’s ex and renter. Kendall got his HEA in a marvelous novel, Bad at Love! Now a favorite of mine.

Next on Walker’s list was Jimmy Alsop. We met Jimmy as an aspiring, but insecure journalist just starting at the newspaper where grumpy investigative reporter Felix Franklin (Mr. Perfect #2) lives to write, report and occasionally terrorize those around him. Felix took him on as a intern, then put him into a sort of Felix boot camp to build up his self image and ability to become a better reporter. Yes, we fell into love with the sweet, blushing Jimmy there. And it carries over into his story here.

Invisible Strings is Jimmy’s romance. By now, Jimmy has become a stronger reporter, bit more able to stand up for himself and his ideas then the younger Jimmy we originally were introduced to. Although it still helps to have Felix mentoring him as well as his backup.

Although older here, Jimmy’s innocence and exuberance is so adorable yet never overdone. Walker feeds us the type of adolescence and family history that led into Jimmy becoming the type of sheltered person he is without being someone who’s totally withdrawn and shy.

The stories Jimmy is seeking to do for his newspaper is the perfect format for the author to show the character’s interactions with others. Whether it’s someone who’s personality is fascinating or a person who’s situation seems troubling, it’s Jimmy’s humanity that the author gets to shine out in every occasion.

Nova, the astronomer, who’s mother is part of Jimmy’s series of stories, is equally fascinating. He’s divorced, single dad, with issues he’s dealing with, and a overwhelming attraction to a innocent journalist that is the last thing he expects or thinks he needs.

The invisible strings of the title are those that connect people whether we see them or feel them at first. It’s those strings that just keep pulling people back together, time after time.

Fate, stars… whatever you might call it.

Or a list that someone makes up to get done over a two week time frame.

This is a wonderful love story, made better by those characters that surround the two men and support them with their love. It’s family, or co- workers, and friends. We get to know them all.

My only slight issue is with the drama at the end that’s a “crisis “ element. That felt a tad forced given the two men, how well they communicated, and how easily it was resolved.

Overall, I adore Jimmy and Nova’s romance. Such a winner!

I believe we have another story/ romance to come. A bartender? Following the pattern it should come or be tied to Pretty Poison #3, from the Sinister in Savannah series. Hmm maybe I’ll just have to reread those. Sigh!

I’m highly recommending this, Bad at Love and the original series. The author, obviously, as well. Enjoy!

Note: love that cover and the watercolor lighthouse at the top of every chapter! Beautiful.

Connected Secondary Character Romance Series:

✓ Bad at Love, foundation Ride the Lightning

✓ Invisible Strings, foundation Mr. Perfect

◦ ? To come

Connected series:

Sinister in Savannah series:

✓ Ride the Lightning #1

✓ Mr. Perfect #2

✓ Pretty Poison #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showInvisible Strings by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Magnetic as the Sun

Jimmy Alsop, a vivacious journalist, longs to trade his sheltered life for a summer of adventure but lacks the confidence to launch his stellar plan.

Lonely as the Moon

Nova Skye, an aloof scientist, wants to resuscitate his dead love life but hasn’t found the right man to kickstart his guarded heart. Eclipse of the HeartSparks fly when a chance encounter drops Jimmy and Nova into the same orbit. Though their approach to life and love couldn’t be more different, they’re inexplicably drawn together as if connected by an invisible string.

With nothing to lose but their inhibitions, Jimmy and Nova embark on an epic adventure of discovery. Passions soar with the sultry Savannah temperatures, and soon, their carefree summer becomes something more profound and beautiful than either man bargained for. But are the ties that bind sturdy enough to withstand a lifetime, or will they fray after a season?

Invisible Strings is a standalone novel within the Sinister in Savannah universe. Jimmy was introduced in Mr. Perfect, but it is not necessary to read that book first. Invisible Strings is a contemporary romance, where the other Savannah books are romantic suspense. We have heat, humor, and heart, but there are no homicides in this book, y’all. Invisible Strings contains mature content and is intended for adults eighteen and older.

Review: Love Me Again (Stonewall Investigations:Blue Creek #1) by Max Walker

Rating: 3.75🌈

Love Me Again represents a new author and a new contemporary romance series for me, both I’m always on the lookout for.

It was the description that caught my attention. I love a second chance at love, lovers reunited romance! Plus this had the added attraction of one of the men with retrograde amnesia! So he didn’t even remember the one he loved and hurt!

Oh the anticipation.

Max Walker did a wonderful job creating the small town of Blue Creek, past home to returning detective Austin Romero, back to set up a branch of Stonewall Investigations there. It’s also home to his old secret high school boyfriend, Charlie Marsh. The one that broke Austin’s heart and drove him away to find himself in NYC.

Now Blue Creek is about to become the stage for the homecoming drama when the men meet again after all these years.

Charlie is especially engaging as someone missing a huge chunk of his past. Walker makes us understand how frustrating this condition must be, how angry and hard it would be to continually be reminded that all around you are people who remember events and things about you that you cannot. This trait makes Charlie so vulnerable and easy to connect with.

Austin is someone who’s gone through so much after he left Blue Creek. He grew up and past the adolescence pain and he’s put it behind him. That too rings true.

There’s so much to really love here and invest in. That’s the romance.

There’s also a mystery and that’s an element where I have some issues.

Romance outstanding. Mystery? Hmmm. The villain is obvious. He might as well be twirling a mustache and wearing a shirt that says “I did the deed”. Austin is a seasoned investigator from NYC. Yet, here in Blue Creek, he doesn’t act like one. No backups, runs into danger, doesn’t check for the villain. Sigh.

So it takes a certain suspension of belief when it comes to the whole mystery element of the story. There’s action, drama, and a happy ending!

This book also has a great pet store the Stonewall Investigations work above and a fantastic parrot character! I hope he’s a permanent one!

Another detail?

I had no idea that the Stonewall Investigations series branches out to other cities with its series and couples. Good to know. As someone new to this universe, I would imagine the characters crossover between series. I’ll have to check out the others to see.

I’m definitely continuing onto the next in the series, Ride the Wreck. There’s another couple and, of course, another investigation.

I’m recommending this for the love story. It’s an awwwww.

Stonewall Investigations: Blue Creek

◦ Love Me Again #1

◦ Ride the Wreck #2

Love Me Again by Max Walker – Stonewall Investigationshttps://www.goodreads.com › book › show

Description:

AUSTIN ROMERO:

No one’s fast enough to outrun grief.

Trust me, I’ve tried. I ran away from the city and took a job as the lead detective back in my old home town of Blue Creek, New Hampshire. I expected to bump into past ghosts, but I never expected those ghosts to reopen old wounds.

The biggest ghost of them all: Charlie Marsh. The man who pushed me out of this town in the first place.

He was also the man who had stolen my heart when we were teens, and who now couldn’t even remember a single day we had spent together.

Which makes it exceptionally awkward when he becomes my first client.

CHARLIE MARSH:

An accident stole seven years of my memories, robbing me of experiences, lessons, people.

It robbed me of my first love. I couldn’t remember who Austin even was, much less when and where we shared our first kiss. So when I bumped into the most jaw-droppingly handsome man I’d ever seen, I had no idea we already shared an entire galaxy’s worth of history between us.

Second chances aren’t always easy, and this one only gets more complicated after finding out that my ‘accident’ wasn’t an accident at all, and it seems like someone wants to finish the job.

Good thing I’ve got a hot detective’s number on speed-dial.

Review: Code: Blue (Atrous #2) by N. R. Walker

Rating: 3.5🌈

Code: Blue is the sequel to N.R. Walker’s first book about a band in its last stages of its life. Code: Red was it’s last tour and the romance between its singer Maddox and his manager Roscoe.

Code:Blue , the last album, signals the turmoil that’s ongoing between the band’s label, the band members and the unhealthy physical and mental health conditions they now find themselves in after years of constant touring and stress.

Jeremy, the other band member that’s been a well defined character in Code: Red, gets his story and romance now. Jeremy is physically breaking down under a decade’s worth of abusing his body and not listening to doctors instructions. He’s a diabetic and his lack or inability to stay on target to the nutritional structure he needs to stay healthy has finally taken its toll. He’s a mess.

And no one knows the full extent of how bad it’s gotten.

Jeremy is a wonderful character. He’s well developed, and his personality as well as his diabetes is worked into this story extremely well. We get to know him, his trust issues, and his confusion over his sexuality.

We “see” him through the loving eyes of his security manager/guard, Steve Frost. The story is told from Steve’s perspective. A issue I talk about below.

Steve is another terrific character. Older , with a painful history, that tbh, didn’t seem realistic to need to be hidden given its the music industry. He’s protection/security. That element seemed a bit contrived. I liked many aspects of Steve’s personality but there’s also others that fell short given how long he’s been in the business.

When the danger to Jeremy becomes clear, Steve does up Jeremy’s security system. But then the couple , together and separately, proceeded to take chances , that I can’t see any professional security manager or team doing. Even with the emotional involvement.

You know the cameras, drones, media are looking at you everywhere… yet they do things that make you smack your head.

So yes, I liked perhaps loved and got behind this couple’s romance. But it took an occasional suspension of belief in the professionalism here.

I had to wonder why I was having issues with both stories. I honestly like Code: Blue better then the first book.

And I think there’s several answers.

Sexual Identity: Let me tackle the sexuality aspect first. Why was the only choice Jeremy has when he’s so confused about why he’s now suddenly attracted to Steve is you are either straight or now you’re bisexual. What happened to being pansexual or omnisexual? Both made more sense here, but it’s as though they didn’t exist on the sexual spectrum. That bothers me.

The Rock/Band/Theme:

This element needs several sections to deal with. First because both novels could be standalone stories, without any attempt to attach them to a band theme.

It’s that whole band theme is a one dimensional layer that’s just a element in name only, except for the songs written at the end of each story.

Why?

First, the books are about the band and it’s musicians/rockstars. But both are told ,not from the perspective of any of them but from someone who, however close, is not a musician and not a band member. For me, that’s a odd choice to begin with. That loss of an intimate viewpoint from a heart of a story is never made up for.

These voices stay missing in other ways too.

You have five members. The author makes much of the band’s symbol and the fact that they are brothers that can’t be broken apart.

The two books? Atrous the band? Nonexistent except that we see their label, managers, fans, and talking about the tours, the promotional lineups. Them actually on stage? Nopes.

Where’s the band? Where’s the on stage synergy ? That electric, everything is jamming, loud, louder, the crowds out of its mind, sweating, rocking, mind blowing synergistic feeling that rock bands truly exhibit only out on the stage? I know writers who know how to pull that into their narrative when writing about musicians and bands.

The band members. Except for occasional appearances, the only defined members are Maddox and Jeremy. The other three? One dimensional characters, basically character sketches.

We get the band as it’s ending. The last tour…we don’t actually get the tour. Just some written songs at the end. Plus they tell us it’s the last tour.

Code: Blue, the definition and reason for that name comes much like the first novel’s did, at the end of the story. It signaled the last album.

Ok . But we don’t get the guys putting together the album, the emotions, or anything at all of what it felt like to put a last album together. So why a band theme at all? It’s really missing in both books if you think about it.

These guys could be any celebrities and their manager/ security guard. Doesn’t change a thing.

Just seems like a half hearted effort.

Romances are fine. The main characters are nice, sweet, I especially liked the dog, but there’s not much foundation.

That’s not like Walker .

Read it for the romance and if you’re a fan of this author.

Atrous series:

✓ Code: Red #1

✓ Code: Blue #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showCode Blue (Atrous, #2) by N.R. Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Steve Frost had dreams of wearing the national championship belt in mixed martial arts, maybe even going pro, but instead, finds himself working as a security guard for the rich and famous in LA.

Quickly earning a reputation for his blunt and precise people management skills, he lands a position on the security team for an up-and-coming boyband, Atrous. Years later, he’s head of security. He knows these boys, and with countless tours, flights, car trips, public events, concerts, he’s closer to one band member in particular.

Jeremy’s been a pillar for Atrous since day one, but even more so these last few months. Now the face of the band more than ever, he’s also got himself the attention of a delusional stalker-fan.

When the fame and stress become too much, when Jeremy’s health takes a hit, Steve becomes Jeremy’s lifeline. But as Jeremy knows already, and as Steve is about to learn, not even the brightest star can shine forever.

Review: Code: Red (Atrous #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 3.25🌈

I missed this book when it first came out and am now playing catch-up prior to the release of Code: Blue, the second in the Atrous series about a rock band.

The story is told only from the perspective of Roscoe Hall, the personal manager of rockstar Maddox Kershaw. Maddox is one of five boy band members of the super group Atrous who have played together since they were teenagers.

We miss all the history of both men and drop into the band and the men’s relationship at a point when the band has reached superstardom and it’s taken a substantial toll on themselves, and those around them.

But mostly it’s impacting Maddox who’s hiding something important from everyone.

Walker does a realistic job in portraying (as much as you can without living it) what that intense, controlling, isolating lifestyle might do to a person, especially if they’ve been living it for closer to a decade. It’s sounds not only exhausting but frankly unlivable no matter how much they pay.

The story concentrates, naturally on Maddox, who’s breaking down, and his relationship with Roscoe, who’s loved him for years but kept it professional. There’s a age gap (not that it makes a difference) but I have to admit something about the manager/client aspect and Maddox’s fragility bothered me. He kept saying Roscoe was the only one he trusted as he was coming apart, there were clear lines, contractual ones, between them, that got ignored by both. That bothers me too. Too many things just didn’t ring right here.

So that relationship just didn’t gel for me.

Great characters, just not the romance.

With Maddox finally admitting to his anxiety / panic disorders , and acknowledging he needed professional help, having someone who was both your boyfriend and manager seems like additional stress as well.

The depiction of Maddox undergoing a panic attack, displaying characteristics of someone with an anxiety disorder is very believable. You feel for him and the strain he’s under.

This is where it would have been wonderful to have had Maddox’s pov, actually we needed it throughout the story. It felt lacking without his voice filling in his viewpoint on their history, relationships (personal and professional), and his illnesses.

And that wasn’t the only area I felt we needed more. There’s five band members. Supposedly all so close they are like brothers. But as I read the book the only other band member I felt I had even a smidge of knowledge of his personality was Jeremy. The others? Nothing.

They are a blank, totally odd for a band, even a close one, that lives 24/7 together. Where’s the every day ups and downs of enforced togetherness? Missing.

I got no sense of there even being a band. And this is a series about a band.

Could have been about any famous group of people..

I missed that about this story. A sense of foundation. Of being centered in something. Atrous itself isn’t there.

Perhaps it will come along in books to come.

I’m going onto Code: Blue because N.R. Walker is a auto buy for me and I want to see what happens with Jeremy who’s up next. And Steve, because other than Jeremy, he’s the other name I can remember here.

If you’re a Walker fan, you’ve read this and have your hands on the second story. If you’re new to the series and author, I tell you ( lots others will to ) go find Red Dirt series which remains one of my all time fav series and reads!

Atrous series:

✓ Code: Red #1

◦ Code: Blue #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showCode Red (Atrous, #1) by N.R. Walker | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Maddox Kershaw is the main vocalist of the world’s biggest boy band. He’s at the top of every music chart, every award show, every social media platform, and every sexiest-man-alive list. He’s the bad boy, the enigma, the man everyone on the planet wants a piece of.

He’s also burned out and exhausted, isolated and lonely. Not in a good headspace at the start of a tour.

Roscoe Hall is Maddox’s personal manager. His job is high-flying, high-demand, high-profile, and he loves it. Maddox has consumed his entire life for the past four years. Roscoe knows him. He sees the real Maddox no one else gets to see.
He’s also in love with him.

When the tour and stress become too much, when the world begins to close in, Roscoe becomes Maddox’s lifeline. But as Maddox knows already, and as Roscoe is about to learn, the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadow.

Review: Fluke and the Frontier Farce (Fantastic Fluke #4) by Sam Burns

Rating: 5🌈💫

You know when you read a book that’s so clever, so fantastically crafted, so beautifully ingenious that when the “aha” moments hit you , you’re both giggling AND gobsmacked because you love it so much , you appreciate the writer’s artistry, well, you just didn’t see it coming?

That’s the entire Fluke and the Frontier Farce (Fantastic Fluke #4) by Sam Burns! I’ve read it twice now and with each new reading, I’ve found different elements I missed and new aspects to admire and think about. In fact , this maybe my favorite Sam Burns series yet, and that’s saying a lot!

This novel has a main element of time travel, no surprise there as it’s in the description. But anything more should absolutely not be said. This is a book that must be read!

It’s the penultimate book in the series (yes I know I said that before) but the author starts tying up the series storylines in some of the most amazing and incredibly satisfying ways. Ones I didn’t even realize needed resolution get a finalization they needed and deserved. Truly wonderful and often emotional as well.

And that’s the other thing here that Burns never let’s go of, that her characters, their relationships and growth is the key to this series. Yes it’s about magic and mystery but it’s heart is it’s people. They are who we’ve come to love and they’re lives and loves are who we’re invested in.

That’s never more clear here that when it’s family and love that comes together to make things happen!

I’ll say no more!

Fluke and the Frontier Farce , the fourth novel in Sam Burns’ Fantastic Fluke series is magnificent! It’s one of the best fantasy stories this year in one of my favorite series! It’s so imaginative, the storylines are incredibly clever, and the characters are ones I’m well certain not to be ready to let go of by the end of the Finale.

Usually I might say a book is too short, or sometimes a tad longish. But Fluke and the Frontier Farce is exactly as long as it had to be!

I don’t need to tell you what that means do I?

Highly recommend this, the series, and the author! Binge read it in order before the finale comes out! I should be done rereading this by then!

The Fantastic Fluke Series -4 of 5:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

✓ Fluke and the Failthless Father #2

✓ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

✓ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4

◦ Fluke and the Fantastic Finale #5 – August 25, 2022 release date

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesThe Fantastic Fluke Series by Sam Burns – Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s been a long year for Sage and his friends, and all of Junction, California, and it’s not over yet.

Freddy’s school of magic is still a mystery, and figuring it out would be enough work, but the investigation leads them to the mysterious coded notes of Junction’s long-dead first magical artist, and then to the last place any of them ever expected to end up: the nineteenth century. Worse yet, when they get there Fluke is missing, and Sage isn’t sure he can get back home without his best friend.

Now—or is it then?—they just need to find Fluke, decode the notes, avoid changing the past, dodge evil Uncle Jonathon and the shady French nobleman at his side, and maybe most importantly, find their way home.

But there’s more in the past than trouble, and Gideon might want to stay there with his wife. If Sage has to leave him behind, is it worth returning to his own time at all?

Review: The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch (The Wyandot County Mysteries #1) by Marshall Thornton

Rating: 4 🌈

Marshall Thornton is a great writer and a favorite author of mine. So I was happy to see a new story in a brand new series just released from him.

The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch has many of the terrific elements I expect from a Marshall Thornton book. It has a well developed sense of era, in this case the 2000’s, right down to the historical political events and the technology , like iPods, which to our jaded eyes is downright old fashioned. There’s Britney, Irag wars, the fashion of the era… and yes, the drugs…including opioids.

Thornton has always been able to make an era and location not only recognizable but believable, pulling a reader into whatever decade he’s locating his series and characters. It works beautifully for Boystown and Pinx Video, and again here for The Wyandot County Mysteries.

The county, the people, and even the mystery, are all extremely well crafted, with that care to detail that this author does so well.

It’s realistic and believable. I just wish I liked the book better. I don’t. I couldn’t wait to finish it and say goodbye to these characters. Well except for the dog maybe.

Why?

Because unlike the other series I mentioned above, I disliked the characters here, especially the main one, Henry “Mooch” Milch. Yes, his nickname is Mooch, that’s a hint. But he’s such an unappealing character, that no one in the book likes him either, except the dog. He’s been sent to his grandmother’s place in Wyandot County, MIchigan because he overdosed on opioids so it was that or rehab. He chose Grandma rather than get straight.

For the rest of the novel he proceeds to rifle through peoples bathroom cabinets and drawers, stealing prescription drugs, to feed a growing habit he’s refusing to recognize. All the while pronouncing judgements on everything. He decided to solve a mystery, because he wanted to money to leave town, not because it’s the thing that actually needed doing.

I could continue but you get my drift. He’s just an unlikable man who stays that way. And he’s surrounded by them, including Grandma, Emma. These characters are realistically crafted, layered and understandable.

Just not people I want to spend time with.

Which they kind of have to be if I want to read a story.

The other series Thornton wrote had characters that broke my heart while making me love them ever so deeply.

This one, however well written , makes me want to say good luck and goodbye.

If this series is something that sounds like it’s something that’s in your wheelhouse, than a Marshall Thornton story and mystery is it for you.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

A new mystery series from the award-winning author of the Boystown and Pinx Mystery series.

Things have not been going well for Henry Milch. After a Saturday night clubbing in his beloved West Hollywood, he took one pill too many and ended up banished to northern lower Michigan to live on a farm with his ultra-conservative grandmother. It was that or rehab. While working a part-time job for the local land conservancy he stumbles across a dead body in the snow—as if things couldn’t get worse. But then things take a turn for the better, there’s a reward for information leading the man’s killer. All Henry has to do is find the murderer, claim the reward and he can go back to his real life in L.A.

Review: Hot Seat (The Hot Cannolis #1) by Eli Easton and Tara Lain

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I hadn’t read Fireman’s Carry (The Hot Cannolis #0.5) by Eli Easton that was the source and inspiration for this series by Easton and Lain. I will certainly go ahead and do that now that I’ve read this book and the romance of those characters.

What is started there , a major fire and rescue of over 60 people by firefighter Mike Canali and civilian Shane Bower is where this novel’s storylines begins. With the aftermath of those events,weeks later, in everyone’s lives.

The events in that story are recounted somewhat so it’s not necessary to have read it to step into the people and their situations here.

One important detail, however, that’s not mentioned anywhere, either in the descriptions or authors note. There is a on page attempt at suicide, although it’s never actually termed that out loud. Also character depression. If any of this is a trigger for a reader, please know this in advance so you be the best judge about whether to read the story or not.

There are so many terrific elements here. The characters are very well done. Shane Bower and his Pops are amazing. From the moment Shane makes his appearance on the page with his book club (who I also adored hugely) I was immediately engaged. He was believable, likable, vulnerable, just everything you knew would end up pulling at your heart strings. Then I met his grandfather, Pops. And I was all in. Pops is another great character. Throughly realistic and wonderful.

I think most readers will have mixed feelings about the Cannolis, the enormous Italian firefighter clan that Mike Cannoli belongs to. I feel they are pretty realistic myself in the way they are portrayed. I’ve know a family very similar to them and while some may argue they may seem too black and white in their characteristics, I can argue that those personality traits are also very believable and true .

The men , father and brothers, were very homophobic and followed that old hard core machismo that impacted every part of their lives from childhood up. For Mike, having to live up to their ideals and endure their rigid idea of masculinity made the stress upon his daily life an ever increasing pressure he wasn’t even aware of. Until he was. When the very out Shane Bower enters his and his family’s life.

The authors accurately portrayed what happens when the status quo is upset within a traditional Italian family, with the women on one side and the men on the other.

The majority of the story deals with Mike and his coming to grips first with his sexuality, then with the idea of a relationship, then the overwhelming fear of being known as gay to his family. This is really his story and it’s a realistic, painful one.

Shane is just as much a part of it as a out and proud gay man in love with someone who can’t accept himself. That’s another element and equally hurtful. To Shane and Mike.

The support characters, from the wonderful women of the Cannoli family to Shane’s friends to a surprise in the form of Donny, give this story extra depth. I love them all.

Mike’s depression and the events that follow feel accurate but deserve a trigger warning. FYI.

I am recommending this story. I wouldn’t call this a romantic comedy however. There’s humor but the focus is serious and dramatic while still including the romance.

I liked that the authors recognizes that not everyone would be able to come around and accept Mike’s new sexuality completely. That’s just not realistic given his family. Thanks for keeping it real!

I’m really looking forward to the next in the series. It’s Donny’s story, Hot Winds. Can’t wait.

Until then pick this up and enjoy!

The Hot Cannolis series:

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

✓ Hot Seat #1

◦ Hot Wings #2 – March 29, 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showHot Seat (The Hot Cannolis #1) by Eli Easton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Wait. Can a Canali be gay?

Hero firefighter, youngest of six macho Italian brothers and—in love with Shane Bower, who never met a unicorn T-shirt he didn’t love? How does that even work?

When Mike Canali meets Shane Bower, his attraction to the guy is off the charts. But then his huge family and intense job full of rules and expectations intrude and he never calls.

Until they both get a medal—
and his mom falls in love with Shane at the ceremony—
and all of a sudden Shane’s all over his life, whether Mike likes it or not.

The butch Canali family face-to-face with sparkly Shane Bower? This is a wildfire of its own.

Shane worked damned hard to be who he is—fantastic, femme and in-your-face. He won’t compromise that, even to have the super-hot man of his dreams. But can he really ask Mike to give up his family and future just to have his fabulous self? Especially when he’s falling in love with the Canali family too?

HOT SEAT is a hot firefighter, big crazy family, coming out, opposites attract, forced proximity, romantic comedy—with all the feels.

Review: Oceans that Swim (Kings of Airlie #1) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I love Casey Cox so I picked up her new release immediately. Oceans that Swim is the first book in the Kings of Airlie trilogy, a sports romance series.

First off I had to go YouTube the sport of Kitesurfing. Didn’t have a clue what it was. For those of you like me, I put a link at the bottom of my review to a wonderful “King of Airlie “ run. Check it out. Pretty wild stuff.

Secondly, the author includes a warning at the beginning of the story. It states that the trilogy deals with issues of violence, murder, self-harm, physical and sexual abuse, most but not all of which happens off page.

I appreciate the author’s letting the reader be able to make an informed decision prior to starting the series by letting them know the trilogy deals with those elements.

Oceans that Swim ‘s character Ritchie has c-PTSD. It comes from the trauma from seeing his parents murder/suicide. I suspect this storyline will carry throughout the next books. It’s very much a murder mystery.

Terry, the youngest of the King brothers, is the other main character. He’s the upcoming latest sensation on the kitesurfing season and scoreboard. But his father, THE King of Airlie, is the one who’s abusive and cold, when not out in the public eye. Most the the abuse is past memories, but not all. And I except it to get worse in the next story.

Travis and Tory , the older brothers all play big parts here and we get to know them intimately.

This is one mess of a family.

Cox expertly weaves the current World Kitesurfing Championships and all that means to our main characters and family as well as builds a fascinating stage for a ongoing journey of three brothers and the men who love them.

I expect it’s going to be hugely tragic at some point. And explosive. It’s building that way.

On the romance level, the one between Terry and Ritchie was sweet, the right sort of hesitant given the amount of baggage each man is carrying, and drawn out slowly so it takes communication to get together finally.

The author says each novel is focused on an individual couple but as their lives and drama are so tangled together I can’t help but see this as a HFN , especially given that ending.

This is well done, the characters engaging and beautifully written. The multiple storylines definitely have me hooked. I can’t wait for the next one to be released.

I’m highly recommending Oceans that Swim (Kings of Airlie #1) by Casey Cox. And check out that link below if you want to see what kitesurfing is all about.

Casey Cox on Amazon

Kings of Airlie Trilogy:

✓ Oceans that Swim #1

◦ Mountains that Move #2 -May23, 2022

Synopsis:

This season, I’ve got a lot to prove…

Terry King may have been born into kitesurfing royalty, but he’s been overlooked and overshadowed his entire life. Unlike his fame-starved father, Trenton ‘King of the Air’ King, or his two attention-grabbing older brothers, Terry doesn’t compete for fame, money, or power. He’s got much more ambitious goals than that.

Terry has his sights set on reuniting his dysfunctional family and finally landing his forever crush: Richie Brown. A six-foot-four, anxiety-riddled, ginger teddy bear who writes heart-melting poetry. Also, the one and only person who’s ever truly seen Terry.

Richie grew up next door to the King brothers in the sleepy coastal town of Airlie Beach, Australia. His childhood was marred by a tragedy that continues to invade every corner of his life twenty years later. Richie gave up on love a long time ago…until something unexpected happened the night of Terry’s victory last season.

Richie knows better than anyone why Terry King is strictly off-limits. They grew up together. They’re practically family. Richie’s seven years older. Terry is his best mate’s younger brother… But then there’s the biggest reason of all. A closely guarded secret Richie’s never revealed to a single soul.

Terry is determined to defend his world title and turn his dreams into reality. But when life throws a spanner into his season, and with the King family remaining as stubbornly dysfunctional as ever––will Terry be able to get Richie to see him as more than just the kid he grew up with?

Kings of Airlie is an exhilarating, action-packed MM sports romance trilogy about love, brotherhood, and resilience––with a powerful message that dreams don’t die, they just sometimes change.

Each book in the series features a new couple and a happily ever after. With continuing family and competition plots, the books do need to be read in order.

Review: The Magnolia Murders (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem #1) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.75🌈

The Magnolia Murders is the start of a second series that revolves around the romantic and professional lives of Sawyer Key and Royce Locke. At the beginning the couple is still partners at the MCU at Savannah’s PD but their unit has recently gotten a new chief. Up to now , every minute has been spent together. They live together, they work together, they love together. But fraternization rules work against them as partners.

So they knew their time together as partners on the job is about to end, as they knew it would.

Chief Mendoza decides to split the couple apart by having each head new divisions he’s creating within the Department. Sawyer to head the new Cold Case unit, and Royce to work with a new Unit for to engage with teenagers who want to work in law enforcement.

But first there’s a cold case murder that’s hitting close to home for both men. The murder of several beauty pageant queens from years past is echoed in a murder that happens now. Is it the same killer or a copycat?

Walker pulls out all the emotional baggage here for both men. It’s all family elements, the damage from Royce’s awful childhood and the pain it’s inflicted on his relationships with his sister and her children that’s in the spotlight here. Contrasted, of course, with the way Royce has been folded into Sawyer’s family and the feelings he still has of inadequacy because of Vic.

Sawyer, too, is waiting. He’s feeling insecure because of the scars left by the fire and the fact that he made a discovery that Royce hasn’t acted on.

In between complicated relationship dynamics and the fact they are experiencing being apart from each other at work, the long hours and devious criminals are confounding them.

This is an excellent murder investigation. I loved how the research and investigation slowly unraveled the truth behind the murders. So satisfying.

I have to say I was as frustrated as Sawyer over Royce’s inability to propose but I absolutely got why he was having such a bad time of it.

Walker gets us so totally inside these men that we understand them , feel their emotions, get their actions, and love it when they win! Both professionally and romantically.

So I really need that next book! It should be a wild roller coaster ride! I can’t wait!

I highly recommend this book and the series that precedes it. The Zero Hour Trilogy! That’s the series that tells how they met and fell in love over many murders. Don’t miss out on that either!

❤️Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem series:

✓ The Magnolia Murders #1

◦ Marriage is Murder #2 – coming April 19, 2022

◦ Killer Honeymoon #3 – July 1, 2022

https://www.amazon.com › Magnoli…The Magnolia Murders (Sawyer and Royce: Matrimony and Mayhem Book 1) – Kindle …

Synopsis:

Everything old is new again in love and murder.

Work together, live together, and play together is the name of the game for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. But one of those things changes when Chief Mendoza taps Sawyer to lead the newly formed cold case unit. His first task: solve the Magnolia Murders that spanned three decades and suddenly stopped in 2000.

Chaos ensues when a fourth Magnolia Queen contender is murdered during a preliminary round. With the pageant’s one hundredth anniversary looming, the pressure is on to produce results. Royce and Sawyer, along with their new partners, have to team up to solve the Magnolia Murders—old and new.

As the investigation continues, a surprise visitor and an unexpected phone call force the men to face painful things from their pasts. The future Royce and Sawyer dream of is within their grasp, but first, they’ll need to uproot the seeds of discontent they’ve buried deep.

The Magnolia Murders is the first book in the Matrimony and Mayhem trilogy, the second story arc for Royce Locke and Sawyer Key. ** New readers should start with the Zero Hour trilogy before reading Matrimony and Mayhem. ** The Magnolia Murders is a continuation of Royce and Sawyer’s happily ever after as they move into the next phase of their lives—professionally and personally. Though some storylines span the trilogy, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. Heat, humor, heart, and homicide abound. You have been warned.

Review: Zero Hour Trilogy by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5 🌈

This is my first time reading a trilogy compilation on Kindle and I’m absolutely sold on the format. It especially suits me as someone who loves to binge read a series.

The trilogy , which consists of Ground Zero, Devil’s Hour, and Zero Divergence , is well suited for this format in that the stories flow almost seamlessly, one into another. Had it not been for the title and brief description inserted between the books, it would read like one huge novel. A fantastic one at that.

I’m not going to rate individual stories. One doesn’t excel or deserve a lesser rating than another. They are all exceptional.

The trilogy tracks the relationship, both professionally and personally, of Detectives Sawyer Key and Royce Locke, starting from the moment Sawyer Key joins the MCU of the Savannah PD and becomes the unwanted partner of Royce Locke.

Locke, is still grieving the loss of

a partner who was his best friend , and who committed suicide. A tragedy that’s still having major ramifications for Locke and his partner’s family.

They meet on the crime scene of a sensational murder with little time to adjust to the new situation or each other.

Walker immediately gives us an intense situation and two incredibly complicated men. And let’s the sparks fly. For three books.

Each man has a realness to him. Sawyer is a widower who is still coming to terms with the loss of a beloved husband to cancer. His grief is visceral. And yet very private. It works so well to pair him with Royce who has not come to terms with his grief and confusion over the death of his friend and partner. That issue will take him three books to work through.

Neither man stands alone. They are surrounded by incredible family members, dynamic characters from their precinct, and people we will come to know and love even more dearly in the series Sinister in Savannah.

Here we see Royce and Sawyer meet and introduce Rocky, Jonah, and Felix to each other. We meet Kendall Blakemore for the first time as well as Avery and see how he was pulled into Jonah’s orbit. Even the Marshals make their appearances here. This trilogy is our roadmap to all the series and single stories that come afterwards.

But the best and heart of the books is the growing relationship between Sawyer and Royce. The developing feelings, the situation about their relationship on the job, Royce’s closeted status, so much that evolves over the course of three complex cases and engrossing storylines.

Walker’s got the police procedural down, the hard work, the questions and paperwork. The long hours and the excitement when it looks like it might pay off. The author had me on the edge so many times here , the suspense was overwhelming!

However the joy of reading all the books right through is that you get your payoffs . You see the characters evolve, the relationship grow and deepen. And then become utterly gratified when at the end, you’re as happy as they are when the author writes The End.

Plus you have the added satisfaction of knowing there’s a second trilogy called Matrimony to come.

Be still my heart.

Are you a binge reader like me? Or just like to have all your books ready to go? This is a must have, must read! I’m definitely recommending this trilogy! And the author if you haven’t found her already!

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesZero Hour Series by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work. Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice. Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock. Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship.

Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Devil’s hour, noun: the hour when the demon or devil who leads hell is at its strongest. Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Royce Locke is no stranger to scrapping and fighting for the things he wants. What he desires most is Sawyer Key—his partner on the force and the man he’s falling in love with. After asking Sawyer to take a chance on him, Royce will need to back up his pretty words with fearless action instead of being his own worst enemy. Someone is harassing the mayor of Savannah, and Locke and Key are tasked with finding out who. The investigation quickly takes a twisted turn, leading them to an enemy who thinks purification by fire is the only way to save the city. Scarier than The Purists’ elusiveness is their ability to turn public opinion in their favor, creating unrest and threatening anarchy by fanning flames and fear. When you play with fire, someone is bound to get burned. When menace becomes murder, the two detectives will race the clock against the devil to save their beloved city from becoming a raging inferno. Royce will need to draw on his grit now more than ever if he hopes to realize the dreams that are finally within reach. The rag is lit, the Molotov cocktail is tossed, and the zero hour is upon them. Challenge received and accepted.

Devil’s Hour is the second book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series that must be read in order.

Devil’s Hour has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older. Trigger warning: Part of the storyline involves coming to terms with a friend’s suicide, which may be difficult for some people to read.

Zero Divergence, noun: no deviation from a course or standard.After a key piece of evidence goes missing, a suspected serial rapist and killer evades prosecution. More than Royce Locke’s reputation is on the line when his investigation into the failed chain of custody suggests Franco Humphries might’ve had inside help. There’s no one Royce trusts more than Sawyer Key to help him right a wrong and uncover the traitor in their midst, but can they do it before the Savannah Strangler strikes again?Relentless plus fearless equals flawless. Sawyer and Royce have come full circle-from hostile strangers to best friends and lovers. Neither a sniper’s bullet nor an arsonist’s fire could keep them apart, but what about a psychopath hell-bent on revenge? The stakes are high, and there’s no turning back now because the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.

Zero Divergence is the conclusion to the best-selling Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series you MUST read in order. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Trigger warning: Part of the storyline involves coming to terms with a friend’s suicide, which may be difficult for some people to read.