An Iron Fist, third novel in Nazri Noor’s Arcane Hearts series, gives us a greater sense of Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright ‘s growing relationship as well as each character’s individual growth.
Jackson continues to learn more about his heritage from hidden vids his deceased parents left within the family’s AI . He’s also growing more determined to rebuild the Hall of Makers, the one who’s explosion killed most artificers, including his folks, a task Xander is supporting him on.
But the deadly purple Chrysanthemysts and the chaos left behind is center here. Noor starts to enlarge the mythology and creates a another layer that’s beginning to encroach on the one our main characters inhabit.
There’s mystery, exciting action, more of our found family, maybe even adding a member of two, but most importantly we get the revelation of who’s coming…The Who behind all the murders, the upheavals, and the chaos.
It sets up the next book and the biggest fight looming in the future.
Noor has a great arc with excellent characters with an extremely fascinating universe to explore.
I’m ready to dive into the next story and see where the author takes his characters and storylines.
In the meantime, I’m recommending this book. But read the series in the order they are written in order to better understand the progression of events and characters relationships.
Might and magic, fist and flame, to send evil back from where it came.
Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright delve into the mountain halls of the dvergar, the dwarven people of Norse myth known for their mining and metalwork. Seeking jewels and ore, they make a deadly discovery instead: a cluster of Chrysanthemysts. How did they grow underground? Where are they from? And who sent them?
The masters of the Black Market’s guilds grudgingly unite to stop the fatal flowers at their source. But digging deeper only reveals another conundrum: a legendary gemstone known as the Heart of Oberon. The fae haven’t walked the earth in forever. Why has the Heart resurfaced now?
And why is the gemstone whispering?
An Iron Fist is a 70,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience An Iron Fist today.
Anthologies/collections are a fantastic way to get to know new authors or rediscover writers you haven’t read for a while!
If anyone asks me to recommend one collection of contemporary stories? It would be this one! You have a great selection of writers who have never had their work in this charity anthology before, and the stories here are just incredible. Honestly 5 star reads! All together in one place to savor.
Not familiar with these authors? What a treat lies within. Most are on my Auto read-must have lists, but I added to mine as well here. Happy happy joy joy!
Plus all proceeds from the charity anthology go to benefit LGBTGIA + charities.
The overall Collection is always the H2H dating app, but this collection has the theme of #NeverHaveIEver for 14 Authors and their romance stories.
The H2H app users challenge themselves to do something outside of their comfort zones. And fall in love along the way.
I have listed all the stories and authors below. An extended version with a mini-review of each is on my website, scattered thoughts and rogue words dot com. Honestly, it’s a tad long for here! But these stories deserve it. Heart eyes, folks!
Love it so much!
Stories and Authors:
1. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox
2. Never Have I Ever…Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
3. Never Have I Ever… Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
4. Never Have I Ever… Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
5. Never Have I Ever…worn That For Halloween by E.M.Lindsey
6. Never Have I Ever…Sung In Public byJodi Payne
7. Never Have I Ever…Gotten Lost by K. Webster
8. Never Have I Ever…Taken A Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
9. Never Have I Ever…Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
10. Never Have I Ever…Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe
11. Never Have I Ever…Flown in A Airplane by Neve Wilder
12. Never Have I Ever…Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
13. Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
14. Never Have I Ever… Kissed Someone On the Lips by Spencer Spears
15. Never Have I Ever…Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
16. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox-part 2. The End
And now for my blog 😂…..
1. Heart2Heart by Lucy Lennox
Jonah , on behalf of his employer H2H, went off to Alaska,taking an adventure in a floatplane to create content for their latest event.
His taxi to the town, a tiny floatplane from Knockwood Aviation, flown by Pilot Pete Valentine started his adventure immediately. And so did my laughter. As Pete and Jonah go on many “neverhaveIEver” firsts for Jonah and his article, their attraction and feelings for each other grow.
The story is split in half,as it begins and ends the anthology.
It’s a fav of mine 😍 it’s also a prequel to Lennox’s next series focusing on Knockwood Aviation.
2. Never Have I Ever…Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
“For A Good Time Call…” says a note stashed in a library book. What Charlie finds is romance where he never thought he’d find it, with the help of his jock roommate, Jasper.
Heartwarming, sweet, and lovely.
3 Never Have I Ever… Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
Owen, the baker , writes “never have I ever ridden a bike” into the H2H app chat, and with those words , Alice Winters sends Owen, his roommate Lance, and their cat Thor the Destroyer off on a madcap afternoon of zany insanity, also includes bike riding lessons! Not surprisingly it ends happily and with declarations of love! Hilarious, sweet, and pure Winters!
4. Never Have I Ever… Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
Stagehand Zakary Tisdale wrote “never have I ever dyed my hair a wild color’ on the H2H forum. It’s his birthday and he’s naked in his bathroom , looking at himself in the mirror.
I wasn’t familiar with Daryl Banner but after reading this wonderful story I’m putting him on my list to seal out what else he’s written. Because this is a little gem with lots of heart. One flaming red hair color changes everything, including the way he thinks about himself. Love it.
5. Never Have I Ever…worn That For Halloween by E.M.Lindsey
Baker Domenico has loved his
best friend, Shiloh, since they were children. But he’s been afraid to tell him until the H2H forum NeverHaveIEver persuaded him to post a comment about Halloween. Now he’s committed to a couples costume. And everything is about to change.
Lindsey has written a beautiful, moving story, about deeply layered characters and their love for each other. It’s absolutely one of my favorites here.
6. Never Have I Ever…Sung In Public byJodi Payne
Nathaniel Killiney’s a dentist who admits on the H2H forum he’s never sung in public.
Ethan Lowman is a high school theater/arts teacher and Nathaniel Killiney’s crush when they were in the very same high school year’s ago.
Nathaniel’s comment on the H2H forum brings about a reunion that’s full of promise, for a romance as well as letting Nathaniel finally being able to sing in public. Very sweet.
7. Never Have I Ever…Gotten Lost by K. Webster
‘A single line “Never have I ever gotten completely and utterly lost” in the ‘Meet local friends’ thread in the H2H forum starts Hunter obsessing over this as if anyone could get lost in the age of almost instant GPS availability and map directions
Hunter’s never been lost . So he’s scanning quickly through the comments until he sees one from like minded Dallas Drew. Dallas aka Andrew, who claims to also never have gotten lost. Both are Americans that now live and work in Norway. Both also have elements to them that make that fact something that’s capable of drawing them together for a meetup.
Andrew, on the high functioning end of the ASD spectrum is lost in his life. Alone and missing his mother after her recent death, is going to try for an adventure. Something this meetup with Hunter represents. Hunter is feeling alone ,depressed, and his self image has taken a big hit due to his awful last relationships. Now he’s reaching out for a change and a chance for someone and something more.
What follows is a wonderful, vulnerable, magical journey. I heart this story so much. Adding this author to my must have more of pile.
8. Never Have I Ever…Taken A Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
Jermaine. Never have he ever taken a vacation. Raised by a struggling single parent, that wasn’t an option and his job as a flight attendant makes flying to other places something that’s just a stopover.
Milo, a travel blogger . For him, nearly every day was a vacation. One flight to New Orleans when they meet provides the sparks for changes they never expected.
Sexy, and unexpected!
9. Never Have I Ever…Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
H2H forum line Golden Girls prompts a user to say….Never Have I ever binge watched the Golden Girls.
Soon there’s a planned Golden Girls marathon at a coffee shop/ bookstore for everyone, especially the one who’s severely lacking in knowledge of the Blanche. That’s Fin.
At the marathon, he meets several ppl , among them Clayton Hollingsworth Devereaux. Clay and Fin instantly hit it off.
10. Never Have I Ever…Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe
Constantine needs a makeover. A company offers a professional event geared just for that very thing. There he meets a stylist named Deacon who sees a quiet, lovely teddy bear of a professor with self image issues. Con is just the man Deacon’s been waiting for, and this makeover is the pathway to the start of a beautiful relationship.
A terrific story with relatable characters.
11. Never Have I Ever…Flown in A Airplane by Neve Wilder
Beau , a musician, had never been on a airplane. Now he had to fly to a old friend’s wedding in Venice, Italy. Beau mentions this fact on the H2H forum and gets a reply from UpRightPosition that he has to visit a certain restaurant in Venice while he’s there and have a safe flight!
So it’s so of fated that UpRightPosition turns out to be Jack, the hugely attractive flight attendant flying from Atlanta with him to Venice. That flight to Venice is the beginning of many firsts and a HEA.
A very sweet story.
12. Never Have I Ever…Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
Mikey on the H2H message board: Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.
Shy, awkward, the one who never followed through Mikey. With a secret pen name. Who had a crush on someone he’s only known online since he was 16. It’s been 2 years of steady chatting and every time it’s been time to meet, Mikey has found excuses not to.
So it stopped. And that became Mikey’s biggest regret.
Now he’s secretly writing erotic novels under another name when he’s not being Mickey Boring, the librarian ( his real name) by day.
Time to change things up!
Ronan Winters runs the local coffee shop , Extra Shot, and runs a queer podcast Sex with Ronan.
Things are going to happen online personalities and real life collide, revelations occur and there’s a HEA waiting at the end.
Very well written and sweet romance.
13. Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
Ad: Looking for someone to go see to movies in the parks , I’ll bring the popcorn and snacks.
Ashton Westlake, lawyer, in Michigan, while things get smoothed over with the client he offended at his father’s law offices. Loves baking.
His cousin puts the ad in the H2H message boards hoping to get company for Ashton as he watches movie classics, for the first time, in the park.
Levi, HistoryBuff24/7 , answers CoolLawDudes ad . Professor of American History, Late of a bad relationship. And also former teacher of Ashton!
Who’d had a very obvious crush on him.
Fifteen years difference in age, but equal in attraction. The reunion at the park sees a return of the sparks of attraction from so long ago.
What follows is an absolute delightful romance of two men finding their way back to each other at the exactly right stage in their lives, through movies, tv shows, and baked goods. It’s totally charming, and I was engaged from start to finish.
14. Never Have I Ever… Kissed Someone On the Lips by Spencer Spears
Westley: Never ever have I kissed someone on the lips…
That’s Wesley’s post on the H2H board. He’s shy, awkward, 20, and never been kissed.
He’s in DC for an internship , from Connecticut, sweating out the wonderful Dc summer (the author has our summer right). Living his Professors’ Washington DC row house , he finds himself hiding up on the roof deck, watching a neighbor’s party . It’s sad and pretty til a thief jumps out of their window with a haul of jewels, causing West’s world to upend in the strangest way possible.
Oh, Spencer Spears! What a fabulous tale that you’ve written! I was with these two all the way! And I need more! I want to know if West called him! Give me that sequel!
A favorite!
15. Never Have I Ever…Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
H2H board. Never have I ever been on a date
Cletus, heliopilot for a mission for Strickland, mngr for National Science Foundation for Antarctica. Responsible for 3k lives spread between 3 bases, now holding a bloody uniform as they lifted off.
Damien Bronson, Dino Doc to his students at the South Pole, came to Antarctica chasing his dream of proving his thesis right, that the bones of dinosaurs exist there. He’s also nurses a very big crush on pilot Cletus.
When their boss Dr. Strickland asks the men to find the body of the scientist that disappeared and who’s bloodied garment Cletus has now found, it sets off a series of events that could only have come from the fabulous Tal Bauer. Exciting, horrific, fast paced, and romantic, it’s an A ticket ride the whole way. Outstanding!
And finally the last half of
16. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox… part 2
Jonah is flying around in a floatplane, trying first time adventures for his article for H2H , and Knockwood Aviation and the Valentines family, especially one in particular,Pete, Is keeping him busy.
Never Have I Ever Been To Alaska….
Now Jonah and Pete have been everywhere, they’ve spent time getting to know one another and Jonah has had time to make some life changing decisions.
Lucy Lennox’s story brought us a great new universe and engaging family, the Valentines. The Knockwood Aviation company, in all its elements, and all the Valentines are Lennox’s next series. This story is the absolutely perfect prequel to launch it.
I’m invested in these people and their romance, but also in the tiny town and it’s citizens.
I can’t wait for more.
What an outstanding collection of authors and stories this is! You have a great selection of writers who have never had their work in this charity anthology before, and the stories here are just incredible.
Not familiar with these authors? What a treat lies within. Most are on my Auto read-must have lists, but I added to mine as well here.
And on top of fabulous romances, the proceeds go to support LGBTGIA + charities.
Win win!
I’m highly recommending this anthology. Grab it up before the next one comes out. That’s the kinky one😉
Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered… what would happen if Heart2Heart, the dating and community app responsible for bringing together couples from all over the world, encouraged people to do something they’d never done before?
#NeverHaveIEver is trending on H2H, and fourteen authors who’ve never before appeared in a Heart2Heart anthology (and one who’s never left) have come together to show how funny, hot, and heartwarming it can be when H2H app users challenge themselves to do something outside of their comfort zones–from singing in public, to skinny dipping, to getting their first real kiss–while they manage to fall in love along the way.
As always, all proceeds from this anthology will benefit LGBTQ+ charities to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!
The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem is the fourth book in Alice Winters series about a retired hitman who’s now happily married and in business with his PI husband. We’ve followed their hilarious , zany, sometimes murder-filled lives, from the meeting at the infamous and now enshrined Fence all the way through their engagement and marriage.
I have adored every second of every bit of the time I’ve spent getting to know former hitman Leland and his now husband Jackson, chief of police, Henry, who’s basically stepped in as father figures for Leland, fellow former hitman Cassel, and his boyfriend cop , Jeremy, dogs Cayenne and Sarge, …. I mean the cast of fantastic characters is huge! And they weave in and out of every story, regardless of what that particular book’s theme is. You can count on certain people and animals to be a part of the investigations and whatever shenanigans that ensues.
Leland’s ( and Cassel’s ) adolescence and twisted mentorship under Lucas has also been a constant dark thread in the series. Sometimes it manifests itself as Leland’s inability to connect in a “normal’ to established family celebrations or traditions. They physically make him hurt as something so warm and loving is so outside of his universe. Lucas manipulated him and all his “boys” in a utterly, cruel way. Hand picking abused, starved boys at their worst then narrowing their world down to Lucas, their kill, their training, and their next target. Those that didn’t live up to Lucas’s standards, were “gone “.
That past gets reflected through Leland’s actions and remarks through every story too. And Jackson is there supporting and helping Leland with the pain and growth.
I love that element.
This couple is hilarious, loving, but the substance is always present.
This was an especially complicated investigation. Of course, it starts with someone from Leland’s past coming for Leland and his special “talents”.
Naturally, the case goes sideways right from the start with bodies piling up, false identities, porn names, and the reappearance of the Sasquatch!
It’s fast moving, often over the top action, matched by equally snappy,snarky dialogue . Lots of shooting, and explosions!
Lucas makes several important appearances here. The deep damage done as he molded both as youth into assassins, damage that’s left both Leland and Cassel traumatized, is clear here. So is the influence he continues to have on both men even from prison.
This is the one major element that is only partially dealt with. Lucas has been THE major bad for the entire series, deservedly so. He’s a fully developed, multidimensional villain. There’s a reason he’s to be feared.
At one point Leland gets his moment of revelation about himself and his emotional growth. It’s allowing him to move forward.
However, and this is a huge however, this gigantic emotional step forward isn’t complete because the story doesn’t allow it to be. Unless there’s another book to come. Leland never goes to see Lucas to see if Lucas can still get to him.
Lucas and his part in Leland and Cassel’s lives needs a closure.
While he’s still in prison pulling strings , no one is getting any. Leland , no matter what happened during that case, has been unable to face him without being traumatized. Cassel can’t face him at all.
The series needs to address that.
Plus Ava, that strong AF mother in law, who went through so much? You can’t tell me there aren’t some emotional fallout elements to come there. There should be. Because there always been some very truthful threads underneath the caustic comedy routine between Ava and Leland. We need to see what happens next.
So I’m hoping this isn’t the end of the series because while it’s a terrific story, there’s still much important stuff left to bring to closure.
It should be clear how very much I love this universe and series. These people are so close to my heart. I want nothing less than the absolute best. Because the way Alice Winters wrote and created them? They are deserving of nothing less.
What a series! What a wonderful story! I’m highly recommending them all . And honestly waiting for the next.
The Hitman’s Guide series:
✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love #1
✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Staying Alive Despite Past Mistakes #2
✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot #3
✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem #4
Side Story:
😎The Former Assassin’s Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend
Growing up, I was taught that getting too close to someone would be my downfall. But I’ve proven that wrong now that I’m happily married to Jackson, the greatest man in the world. The issue is that mayhem always seems to find me (which is definitely not my fault), and this time, it comes in the form of a woman looking for her daughter. What starts as a simple missing persons case turns into so much more, forcing me to rely on my found family and others, including a muscley “bear” who will definitely not whisk away my husband with his irritatingly sexy accent—I mean, yes, I’m very focused on this case… Jackson, don’t look at me like that.
Jackson
While Leland is “code potatoing” (whatever that means on his strange cheat sheet), I’m left questioning what he’s gotten himself into this time. At least he’s willing to let me assist him, even if he’s still positive that I should just “sit pretty” and let him handle everything. But with the girl missing, he knows we need to work together to determine whose game we’re playing because not everything is as it seems. Of course, when one gets involved with Leland, nothing is ever simple. But maybe that’s just the way I like it.
Contains: speed walking up way too many stairs while holding pointy objects, feel-better cookies that didn’t turn out quite right, Spanish that definitely isn’t Spanish, and lots of long-suffering people being swept up in Leland’s shenanigans once more
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
