So Into You (The PI Guys #2) by S.E. Harmon is a book I enjoyed far better than the one preceding it. That one, Stay With Me, had so many flags for me I thought I was at a heavily contested football play at 4th and down at NFL Sunday.
The relationship here between PI Drew Rodriguez and Screenwriter Noah Ashley is more balanced and, frankly, nuanced.
Both have issues with their childhoods, mostly stemming from one of their parents. The traumatic wounds drive their behaviors and determine their relationships. How they maneuver through and around these emotionally laden issues and barriers each has erected (in one case, the barrier is sitting himself in a chair in the living having arrived unannounced), is wonderful to read and a pleasure to be connected to.
Drew and Noah argue over the expected trust issues, work timorously towards something real, and it feels believable. The men work as a couple and as friends.
The cases they investigate are mundane, boring, sad, and, occasionally scary.
Drewās home life mirrors just how quickly complicated things get and how they get handled. With resigned frustration that also feels as real as it comes.
The first couple makes appearances here but honestly I hardly noticed them. The real people, the ones putting in the work were right in front of me. And I was loving every bit of time I was spending with them.
So Into You (The PI Guys #2) by S.E. Harmon is a terrific realistic contemporary romance. It has people with damaged childhoods, working through their issues, and moving forward to have healthy relationships and hopefully a HEA.
I really loved them. Iām highly recommending this story. Check it out!
Screenwriter Noah Ashley has a few four-letter words for his agent when she suggests he improve his script by shadowing a PI. Still, because heās an artist dedicated to his craft and she knows where the bodies are buried, he agrees. Then he spends a little time with the gorgeous PI, and suddenly it seems like a really good plan. The PI doesnāt seem to entirely love the idea, but Noah has never been afraid to go after what he wants.
PI Drew Rodriguez is used to people depending on him. Heās the classic rock for his family. Responsible. Dependable. The classic rock would never succumb to the borderline sleazy temptation of friends with benefits, no matter how sexy that temptation is. Drew is looking for something enduring.
Despite Drewās misgivings, itās not long before theyāve got all the requisites for friends with benefits going. Friendly, good conversation? Check. Fun times in and out of bed? Check. Hot, electrolyte-sapping sex? Double check. Falling in love? Yeah. About thatā¦.
Originally published in April of 2014, Stay With Me (The PI Guys #1) by S.E. Harmon immediately dates itself with continuing references to popular technologies (Walkmans,DVDs), on trend brands, Mom vehicles of the day (Dodge Caravans), and new leading edge wearables like head sets, iTouch and Nanos. Every sentence is a pull back into a framework of cultural references that makes one pause enough to consider the source, and maybe the need for a Google moment.
Kevin McCallister and Home Alone?
I know, I know. š±
How this constant immersion in a dated timeframe affects a reader might depend on their age. Some will feel nostalgic, others mildly irritated, others confused by the ongoing usages of elements they simply arenāt familiar with or donāt understand.
Authors beware the need to appear plugged in or knowledgeable by the overuse of trendy or highly popular technology in your stories. In a few years or more? They and your story are obsolete. Or at best rendered Recent Historic Contemporary Fiction.
Next. Relationship issues with the main characters.
As you can tell this was a problematic book for me. A surprise as I very much like their newer series.
Private investigator Mackenzie Williams has a history of bad relationships. The last one was a āstraight ā lawyer he was in love with, they were saving to move in together, even had a dog. Yet no one outside of his family, knew they were together. Mac, a outwardly gay man , was in the closet when he was around the man he was supposed to move in with. Until that man proposed to another lawyer, a female one.
Mac Williams comes off as a emotionally torn individual ,who in relationships, becomes a doormat.
Itās not especially enjoyable to read about someone who tells himself not to fall instantly for a straight guy again, does so, then proceeds to make all the same errors one shouldnāt make in that situation. With a client too.
Jordan Channing is one flag after another. Engaged to a woman whoās also a good friend. Also believes himself to be straight. Charming. Becomes attracted to Mac. Eventually decides he needs a experiment to see if heās gay. With someone whoās told him not to come after him until heās figured things out. So there no respect of established boundaries. Heās also sees himself as the arbitrator of what is happening in their relationship.
I wonāt go into using someone to figure out if youāre on the Spectrum or not. Nor do I think people should be rushed into figuring out their sexuality.
My issues with the character of Jordan is that he repeatedly lies to Mac about different situations and issues. Gets discovered in those lies, gets angry, then makes Mac feel hugely guilty because heās discovered Jordanās lies .
āBut I did it because I knew youād be upsetā¦ā
Flag!
Is this a couple and relationship Iām supposed to get behind?
The relationships Harmonās written in their latest series donāt seem to have any of these issues. Maybe it was 2014 . I donāt know. But, honestly, whether it was then or now, those things are aspects of a relationship that should be addressed.
Iām going to read the second book in this series to see if itās the authorās take on this couple and characters or the entire series.
Iām confused as to why someone would write such a relationship. Or one that comes across as such to me.
Maybe Iām the only person seeing issues here.
Add that couple, that relationship, to a story full of old brands, past itās time technology, and names rarely heard anymore, and itās no wonder that the smallest issue stood out amongst all of that.
Yes, thereās a happy ending. If you enjoy this couple, then youāll be pleased by the satisfying manner in which the author leaves them.
Overall, the story moves quickly, with only a few places where it seems to slow for emotional issues to resolve.
I hesitated over the rating. Itās well written but I think the issues for me made it less than enjoyable.
Of course, Mackenzie has never been accused of doing the smart thing. Being a smart aleck is more his MO. Relationships arenāt up his alley, never have been. So whyās he so inexplicably drawn to his new client?
Jordan has always been the high achiever, a man who lives in a focused, controlled, and carefully constructed manner. But for the first time in his life, he has to admit the impossibleāanother man is getting his engine running on all cylinders. Despite Jordanās denial, itās not long before he can no longer resist the strong undercurrents pulling them together. Now Jordan must decide if he can go against everything heās ever known to have the only love heās ever wanted.
Amy Aislinās Lighthouse Bay is one of those lovely contemporary romance series thatās continues to resonate with me. Itās the gorgeous setting of Lighthouse Bay, with its small town community, with its variety of people, from itās Mayor to itās Main Street of stores ,whoās owners weāve gotten to know well through the novels.
Weāve loved the townās heartwarming displays at the Christmas season and watched, as they planned, built, and then marched down Main Street for the parades! Aislin has made us feel a part of these people and their community.
Weāre there as they work through their personal issues, cry out and get support and love when facing a health crisis, and when they decide to trust and find true love again.
These are gentle, emotionally adult novels where the people are remarkable in their love for their town, friends and family, and the often slow to romances.
Often a balm to the heart with the gentle love stories, the men here in Sweet to the Core, Dev Stone of Devās Bakery, and Clark Ricci, wildlife biologist, with a little ghostly intervention, get their own story and HEA. Itās that favorite friends to lovers trope.
Dev and Clark have been a part of the previous books as everyone is connected through friendship and family relationships. Dev has had an enduring crush on his older cousinās best friend for decades. Now in his thirties, Dev has no reason to expect their friendship to change anytime soon.
A two person POV, we have a front seat to the resigned state of Devās affections for Clark, the dreams heās letting go of, and the way heās pushing himself at the Bakery. Dev is a believable young man whoās falling into a pattern he soon wonāt know how to get out of.
Clark Ricci, is a man who loves his job, but with his friends settling down, starts to get the uneasy feeling heās missing something.
It takes his fatherās very real, financial issues to launch a change for all of them. With some ghostly assistance that points the way to the Annual Sweet to the Core Apple baking contest.
Aislinās beautifully layered characters, a community with its shops in all stages of financial growth, and a group of citizens that have come to feel like family, full of believable life situations, relationships that require communication and emotional depth, and lots of love, fill Sweet to the Core .
Itās a terrific way for this trilogy to end, however much Iād like it to continue. Or at least end on another Christmas novel.
Iām highly recommending this and all the books of Lighthouse Bay. They are lovely, heartwarming contemporary romances.
Dev has pined for his cousin’s best friend for years, but no matter how hard he wishes, Clark sees him as nothing but a friend. And it’s as a friend that Clark comes to him for help.
Clarkās father is on the brink of losing his house and the fastest way to make a quick buck is to win the $10,000 prize in the inaugural Sweet to the Core apple baking contest. Only problem? He’s never baked anything that hasnāt come out of a box.
But Dev has. As a baker, heās Clarkās best chance.
For the first time, Dev has something Clark wants. Only problem? Dev needs the prize for himself. The only thing he wantsābesides Clarkāis to buy the local lighthouse where he last spent time with his parents before they died.
Working together means opening a lot more than a barrel of apples, though. They may have found the recipe to love.
But will Dev have to give up the only connection he has left to his parents in order to have it? Or will Clark let his father down? They can’t both have everything.
Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortugaās Lone Star series is back with a second chance at love story between former young sweethearts who meet up ages later just when the timing might be right for them to get their HEA.
A longer story, Roped In has the necessary history and time that allows businessman, Jude Sharpe , to reconnect with his former love, rodeo champion , Rope Canutt, just as heās getting ready to retire.
Jude, a widower and single father to 7-year old Silas, is a man who loves his son, enjoys his job, but is missing that love he shared with his husband who died of cancer. Jude is a well-rounded character, easy to recognize, and connect with. A good man and great father.
And Silas is a utter joy to meet and read about. Especially as he changes, committing totally to the ranch and life in Texas. His goats, his chickens. Adorable.
Rope Canutt is not one of those rodeo cowboys whoās dreading retirement. Instead, Rope has listened to his body, all the injuries and steel plate in his head, and recognized that itās time to get out while at the top. Itās his last tour for his sponsors and to finish in the money.
Itās a portrait of a smart man , seasoned by years on the tour and the pain of old injuries. Itās a great character and he meshed well with his old flame , Jude.
The walks in the neighborhood in NYC, the visits in the kitchen. Itās a real pleasure watching the men get reacquainted with each otherās lives, seeing the sparks fly, and Rope start to love Silas.
The dramatic moments here are more about instances that happen in daily life. The huge decisions those that couples make when they decide they will make a future together.
The story, the romance, the family, they are all very realistic and wonderful.
Itās a perfect ending. And those that have come to love these cozy romances as well as readers who love contemporary love stories will throughly enjoy this.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but sometimes distance makes people drift apart.
Rope Canutt has announced his retirement from bull riding and is making the most of his final year on the circuit, riding the big shows and resting in between so he can finish the season on a high note. He isnāt sure whatās next for him. He has no plan yet and nowhere to go, especially since his family sold their ranch a few years back.
Jude Sharpe remembers Rope fondly from their younger days in Austin. Mostly he remembers how hot the rodeo cowboy was and how much fun they had hooking up every time their paths crossed. That was a long time ago, and Judeās been married and lost his husband to cancer in the years since theyāve seen each other. Now heās raising a son alone.
When bull riding comes to New York City, Judeās consulting firm uses their private box to entertain clients from Houston, and Jude brings his son Silas along to see the show. Rope is riding and Jude hopes to introduce Silas to a real bull rider. Theyāve each lived a whole lifetime apart, and Jude and Rope arenāt sure how much they have in common anymore. So will they be drawn to each other when their paths cross again?
The books in this series are standalones and can be read in any order.
Tending Tyler is another of Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortugaās incredibly sweet contemporary cozy cowboy romances. The beginning of the Lone Star series , thatās Texas, ranches, and cowboys, with the addition of cute kids.
Truly you canāt go wrong with those elements and these writers.
Payne and Tortuga have the local lingua and food of the heart down pat, as well as the expected community musts (WallyWorld anyone). Their affection and cellular knowledge of the people and regional landscape add such a richness to this and each story that you know immediately who authored them.
Thereās other aspects too. The instant love factor that needs a firm grounding to make us believe in it and the relationship. As well as the ability to write children, of multiple age groups, realistically.
The character of Tyler McKeehan, a NYC bartender whoās had a lifetime of loss and just undergone another heartbreaking one, is a portrait of lonely vulnerability and stasis.
The recent death of his best friend has him moving in place, from the flow at the gay bar he works at to the overtime that fills his schedule. The tragedy behind Willās death is part of the storyline I feel was underutilized by the authors.
Itās a connection shared by the other main character, rancher Matthew Whitehead. The cowboy had come to NYC for the book fair and ends up with not only boxes of books, but meeting Tyler with whom he shares an immediate bond.
And more , as his sister underwent much the same devastating loss.
With such a strong, emotional topic to help bind the men together, Iām not sure why this thread was dropped altogether. For me, it would have been a deeper journey , full of familial ties, a shared history, and growth.
Instead, for dramatic impact, we had another less developed idea. One that came, hit, then was just as quickly resolved, without much explanation or background.
A shame, because the romance. The welcoming of Tyler by the girls into ranch life, however, overwhelming, was lovely and adorable. Tyler and Matt worked without too much effort as a delightful couple that readers of contemporary romance, and lovers of cowboys, will slide into.
Payne and Tortuga bring along a cast of other fabulous characters to support the love story of Tyler and Matt. These people always make each book so much stronger.
Iām recommending Tending Tyler (Lone Star #1) by Jodi Payne and B.A. Tortuga . Another captivating cozy cowboy romance from these wonderful authors!
Bartender Tyler McKeehan feels like his whole life is on hold. All he does is work and sleep because he doesnāt know how to move on with his day to day after the shocking loss of his best friend. When he meets Matt at Lesās Bar where he works in New York, though, he thinks he might have found someone who can nudge him out of his rut. The cowboy seems to live on fast forward, but at the same time this kind, generous man makes Tyler feel wanted and safe.
Ranch owner Matthew Whitehead is just in New York for a visit. But when he runs into Tyler at Lesās Bar, he knows right away that Tyler is special. Mattās family thinks he makes snap decisions, and they worry about him, but he knows what he wants, and even after just a few days heās willing to fight to keep Tyler in his life. When Matt has to head back to Texas, he asks Tyler to come visit him and meet his kids. Soon.
Tyler doesnāt know if he can pick up and go to Texas, but he misses Mattās affection and calming presence, so when life gets overwhelming, he makes the call. Between Mattās huge, boisterous family, his children, his busy ranch, and the vast differences between New York City and Texas, Tyler wonders every day if he should go back to his old life. Matt is determined to keep Tyler right where he is, but can they overcome the odds against them and make a new life together?
I love this introduction to a new author and a universe whoās fabric is exquisitely complicated, rich with the mythologies of a multitude of cultures and nations, as well as one that has the ability to expand through portals to endless worlds as the investigations require.
Jennifer Codyās Hammer and Fist, as the Field Agentās of the IDIA refer to themselves , is not just one series but as of now, two series. Each with a different character as a focal point.
I havenāt started on the second series, Inferno (Hammer and Fist : Geminatus #1) yet. But we meet that species here and it seems that the two intersect at a horrific mystery and investigation over the investigation into the abduction of species from their home worlds and slave trafficking.
First, Sledge and Claw. Itās fantastic. The beautifully defined characters run the gamut from human (or part human) to Fae to main oneās you need to discover in these pages.
It will start with Lextalion Farrow, FA for the IDIA, Inter-dimensional Immigration Agency. Heās the main, but not only POV. Lex is a mystery that slowly unravels . A top field agent , if not the top, for a somewhat nebulous agency. What that means exactly will be sharply defined, both by his actions and words, as he moves from one investigation to another, each pointing the way to a larger , more horrifying conspiracy of species abduction and slave trafficking.
Cody has crafted some incredibly strong, multidimensional female characters that constantly change as circumstances and relationship dynamics require. To go further would spoil a wonderful element here.
The other man, who is soon to stir things up, is such a strong personality, that you can sense that he will be a bigger player in this book as it continues. He too has secrets.
Thereās Norse gods, mini gods, and a strange spelling of Nidhƶggr, which Iām sure was intentional. I really liked that.
The writing was excellent, the plotting outstanding. And while I say thereās a cliffhanger, the author makes up for it by including a sneak peek at the next in the series, Brick and Brass, which lets us know exactly how that cliffhanger was resolved.
Since we donāt have a release date for book 2, that sneak peek was greatly appreciated and virtually eliminated the angst brought on by the cliffhanger.
All good.
I suspect that we are at the start of the beginning of a foundation of a found family of sorts. It has so many magnificent possibilities.
I was grateful for that sneak peek as I said for book 2. Now I need the actual release date for Brick and Brass!
If you love fantasy fiction, and the potential for new characters, new worlds, and mysteries as well as romances?
My alphabet soup agency recruited me because of my unique blend of magic and innate talent, but those come with a steep price and itās getting harder to pay with every investigation.
I never thought Knoxville would be the place that kills me, but between someone targeting me to get me fired (or start a war; could go either way), taking on a naĆÆve new trainee, and investigating a non-human trafficking ring, it looks like I’m about to bite off more than I can chew.
The question is, can I figure out whatās going on before it all blows up in my face?
Sledge and Claw is an MM Urban Fantasy with triggers for the horrors of slave trafficking and consent issues. There also happens to be a cliffhanger ending
Review notes: at the end of the story is a brief sneak peek at the beginning of Brick and Brass that resolves the cliffhanger. FYI for all that canāt abide cliffhangers!
The Finding Home, The Complete Series, is a splendid collection. I love being able to read one story right after the other of the men of Chi an Mor, House by the Sea.
The first novel is my favorite of the collection. Thatās
š¹Oz.
It hit all my buttons, as far as a contemporary romance, and itās everything Iāve come to expect from a Lily Morton story. Itās alternatively hilarious, so believably authentic that you feel youāre actually seeing the places and people moving through the events as they unfold, smelling the lavender, feeling the salty winds drifting through the warm fields and gardens of the golden stoned manor.
So sure everything exists because they feel so real and grounded for you.
Oz Gallagher and Silas Ashworth , the Earl of Ashworth, are absolute perfection. Oz, small, fierce Irish born Londoner, with his firsts in Art History but a common background that will always insure no reputable firm will hire him, is that quick witted, smart mouthed soul . Heās instantly someone you love. An affair that deepens, page by page.
Itās helped along by Ozās instantaneous connection with Chewwy, a mournful Italian Spinione , who becomes his shadow, to our delight.
Silas, the Earl and local vet, is just as warm and charming as Oz, but in a totally different way. Heās, posh but without the snobbery. Heās Cornish, where the land and house have as deep a hold onto him as for it to be cellular. He loves his land, his people, and , everything about Silas telegraphs that immense connection through Mortonās wonderful descriptions and thoughtful dialogue.
Theirs is a slow paced romance, working through each otherās issues to arrive at a wonderful HEA and heartwarming epilogue.
Thereās so many outstanding secondary characters, many of whom we will see again in other stories, including those in this collection.
5š
š¹Milo is next. This is a more somber story as it deals with issues such as domestic abuse and itās lasting effects upon the person who suffered.
Milo Ramsey had a stutter , caused by a childhood accident, that also made him a target for bullying. This story addresses that as well. The Milo we met in Ozās novel is one thatās had some time to recover.
This story gives us the Milo we hadnāt met yet, the trauma he endured, and the journey he took to recover and recognize the characteristics of the man he loves arenāt like the one who abused him.
Itās one of self-discovery, forgiveness, and bravery.
Thereās a age difference between Milo and Niall. Miloās romance with Niall Fawcett, estate manager to the Earl of Ashworth, that is.
But itās a wonderful romance, and thoughtful story, working through all the serious issues thatās being discussed here, and what that means for Milo, first and their future.
Very satisfying. 4.75.
š¹Gideon is last.
Gideon Ramsey is Miloās older brother, close friend to Niall and Silas. They grew up together at a nearby house, close to Chi an Mor. But where Milo was kept close to home, Gideon, like Silas and Niall , was shipped off to boarding school.
Gideon became a famous actor. Hiding the fact that he was āgay ā on the advice of his toxic agent. The fast lifestyle caught up with him in his late 30ās, drugs, sex, alcohol. Until it almost kills him with a bout of bronchitis.
Enter Milo and Niall, with an intervention of sorts. A cruise and a nurse to transport him to Chi an Mor where heāll recuperate.
Eli Jones is believable as the nurse and engaging. Gideon is acerbic , dryly funny, and charming. The cruise is a great way to have them get to know each other before they land and Eli is off to another job.
I felt there could have been more in the section with Gideonās agent. That happened abruptly. The cottage visit was lovely.
I liked this story but the other two were clear favorites. The epilogue, however, was splendid! I could picture that so easily. What a grand way to send them off.
4.5š
All in all just an amazing collection of stories. I wish Chi an Mor was real and I could pay to visit. Iād be on the next plane out.
One small note just because it bothers me. Of the 3 covers. The one for Oz? Has absolutely no connection to any main character . Oz? Tiny sharp faced black haired blues eyes Irish man. Silas? Tall, black haired, blade like nose Cornishman.
The bestselling Finding Home series is now available in one collection. Set in Cornwall, the series follows a group of friends as they each find love with a lot of heat and humour along the way.
Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home.
However, when he gets there, he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone heās ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years. Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. Heās also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.
Will falling in love be enough to make Oz stop moving at last and realise that heās finally home?
Milo has been burying himself at Chi an Mor, hiding from the wreckage of his once promising career and running from a bad relationship that destroyed what little confidence he had. Niall, his big brotherās best friend, has been there for him that entire time. An arrogant and funny man, Niall couldnāt be any more different from the shy and occasionally stuttering Milo, which has never stopped Milo from crushing wildly on the man who saved him.
However, just as Milo makes the decision to move on from his hopeless crush, he and Niall are thrown into close contact, and for the first time ever Niall seems to be returning his interest. But it can never work. How can it when Milo always needs rescuing?
Content warning: There are descriptions of domestic abuse in this book.
Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards ā he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But itās starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.
Then heās laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon canāt understand. Heās sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, heās unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideonās body weight. As Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon thatās been empty for a long time.
Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that heās worked for?
I am reading Onley Jamesā Necessary Evils series and thought Iād see what else the author had written.
Bad Habits, co-written with Neve Wilder, seemed like it was in a similar vein with assassins, suspense, computer hackers, and characters with a connection between them.
I enjoyed it but found that while the storyline and action was fast paced, letting me finish it pretty quickly, some of the main characters needed something more to make them adhere to the descriptions or personalities the authors intended.
Jonah is supposedly a cold blooded contract killer. He kills a person easily at the beginning of the novel, in keeping with his profile.
But shortly after, his actions are anything but . Heās appearing to be a man forced to kill because circumstances made him a killer, not because heās a psychopath. Years of professionalism are tossed away.
Same goes for Caspian. Heās , according to the storyline and his description, a genius hacker. The only evidence we have of that being believable is the opening scenes in the book. Those dirty, exhausted, raw scenes felt real.
But everything that occurred afterwards from a hacker standpoint needed more attention to detail.
As someone returning home , yes. As a criminal hacker on the run? No. Too many chances taken , over and over.
The characters that felt absolutely perfect? Sadie, Madigan. Ruthless, brutal, perfectly flawed to the point they might be psychotic. Those characters I got behind. They had everything our main characters were lacking.
The plot towards the end was extremely suspenseful and incredibly entertaining. Great ending and wrap up.
Sending those two off made sense because to me they just didnāt seem very believable in their stated job choices to begin with.
Jonah taught Cas a million ways to protect his body but not one to protect his heart.
Smart-mouthed hacker Caspian escaped an abusive home at sixteen. Now heās one of the most sought-after black hatters in the world.
Jonah is a ruthless contract killer with only one weakness, the vibrant runaway he took in years ago: Caspian.
But Cas bailed when he turned eighteen, and Jonah has maintained a steady diet of eat, kill, sleep since then.
Jonah had always been the fatal flaw in Casās code, the bug that froze the part of his brain separating logic from emotion.
A threat to Casās life brings him back years laterānot as the boy Jonah remembers, but as a hardened computer hacker with a price on his head and a list of names everybody wants.
The chemistry between them is as undeniable as it is dangerous.
In a world of secrets and murder, trust is a liability and feelings can get you killed. But Jonah let Cas go once, and heās not willing to do it again. Even if it means confronting his past, solving a twisted puzzle, and taking out half of New York Cityās seedy underbelly to keep Cas safe.
Bad Habits is a steamy, action-packed thrill ride of a romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers. It features morally ambiguous men, pancakes drizzled with snark, chosen family, drive-in movies, and the kind of love that drives a guy to murder in order to protect. In short: all the emo, heat, and sarcasm you’d probably expect from an Onley/Neve collaboration. This is book 1 in the Wages of Sin series. Each book will follow a new couple.
Irresponsible Puckboy is the second in Eden Finley and Saxon Jamesā hockey romance series, Puckboy.
This time itās a good friends to lovers, fake marriage trope story. I was looking forward to it as Tripp Mitchell, one of The Queer Collective, was a interesting character in the first book. The rest of his friends were on him about his one-sided love for his dimwitted best friend and fellow Vegas teammate .
How was that going to play out?
Much as you would expect it seems.
Trippās a well defined character, his pain over the years of hiding his passion and love for Dex is almost awkward to read. Especially when Dex is so hugely oblivious as well as admittedly being not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Itās a two person POV, which helps because while you immediately connect with Tripp, trying to find a way to make a case for someone whoās basically a Golden on the low scale of perception, gets trickier.
Make no mistake ,you believe Dex is a person of little self reflection, with zero concept of life outside of food, and hockey, uh, the basics. But thatās a puppy or a toddler who can skate.
And having to read about Dex as he painfully navigates mentally through the most rudimentary concepts and ideas gets a bit annoying. At one point, after he lets himself into Trippās penthouse unannounced, he actually throws himself between Tripp and the man heās had a one night stand with, the next morning. Dex , while heās in bed with the naked couple, whines about his girlfriend, and wonders why Trippās not exactly thrilled to see him.
Yes, thereās many other questions this scene brings up but you get my issues here.
Once they āfake marryā , the lack of communication in some areas as Dex decides to try on being gay brings up a bunch of issues as well.
Itās no wonder The Queer Collective has so many doubts about them.
Part of this story is Dexā journey to pansexuality and coming out. But as the character was written, he just never felt layered enough or as complete as Tripp.
Iām probably not in the majority here. But this book and couple didnāt strike the same sparks as Ezra and Anton, either on or off the ice.
It was just a little bit lacking on one side.
The business end when dealing with the fallout of their marriage, the press and their managers, and even how the team handled it. That felt believable. Team dynamics are a funny thing , and itās elements like this or certain teammates that can throw a season.
Iām anticipating the next book. Iām hoping it will feature a real bad boy of the Collective. Oskar. Wonāt that be delicious!
If friends to lovers, and fake marriage tropes are your thing. If cute dim boyfriends are part of the storyline? This is the book for you. Itās got a sweet HEA.
The worst part of being in love with my straight best friend is the fact heās too oblivious to see it.
Years of pining have left me exhausted, and I need a break from Dex. I need space to get over my feelings. But when his relationship falls apart and he turns to me for comfort, I cave immediately.
If thereās one thing I hate more than being hurt, itās seeing Dex struggle. I canāt leave him in a time of need, even if my friends say itās my biggest downfall.
They say Dexter Mitchale is my weakness, but if thatās true, I donāt want to be strong.
Dex
Iāve always been the dumb one. Itās what Iām known for, and usually I donāt let it get to me.
I have hockey, and I have my best friend, Tripp. What more do I need? To settle down? No thank you. Marriage? Hard pass. According to ex-girlfriends, that makes me āirresponsible.ā
But the solution I come up with to get over my fear of commitment might be my dumbest idea yet. Not only does it have team management breathing down my neck, but it puts a strain on my friendship with Tripp.
This PR nightmare could lose me the only person Iāve ever loved. Losing girlfriends is nothing. Losing Tripp? Itās not an option.
As the hockey teams are making their run for the Stanley Cup in real life, I had just finished one hockey series and was in need of another when this got my attention.
Egotistical Puckboy, the first in Eden Finley and Saxon Jamesā Puckboy series about hockey players getting their HEA. Needless to say, Iām in.
I so enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance about two egotistical fantastic NHL hockey players. The long time feud, fueled by misconceptions about each other, including oneās sexuality, is so well written.
The bigger than life personalities of both D-man Ezra Palaszczuk and winger Anton Hayes, huge egos to match their vast athletic talents on the ice, itās all there on the page for the reader to love, cackle at, and ,yes, swoon over, as they warily stumble their way into a relationship and romance.
Authors Finley and James are careful that, when crafting this novel , all the important elements are brought in so it feels believable and a world we should want to invest ourselves into.
The games! The way the men fly across the ice, bodies moving, puck flashing, itās pure awesomeness. Itās hockey! You can see these games and ,when or lose (they do both), you feel the emotional impact with them.
The men themselves are layered, their pasts, their passions, their pain.
Ezra Palaszczuk is someone who appears one dimensional, on purpose, but only as a barrier to hide the damage done by negligent , borderline abusive parents and the toll it continues to take on him.
Anton Hayes has his own personal issues to work through and itās his relationship with Ez that allows him the different perspective to start on a new path and journey.
This story has so many great aspects to it. Itās a dynamic hockey book. Itās a sexy romance. Itās a thoughtful conversation about gay athletes in a major sport (see fabulous The Queer Collective element), what it means for queer youth to have representation. Itās also about knowing yourself well enough that youāre finally comfortable and feel safe to come out .
Like I said. Thereās so much to Egotistical Puckboy (Puckboy #1) by Eden Finley and Saxon James. I love this. And Iām highly recommending it.
Thereās a second story out. Iām onto that next.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 