Tag: age gap

Review: Bad Intentions (Intentions Duet #1) by Ella Frank

Rating: 4.5🌈

I go into writing a review for a Ella Frank2 book series fighting the impulse to combine my reviews for both stories into one. Usually I’ve read both novels, one right after the other. And also because each story is truly one half of the same book.

Good Intentions (Intentions Duet #2) literally starts with Marcus’ perspective on the phone call that Gabe just hung up on at the end of this story.

So the flow is virtually seamless.

Bad Intentions marks the start of the relationship between Gabriel Romero, a soon to be PA at a law firm, and Marcus St. James, President of cable news giant ENN.

It starts off on what was supposed to be a hot encounter at an exclusive work party where Gabe used someone else’s name to get close to a powerful, but hugely gorgeous man he wants to meet.

What could go wrong?

Frank gives us the consequences of that action in such deliciously awkward, yet clever scenes that pack a emotionally powerful punch. It’s full of chemistry, confusion, and the sheer need to keep pursuing the other man. For both Gabe and Marcus.

One of the many elements I enjoyed about this Duet of novels is the surprises the author has in store for both the readers and her character when it comes to the layers she’ll peel back with regard to who these men really are and what they’re looking for in the future.

They are much deeper then they originally appear. I really appreciated that depth of personality.

Another is the age gap. Although there’s a large one as the men are written, the difference in ages isn’t a barrier because it’s a plus as far as Gabe is concerned. And any reference is a playful and interesting one.

The same goes for the notable difference in wealth and achievement. It’s talked about, and instead of a inequality that’s a barrier, Gabe’s looks towards Marcus’s wonderful achievements as goals of his own he also fully intends to realize. A healthy understanding, that includes a great recognition of his own brilliance.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s part of having read both stories.

The story here is their struggles to figure out what they want to be to each other and how that would work given each other’s goals.

All big realistic questions. Especially when both men have little, or in the case of Marcus, no experience being in a relationship.

Ella Frank’s writing is crisp, often humorous, with a clever turn of phrase that had me grinning page after page.

I have such affection for these characters.

They are entertaining and their stories interwoven with those of the couples around them. So you can finish these and then go binge on their series as well.

But first, gather up both Bad Intentions and Good Intentions. Then read them, one right after the other for a marvelously entertaining, and quite lovely romance!

I’m highly recommending both!

Intentions Duet:

Bad Intentions #1

Good Intentions #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showBad Intentions (Intentions Duet, #1) by Ella Frank – Goodreads

Synopsis:

My name isn’t Logan Mitchell, but Marcus St. James doesn’t know that…

When I showed up at my roommate’s work party, the last thing I expected was to find a man straight out of my dreams. But when the crowd parted and the fates aligned, there he was, waiting for me. Marcus St. James, president of ENN WorldWide News.

Sexy and powerful, with a stare that could freeze you in place, Marcus was the perfect reward for securing a job at Mitchell & Madison, the best law firm in Chicago. To play with the big fish, however, one must become a big fish, and that’s where my little white lie began.

It was one night. I was never going to see him again, and from the second we spoke, I knew he was interested. It was there in his eyes, the same fire in my veins. It was there in his voice, whenever he said my name.

The only problem? It wasn’t my name, and now I wanted more—much more.

But how can anything good come out of something that started with such bad intentions?


Bad Intentions is the first book in the Intentions Duet.

Review: The Botanist’s Apprentice ( Flos Magicae #1) by Arden Powell

Rating: 4.25🌈

The Botanist’s Apprentice is the first in Arden Powell’s Flos Magicae series about a world where magic and magical studies exist, if somewhat uneasily.

A slow burn romance builds around the shared love of two mens passion and study of deadly plants. That’s such a fascinating idea that’s gets even more marvelous when the author creates a few charismatic, albeit horrifying deadly flora to add into the story as a main element.

Eli Katz is all young enthusiasm, , his intense passion for and research about deadly plants have led him to the very man and his well known greenhouse that can help him achieve his dreams. Powell ‘s Katz is believable, adorable in his intensity, and grounded in the way he views his new surroundings and Mr . Robert Lord-Harding. It’s both with the highest respect. And , to himself, acknowledging a growing attraction.

Robert Lord-Harding starts off as the lonely stiff researcher, who upon realizing he’s met a kindred spirit , starts to share his passion, watching with a quiet joy.

I love this aspect of the story. The beginning of their journey together as he opens his amazing greenhouse to Eli for the first time…

This story is short but has some unexpected moments and elements to it. Ones that brings chills, a gasp or two, and a lovely epilogue.

I started this trilogy with the much darker Winter’s Dawn so wasn’t expecting the lightness , joy of magic, or a slow burn romance. Even with killer plants. I always appreciate a deadly bit of flora!

Love it! Highly recommending this and the much darker bookend to this trilogy, Winter’s Dawn. Now to finish it up.

Flos Magicae:

🔹The Botanist’s Apprentice #1

🔹The Batchelor’s Valet #2

🔹Winter’s Dawn #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Botanist’s Apprentice (Flos Magicae, #1) by Arden Powell – Goodreads

Recent college graduate Eli Katz is desperate to continue his studies in the field of magical botany. When a family friend arranges an apprenticeship for him with the most famous botanist in the country, Eli leaps at the chance without asking questions.

Robert Lord-Harding is a reclusive bachelor with an interest in dangerous plants. What he’s not interested in is another apprentice—especially not after the scandal of his last one. But, intrigued by Eli’s research, he offers Eli the chance to prove himself and earn access to his greenhouse.

Ever the keen student, Eli thrives under the attention. And if Lord-Harding is younger and more attractive than Eli had imagined, and if his teaching methods are more hands-on . . . Well, it’s not the first time Eli has had a crush on an instructor. It doesn’t mean he has to act on it.

But Eli and Lord-Harding aren’t the only ones in the greenhouse. A carnivorous plant that emits pheromones to lure men into its deadly embrace has been watching them flirt for weeks. Its pollen is irresistible, and it has certain effects on male physiology that make it impossible to ignore. Eli and Lord-Harding might be able to resist their attraction to each other, but resisting the man-eater is something else altogether.

The Botanist’s Apprentice is an 18,000-word standalone fantasy short with an HEA.

Review: Bad Habits (Wages of Sin #1) by Onley James and Neve Wilder

Rating: 4🌈

I am reading Onley James’ Necessary Evils series and thought I’d 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 . He’s appearing to be a man forced to kill because circumstances made him a killer, not because he’s a psychopath. Years of professionalism are tossed away.

Same goes for Caspian. He’s , 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 didn’t seem very believable in their stated job choices to begin with.

The rest was terrific.

Wages of Sin:

🔹Bad Habits #1

🔹Play Dirty #2

🔹Head Games #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showBad Habits (Wages of Sin, #1) by Onley James – Goodreads

Synopsis:

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 he’s 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 Cas’s code, the bug that froze the part of his brain separating logic from emotion.

A threat to Cas’s life brings him back years later—not 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 he’s not willing to do it again. Even if it means confronting his past, solving a twisted puzzle, and taking out half of New York City’s 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.

Review: Dead Over Heals (Blackhaven Manor #6) by Arden Steele

Rating: 3.25🌈

Dead Over Heals gives us another unusual pairing and storyline. The local sheriff, a werewolf, has been in several of the stories, especially the last couple that have involved hate groups against Otherlings.

Now Sheriff Vander Hale finds his mate when Fritz Tolliver is sent over by Skye Maddox to inquire about the open position there.

Fritz is adorably bumbling, as well as astonished to find that the silver haired werewolf is claiming to be his fated mate. He also sees dead people.

Unfortunately, moments later he’s also being haunted by a nasty ghost who seeks to undermine their relationship and his positivity.

Fritz was a harder character for me to connect with. I’m not sure I understood the mate bond here between the two as I kept expecting Vander Hale to sense the ghost and at least realize his mate wasn’t communicating everything that was happening.

Either way, this just was a odd story with most of it dealing with Fritz and his ghost, then eventually the resolution of removing the ghost and the romance.

There was a funny aspect to the ghost where he was mistakenly moved to another, but it was short lived.

For me, this was the story that misses the mark. And that could just be my perspective.

Read it because you’re reading the series and you’re curious as to who the Sheriff got as a mate.

Blackhaven Manor Series:

✓ Purrfect Harmony #1

✓ Night and Fae #2

✓ Dragon It Out #3

✓ Grin and Bear it #4

✓ Pixie Little Liar #5

✓ Dead Over Heals #6

◦ Silent Knight #7

https://www.goodreads.com › showDead Over Heels (Blackhaven Manor #6) by Arden Steele – Goodreads

Synopsis:

It’s been twelve years since the Awakening. Otherlings are out of the paranormal closet. The whole world knows that creatures like vampires, werewolves, and witches exist. So, seeing dead people barely even rates on the freaky scale. Right?

Wrong.

Fritz Tolliver figures he must have done something terrible in a previous life to be afflicted with such a curse. In fact, every bad thing that has ever happened to him can be traced back to his unwanted ability. So, when a stupidly hot werewolf who’s way out of his league claims to be his mate, he should be thrilled. And he probably would have been if he hadn’t gone and gotten himself haunted by a nasty spirit on the same day.

When a human male strolls into the station asking for a job—and promptly spills an entire Americano on him—Sheriff Vander Hale has a feeling it’s going to be a bad day. Then, the door opens, the wind shifts, and suddenly, his whole world changes. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his mate, no battle he wouldn’t wage, even if his enemy is technically already dead. Unfortunately, there’s just one problem with his plan.

He’d go to hell and back for Fritz, but how is he supposed to fight something he can’t see?

Review: The Bachelor and the Cherry (Campo Royale #2) by V.L. Locey

Rating: 5🌈

The Bachelor and the Cherry is one of my favorite V.L. Locey stories. It also takes place in a series and universe that’s shaping up to be up among the very top of those as well. Which is pretty amazing, considering how much I adore her hockey series and romances.

But the Campo Royale , with its strong air of being everything from a great performance hall to a sanctuary for those stumbling in from the harsh reality of a world of family rejection, disownment, religious intolerance, and abuse, becomes that place you don’t want to leave.

Presiding over it all, is the fabulous, beautiful, and sharp tongued Mother Sitka Patel. Drag Queen Superior, owner of Campo Royale, and at the moment, still in withdrawal from the last devastating relationship.

Outside of drag, he’s Jordan Stevens, 50 years of trying to escape the effects of aging and the results of some very bad relationships. Jordan/Mother Sitka is such a magnificent character. I could see her clear as crystal, from her sarcastic wit to the warmth with which she embraces her girls and club. The wealth of the years of experience that Locey layers into her makes Sitka/Jordan such a powerfully emotionally complicated individual that your belief in them never falters.

Yampier Perez is equally strong as the naive, hopeful southern boy, determined he’s got talent to make it, no matter how many times someone beats him down. Or up.

Even if it’s his Cuban family who’s fists are flying.

So many Yampier Perez out there. Runaways, throw aways… so few lucky enough to end up outside of a Campo Royale. Heartbreaking.

The extended Campo Royale cast of found family , the Queens, their friends and boyfriends, the other employees, everyone contributing such warmth, genuine layers of humor and snark, that adds such richness here.

The relationship, friendship, and then romance is such a satisfying journey to read and watch develop. I just curled up and was so invested in this story that I couldn’t put it down.

A Drag Queen is that very embodiment of fierceness, bravery, courage, and strength. Someone, at whatever level, whatever gender, is expressing their truth for all to see! It’s beautiful, and fabulous!

The Bachelor and the Cherry (Campo Royale #2) by V.L. Locey allows us a glimpse into a slice of that world.

I’m highly recommending it. And the author if you’re not familiar with her!

Campo Royale series:

🔹The Viking and the Drag Queen #1

🔹The Bachelor and the Cherry #2

https://bit.ly/3jR9RHU

Synopsis:

Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?

Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isn’t always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well, until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.

From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday he’d be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sister’s prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.

The Bachelor and the Cherry is a gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.

Check Out This Fabulous Romance by VL Locey!

 

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Length: 63,000 word approx.

Campo Royale Series

Book #1 – The Viking and the Drag Queen – All Buy Links

Is he brave enough to stop hiding behind his persona and give love one final try?

Jordan Stevens has crammed a lot of living into his fifty years. Some of those years have been good, some bad, and some he would just as soon forget. The world isn’t always kind to an aging queen. Lovers begin to scamper into forbidden fields, your padding tends to slip, and you spend more time with egg whites than most pastry chefs. Heartache is nothing new to the man who embodies the acid-tongued Sitka Patel on stage every night, which led Jordan to vow to never trust another man under eighty again. He has his club, his drag family, and his Bombay cat, Heckle. Who needs the hassle? That philosophy had served him well until a stunning young thing with dark chocolate eyes shows up at the back door of Campo Royale with a suitcase, a sad story, and a dream.

From the time he was old enough to spell the word sequin, Yampier Perez knew that someday he’d be wearing them. One of three children born to Cuban immigrants, Yampier was always a little glitzier than the other neighborhood boys. His love of fashion design and performance arts was barely tolerated at home and even less so in the hallways of his rural Georgia high school. Yet, Yampier never let his light to be doused, not even the day his older brother caught him modeling his sister’s prom dress. Beaten, disowned, and on his own before graduation, he found himself having to work seedy jobs, doing even seedier things, until he saved enough cash to head to the Big Apple. That money has now run out, leaving him stuck in Wilmington with no food, no place to stay, and no family. Little does he know that stumbling into the Campo Royale Club, half frozen and weak from hunger, is about to bring him everything he has yearned for.

The Bachelor and the Cherry is a slow burn gay age gap romance that features an aging drag queen, a virginal newcomer, lots of sass, wigs galore, hurt/comfort, family found, and a richly sequined happy ending.

USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

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Review: Deal Maker (Mixed Messages #2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 5 🌈

I know I’m in for a grand time when I haven’t even gotten through the first page and I’m laughing at the verbal antics and eagerly anticipating the author’s next steps.

Morton starts off each book with pertinent and moving quotes. Here it then goes a bit further.

Each chapter begins with a hilarious letter to a fan, “reportedly “, from movie star Asa Jacobs, 44, single father to the adorable Billy, age 5.

How they come about is part of this marvelous romance between two men who have sworn off relationships because of the pain, disappointment, and history behind them.

That’s such a simplified version of Deal Maker. This is a story where you’re be laughing at the oh so real…yes I recognize that…antics of Billy the 5 year old or giggling in anticipation at the stuff Jude is no doubt planning because of, nope. Read the story.

Jude Bailey is a masterpiece of a character along with Asa Jacobs. Morton writes complicated people so beautifully.

Jude’s model gorgeous exterior hides a razor sharp wit, a kind heart, and a fierce loyalty towards those he loves. His history is revealed slowly, in texts, phone conversations, and eventually an emotional exhale of history that brought him to his career and situation.

Asa Jacobs is a older huge man. Big physically, capable of an enormous range of emotions, chillingly cold to rage, to a man who deeply loves his son. Also someone carrying immense pain from a past relationship .

His household consists of equally unique characters whose personalities will become as memorable as those of the main characters.

There’s so many downright hilarious scenes here , also characters like Dean that honestly deserve their own gloriously Dim award. He’s magnificent in his own way. And I’ll just say it. Hamster! Love it!

Also deeply moving scenes that dig deep to show our mens fear, doubt, growing love, and resolve to protect those they care about the most.

The Jude’s parents and the entire Devon section was intimate and inviting. It felt like family.

This is one of those stories where at the end you’ll find that your face hurts from smiling so hard and your heart feels so warm. You feel that great!

It’s on my comfort read list now.

I’m highly recommending Deal Maker (Mixed Messages #2) by Lily Morton. It’s plain romance magic!

Mixed Messages:

✓ Rule Breaker #1

◦ Goodbye, Fletcher #1.2

◦ Jude’s Intervention #1.3

◦ Scrambled Eggs and Lemsip #1.5

◦ The Valentine Do-Over #1.7

✓ Deal Maker #2

◦ Risk Taker #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showDeal Maker (Mixed Messages, #2) by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Available in Kindle and paperback formats

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

Also available in Audiobook format

AMAZON

AUDIBLE US

AUDIBLE UK

AUDIBLE DE

AUDIBLE FR

Synopsis:

Sometimes your mouth makes deals that your heart can’t honour.

Jude is a highly successful model, but a very reluctant one. His life is full of casual hook-ups with pretty men in glamorous locations, but it’s still empty. However, circumstances decreed a long time ago that this was his path, so he’s resolutely stayed on it and accepted his fate with good grace. He made a deal with himself and his hook-ups. Get in, get out and no ties with anyone.

However, an accident at home one night leads to him making a new deal and accepting the offer of help from an unlikely source. It leads to an unexpected summer of falling in love with a larger than life man and his child.

But by the end of the summer his reasons for not staying are still valid. Will he turn away? Can he?

Asa is a talented actor who has spent time away from the scene to look after his son. But now he’s back, and the last thing he needs are complications from the gorgeous man who is staying with him. Scarred from too many betrayals, he has no intention of forming a lasting tie with anyone. However, he can’t resist the beautiful man with secrets, and to his horror he develops feelings.

But a deal’s a deal and they said it was just for the summer. What can Asa do with a man who has forever in his eyes and goodbye on his lips?

This is the second book in the Mixed Messages series but it can be read as a standalone.

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

Rating: 4 🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plus there’s this.

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

Made. Not makes. Past tense.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gorgeous cover!

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

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

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

Synopsis:

The silver-fox and the faux bodyguard…

Sebastian Rourke

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

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

Okay…a lot.

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

Trent

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

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

Even though it might cost me everything.

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

Review: Rule Breaker (Mixed Messages #1) by Lily Morton

Rating: 3.5🌈

Lily Morton is a go to author for me. Her stories are full of humor, believable situations, and emotional, relationships that have the ability to have you laughing and sniffing, sometimes at the same time.

There’s often one particular element I can find, not even a major one, that will have me wanting to sink down into a comfy chair somewhere close by, and become a part of this aspect of that storyline.

For Rule Breaker, it’s Dylan Mitchell’s family and farm. The kitchen especially with its ancient wooden table, full of marks from all the years of the family life it’s seen. You want to sink into their family and ask to join in, stay for a while, become part of the warmth, and believable loving family dynamics that Morton has given us, and Dylan. I could enjoy an entire story with this family! I didn’t get nearly enough time with them.

The romance between Dylan and his boss, Gabe Foster, suffered because, unlike other books, their relationship felt somewhat toxic to me. A fact that even Gabe would admit to.

Gabe Foster is an emotionally damaged man. His past and adolescence haunted by parents and an event that’s slowly revealed in the story. That childhood trauma has caused him to withdraw behind high walls, and to choose a life of noncommitment with his sex partners, guarding his privacy as well as anything truly personal from those around him. He is, by his own words, cold and selfish.

Dylan is the very antithesis of Gabe. Outgoing, funny, gregarious, he draws people to him simply by being interested in them, and everything around him. He’s open, vulnerable, and giving.

Dylan is the pov for 90 percent of the story and , for me, that’s a mistake. In order for Gabe to be likable or at least someone we can understand, we need to see beyond his unfortunate words and mean spirited actions. With the extremely relatable and adorable Dylan as our narrator, we hear the warnings from others about Gabe, and see the toxic behavior Gabe is exhibiting, and want to shout “run”.

It’s not until we start to get Gabe’s perspective, (at 90% ) , then given his damaging back history, that Gabe becomes someone who’s not a total cad, but perhaps a person in need of therapy and something more.

A note here, given the nightmares and his severe trauma, I’m not sure why his friend Henry never tried getting Gabe into some sort of therapy. That’s a question for me here for Morton.

The last ten percent of the story is captivating. They make a wonderful, charming couple. I needed more of this. Less of what came before or more of Gabe’s viewpoint.

I liked this ending. Loved the family and actually looking forward to Jude’s story. There’s some terrific stuff here. But there’s also some things that left me puzzled.

Lily Morton characters are realistic and the situations believable. Otherwise, why would I be picking at them? But it’s the romance I’m thinking about. It’s not my favorite of hers. She has some that are my absolute must rereads!

If you’re a Lily Morton fan, pick it up and tell me what you think!

Rule Breaker (Mixed Messages, #1) by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Is it really wrong to want to murder your boss?

Dylan has worked for Gabe for two years. Two long years of sarcastic comments. Two long years of insults, and having to redo the coffee pot four times in the mornings to meet his exacting standards.

Not surprisingly he has devoted a lot of time to increasingly inventive ways to murder Gabe. From stabbing him with a cake fork, to garrotting him with his expensive tie, Dylan has thought of everything.

However, a chance encounter opens his eyes to the attraction that has always lain between them, concealed by the layers of antipathy. There are only two problems – Gabe is still a bastard, and he makes wedding planners look like hardened pessimists.

But what happens when Dylan starts to see the real Gabe? What happens when he starts to fall in love with the warm, wary man that he sees glimpses of as the days pass?

Because Gabe is still the same commitment shy, cold man that he’s always been, or is he? Has Dylan had the same effect on Gabe, and has his solid gold rule of no commitment finally been broken? With his heart taken Dylan desperately needs to know, but will he get hurt trying to find the answers?

From the author of ‘The Summer of Us’ comes another scorchingly hot romantic comedy, showing what happens between two men when rules get broken.

This is the first book in the Mixed Messages series but it can be read as a standalone.

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.