Review: Dearest Malachi Keogh (Dearest Milton James #1.5) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.75 🌈

Dearest Malachi Keogh is a wonderful, romantic Christmas sequel to that incredible heartwarming novel Dearest Milton James. That story is easily in my top ten contemporary romances this year, maybe top five as it ticks so many of my emotional narrative boxes.

Dearest Malachi Keogh picks up four years later with Julian Pollard and Malachi Keogh a happily established couple, living together with a rescue cat, and with families content with their relationship.

Also back and intact is our quirky, deeply endearing ,or in Paul’s case weirdly fascinating, small family like staff at the Dead Letters Department at the Mail Office. What a great lot they are! The more I see of them the more of them I want to see! Love each and every one!

Once more the use of a letter mystery is employed here, this time by Julian himself. What we get is a beautiful blend of emotions, poetry, mystery, and joint efforts by everyone! All towards one romantic goal for Malachi and Julian.

My only thoughts here are that I wish the author had somehow utilized the whole Dearest Malachi to even greater effect.

I remember all those Dearest Milton James, as will anyone who read that story and the effect they had on me as well as the characters who read them. And I feel we had just gotten started before it was over. I wanted more, something longer, but it certainly was deeply heartfelt .

“Merry Christmas, my love” is sigh worthy.

This was a lovely, happy, wonderful and, yes, sexy, Christmas sequel to a amazing contemporary romance.

It’s really not a standalone story but needs to be read in tandem with the first I’ve referenced throughout this review.

Haven’t read that one? You’re in for a huge treat! Grab up both stories and read one right after the other.

Read the first? Then you’ll love this! It’s the HEA you’ve been waiting for. Although NR Walker shouldn’t be surprised if people start crying out for Malachi and Julian’s wedding. There’s got to be some missing invitations tie in.

And yes to the author for that rescue cat. Leaving that neighbors cat behind bothered me and this was a great solution. I know I know. You can’t go about swiping other peoples cats but still
.

Ty. Extra point for that cat.

Yes, I’m highly recommending this.

Dearest Milton James series:

Dearest Milton James #1

Dearest Malachi Keogh #1.5

Synopsis:

Julian Pollard never believed in love at first sight. That was until he met Malachi Keogh. Well, maybe it wasn’t love at first sight, but it sure was something.

Julian had forgotten how to live, how to be happy, and Malachi changed all that. Now together for four years, Julian wants to give Malachi a Christmas he’ll never forget.

The only problem is, Christmas at a mail distribution centre is the busiest time of the year. It just might take the whole team to make it happen.

Dearest Malachi Keogh is a 13,000-word short story.

Dearest Malachi Keogh

Review: Black Tie (Overtime #3,5) by V.L.Locey

Rating: 3.5 🌈

Black Tie is that lovely macaroon, light, colorful, sweet, a perfect bite! Here the novella is a delightful send off to the Overtime series by giving Jackie Blue and Martin their intimate family wedding and a goodbye to everyone as they sail off, or in this case fly off to their honeymoon and new life together.

There’s nothing especially angst filled, no real drama, just a final look at the characters, as families and friends gather for a simple, quick ceremony and a flurry of laughter as everyone waves them off.

It’s a closure and a love letter by the author to fans of these men and at least two series.

I happen to love macaroons and think this was charming.

If you’re a fan of this series, you will too.

Synopsis:

Falling in love was easy. Saying ‘I do’ is proving to be the tricky part.

Now that he’s lived with the man of his dreams for close to two years, Jackie Blue Kalinski is finally ready to tie the knot. It’s not that he didn’t want to walk down the aisle sooner, but life kept putting obstacles in the way of the nuptials. A big move from Boston to Brooklyn, changing colleges, family being family, and juggling school while working in New York’s fashion district have stifled wedding plans. Add in that Martin seems to be speeding headlong into a midlife crisis, and it’s no wonder it’s taken them this long to get things moving. But now that the final stitches have been made on the wedding outfits, it’s full steam ahead to that happily ever after

Overtime Series complete:

Rebound #1

Final Shot #2

Draw #3

Black Tie #3.5 – a Overtime novella

https://www.goodreads.com â€ș showWeb resultsBlack Tie – An Overtime Novella (Overtime #3.5) by V.L. Locey – Goodreads

Review: Forget-Me-Not by V.L Locey

Rating: 3.5 🌈

This is just an adorable holiday hockey romance with just the right touch of nerd romance.

We have gamers, a cute ferret, a cuddly florist in his forties yearning for love, and a outright gorgeous younger hockey player who just so happens to be playing the online RPG game our florist is.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and a team event that suddenly is in need of arrangements. Voila! Meet cute and a sweet and engaging story that follows.

It’s short and definitely a HFN but you can see them gaming happily into the future. They are a sweet and absolutely compatible couple.

I could wish for a sequel and another holiday with this couple in mind. Need a quick sweet romance?

Check this out. It’s lovely.

Synopsis:

Is it possible that the soft smile and furtive looks from Bailey are flirtatious, or is Hadley just living in a floral fantasy world?

It was supposed to be just another day in the life of Hadley Burton.

Wake up alone, go to work at his flower shop, go home, eat a frozen dinner, play his favorite online fantasy game, go to bed. Alone. So when his shop gets a frantic call from a harried guy from the Albany Beavers hockey team, looking for flowers for the annual Mother’s Trip wrap-up dinner, he’s stunned and thrilled. Working like a madman, Hadley and his lone employee burn the midnight oil and arrive at the arena just in time to place the centerpieces and meet a few of the players.

Thinking that this business boon was the best thing that could happen to him, he’s not at all ready to run into Bailey Rust, the considerably younger phenom forward of the Beavers. Nor is he prepared to discover that Bailey is a huge gamer and is the prettiest thing he has seen in years. After an hour spent talking gaming, the two go their separate ways. Until Bailey shows up at the flower shop the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that

https://www.goodreads.com â€ș showWeb resultsForget Me Not by V.L. Locey – Goodreads

Age gap, meet cute, holiday romance, gamers, m/m hockey romance, nerd/jock

Review: Christmas Lane (Lighthouse Bay #1) by Amy Aislin

Rating: 4.5 🌈

As we head into November, it’s time for the Holiday stories (and movies) to start being released.

And for those of us who love to read them (and watch them) to start our holiday feasting!

First up for me was the first in this adorable Amy Aislin Christmas series Lighthouse Bay. Currently running at two books, both holiday novels, it’s a great way to dive into your seasonal reading.

Christmas Lane is a heartwarming age gap, friends to lovers romance set in the appropriately snowy New England (and Hallmarky) town getting ready for its Christmas parade! It doesn’t get more holidayish ( I’m on a roll with yes, those absolutely should be words thing) then that.

Zach Greenfeld’s helping out his sister in the family’s, now hers, store while figuring out his next step. Turns out he gets roped into running the town’s parade, since event planning is his specialty, and ends up next to his forever crush.

Holland Stone, former teacher, now exclusive dollhouse maker and float designer 
 of his own. And Zach’s crush.

The slow burn romance between Zach and Holland occurs through a parade day countdown format which I love. Day by day as we get closer to the actual parade, the men grow closer through planning the parade, the details of each float, the disasters the arise, the community as it works together and the overall sense of achievement and love that pervades this story.

Everyone and everything has such warmth and depth to it. It may all be covered with the rosy glow of Christmas but by the end there’s no place or town and with no couple you’d rather be spending your time with.

Christmas Lane is charming, heartwarming and romantic. Just a marvelous way to start your holiday reading. I highly recommending it.

Lighthouse Bay series:

Christmas Lane #1

Gingerbread Mistletoe #2

Synopsis:

It’s recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld’s favorite time of the year and he’s just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush–Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float–Santa’s sleigh–gets damaged.

Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa’s sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.

Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.

Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!

Christmas Lane (Lighthouse Bay, #1)

Review: Risking the Shot (Stick Side #4) by Amy Aislin

Rating: 4.5 🌈

It’s officially hockey season again and I’d thought I’d celebrate by reviewing a hockey romance by a favorite author who loves this sport and it’s athletes as much as I do.

This sport seems to attract wonderful writers who are just as obsessed by its fast paced athleticism and unbelievable drama on ice as it’s gorgeous international teams of talented, intense athletes.

Lucky us, the readers!

Risking the Shot is the fourth story in Aislin’s Side Stick series, a fantastic group of hockey romances if you aren’t familiar with it yet. Mostly centered around a certain group of LGBTG players in various stages of coming out, finding love, and what the ramifications are for their careers in the NHL, it’s a great and varied journey.

Taylor “Tay” Cunningham, a forward for Toronto is bisexual and at ease with his sexuality. However, he’s ready to come to come out to the public,tired of hiding his truth. It’s a matter of timing. There’s his team’s run for the playoffs, his college courses, and then the new guy he’s seriously crushing on, the single dad from the Foundation.

Tay is such a likable, well rounded character. Easy to picture, so relatable and adorable. The issues he has that become clear? They are ones people see in other families and can connect to.

The man he’s crushing on? Single dad and part-time baker Dakota Cotton, brother to another NHL player in Burlington ( we will see him later). Dakota comes with a realistic and absolutely adorable 4 year old boy, Andy.

The relationship and work the men do on themselves, the trust issues, communication channels, goals for themselves and as a couple
 we watch it all get worked through with so much love and care. With a great amount of very hot sex thrown in. Fans self. Plus the added joy of a growing family dynamics with Andy who has his own abandonment issues because of his mother.

I love this little family group so much.

The wonderful addition of the quirky, fascinating characters flowing around them is just that depth of storytelling that gives this series that spice and oomph to make it stand out.

I’m really not ready for book 5 to roll out, not if it means an end to another hockey series. Sigh. I mean the season just got started.

Yes I’m highly recommending this and the series. Start reading in the order they are written. And enjoy!

On an aside note. If you love scotch, this is also a wonderful tour through some of the best scotch brands out there. I’m a scotch person myself and while the author listed many I was familiar with and had tasted, she had some that were complete unknowns and had me making notes. Ty, Amy Aislin!

Synopsis:

Time for distractions? Hardly.

A chance at making the playoffs? It’s a dream for NHL forward Taylor Cunningham that just might come true. If he can keep his eyes on the ball—ahem, puck. And study for midterms. Dakota Cotton, eleven years his senior, isn’t just a distraction, though—he’s everything Tay’s ever wanted.

Dakota has no interest in introducing someone who might not stick around to his four-year-old son. Been there, done that, with the divorce to prove it. But there’s something about Tay that hits all of the right buttons and has him wanting to take a chance.

As things heat up between them, and the pressure to succeed hits an all-time high, will they risk a shot at happiness or choke?

Side Stick series:

On the Ice #1

Christmas On the Ice #1.5

A Valentines Trade #1.7

The Nature of the Game #2

The Nature of Christmas #2.5

Shots on Goal #3

Risking the Shot #4

Calder & Lacroix #4.1

Two-Man Team #5

-Fifth and final story to come

https://www.goodreads.com â€ș showWeb resultsRisking the Shot (Stick Side #4) by Amy Aislin – Goodreads

Review: Stud (Four Bears Construction #5) by K.M. Neuhold

Rating: 5 🌈

Stud, the fifth novel in the Four Bears Construction series, is a great example why one should read these stories in the order they were written.

Over the past four novels and romances, we’ve watched the West and Sawyer drama.

Or non drama. Because, although a stone could tell how much in love West has been with the bar owner since the first time they met, Sawyer has firmly kept West in the friend zone, if that. Book after book, glances, even a trip to Hawaii which we get caught up on here, we have seen these two men in serious denial/want about each other.

But in Stud, everything changes. And per this series,the swing in dynamics starts off hilariously. Omg, China dolls! Nope, no spoilers.

West , the nephew of Dare’s (Stone’s mechanic husband),has been a great character throughout the series. He’s been supportive, funny, all the while going through his own amount of personal growth as a young man and craftsman. He’s amazing. So I’ve been waiting for him to get his man and HEA.

Neuhold not only obliges with a funny, warm-hearted romance but an unexpected reunion that gives us all a wonderful closure.

Sawyer has been a peripheral character , one we see at Wooley’s, the bar he inherited from Gus , it’s previous owner, snd the gangs favorite hangout.

In Stud, Sawyer’s past , as astonishingly does Gus’s in a remarkably poignant story element, comes into focus. We see exactly why he’s held West at a distance for so long despite his feelings, and the turmoil inside him when West declares he’s going to start dating.

That declaration jumpstarts Sawyer and his mixed up heart and mind on a strange, funny and quite wonderful path to HEA with West , a restored Victorian, and a bunch of feathered kids. Oh my.

One element I’ve adored in each book has been the great pet/animal(s) per couple. I have sometimes forgotten to mention it. Shame on me because it’s a terrific part of each story and couple.

So here’s the list so far
.

Four Bears Construction series animals:

đŸ””Caulky #1: Cole and Ren’s bees

đŸ””Nailed #2: Stone and Dare: Rudy and Nard Dog

đŸ””Hardwood #3, Ev and Watson, Hedgehog

đŸ””Screwed #4 Ollie and Daniel: Monty the Python

đŸ””Stud #5, West and Sawyer: Huey, Luey, Duey, Darkwing

đŸ””Stripped #6, Miller and Dem,

Mars and at the end Shelldon, omg so adorable. Yes review to come. Yes tortoises!

đŸ””Drilled #7 the finale. Apollo and Ridge, cat Log
 been waiting to see a cat tbh. Review to come


How do you not love a series that folds in such great animals along with sensitive and funny romances?

That’s easy to answer. I do. I do love them.

Each different and great couple, each amazing path to love and HEA.

I don’t have many left. Sort of dreading saying goodbye. But not yet. A few to go.

What a wonderful, heartwarming and joy filled journey it’s been so far.

Like all the others, I hope you’re on this one with me. I highly recommend this one . Stay with me till the end .

Stud: A boss, knob, or nail head…or, you know, the hot guy who’s way too young to keep asking me out with that adorably earnest smile 


It’s been three years since West walked into my bar and asked me out for the first time. I was relieved he stopped asking after the first few “no”s and a way-too-good-to-be-real kiss. He’s fifteen years younger than I am; it can only lead to trouble.

Of course, now he’s running through people off dating apps like it’s his job and wearing these lace panties that look really unfair on someone as furry and muscular as he is, and, um…what was I talking about?

I probably shouldn’t sabotage his dates, but I’m only human. I might not be ready to admit that I want him, but I’m definitely not ready to let anyone else have him either.

He’s too perfect, too hot, and I am in way too much trouble


*** Stud is a friends-to-lovers, construction-worker-in-panties, omg-so-much-swoon story that happens to be the fifth book in the Four Bears Construction Series. Every book in this series CAN be read as a stand alone, but they’re a lot more fun together!

Stud

Stud. Goodreads sales link to options

Review: The Blacksmith and the ExCon(Farthingdale Ranch #2)by Jackie North

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con(Farthingdale Ranch #2) by Jackie North

Rating: 5🌈

One theme that became easily apparent among all three Farthingdale books is that each contains one man’s journey from an abusive, traumatic past into a new renewed bright future. His path , one we accompany him on, is marked by a series of obstacles of varying elements, from small sidesteps off the path to what might seem insurmountable boulders to scale before he can recover and get, along with his true love, their HEA.

As I’ve mentioned in my other reviews, I started with the third novel in the series, went back to the beginning, and now end here at The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con while I await the release of the next stories.

So I can say this is probably the one novel most guaranteed to bring out the sniffles, that box of Kleenex, and the carton of ice cream. With one spoon.

Because Ellis and his history is heartbreaking! What he’s been through, yes, including the extremely poor choices the man made himself and paid for, he’s in our hearts. From the minute we meet him, bloody, beaten, filled with fear, hearing his story
.we’re connected to Ellis. Mute, brutalized from his time in prison,Ellis is perhaps the most broken of all the traumatized men we’ve met in all these stories.How could you not hurt for him?

Jackie North has written such a vulnerable, heartbreaking character here that you want to enfold him , wrap him up safely so as to keep him from further harm.

Jasper, our Blacksmith, who’s self isolated himself within his work and cabin has such tight boundaries to begin with. But from his past history , we understand what caused him to establish them to begin with
a need to protect himself. However nothing prepares him for Ellis. Jasper will come to feel that its Ellis who’s in need of protection and more. But it will take time and an adjustment of his mind and heart to get there. Something we get a window into.

Both men are incredibly complex, emotionally and mentally. Life has added so many more layers of trauma and pain filled history between them to navigate that each tentative movement towards each other is often over a minefield.

Yet in a small cabin by a slow flowing River it becomes a thing of physical poetry, raw and emotional and shy.

All interspersed with the heat of the forge, the stamp of horses hooves as they wait to be shod or for a carrot treat, or any of the other daily ranch duties scheduled that flows through their lives and story.

It’s a found family at this ranch and all the people there seamlessly move around this couple and on the ranch as to make the reader see and feel apart of a living, working guest ranch. And this amazing group of people.

When the showdown comes, and in the utter relief at the end , I was reflecting on how much Ellis and Jasper had been through and how far they had come, and us with them.

What a journey! I was almost crying. In joy. What a story and couple. I look forward to seeing more of them in future stories as I know I will.

Another true pleasure with this remarkable series. I highly recommend this and all the books in this series.

Synopsis:

“If anybody ever needed him, Ellis did. Ellis was broken. Jasper liked to fix things.”

Jasper has the perfect life. He’s a blacksmith at a small guest ranch in Wyoming. The last thing he needs is to have that perfect life interrupted by a shifty-eyed ex-con, but the ranch needs the tax benefits the ex-con program will bring.

Traumatized by his time in prison, Ellis can barely speak. He’s about to be offered parole. He knows he will hate working on the guest ranch, but what other option does he have?

It’s not love at first sight. It’s not hate at first sight, either, but something in between.

A gay m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, forced intimacy, emotional scars, trauma leading to mutism, grumpy/grumpy, and baths. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA

Need a new series to read and love? Start here. I’m recommending them all.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest books in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon
..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

Review: The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad (Farthingdale Ranch #3) by Jackie North

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Once again I started a series in the he middle but I don’t think it will make much of a difference here. It’s easy to understand the couples and I’ll be going back to pick up on each of their individual romances after this one.

Why? Because I so thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the Farthingdale Ranch and felt as though I’d actually been there , walking the grounds, riding the trails and being a part of that found family.

This story was so moving. Both men experienced such growth, one in particular had undergone such a bad relationship that he’d been badly damaged emotionally and that had resulted in Erectile Dysfunction, a subject matter treated here gently, lovingly, and focusing towards healing the man . It was amazing.

Interwoven with recovery was a remarkable Father/daughter relationship. You can’t help but love Bea. She was a force of nature.

The core is Clay and Austin finding a way towards a healthy, happy HEA 
 a true family. It’s a slow tentative path but one made through communication and adjustments. And a respect for each other.

What a great story and remarkable universe. Great characters, marvelous setting, moving plot lines. There’s three more stories to come and two prior books. Oh what joy!

I love it when I fall in love with a series! I believe you will too.

Head over to the Farthingdale Ranch and grab up all the books!

Synopsis:

“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”

Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.

Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.

Austin doesn’t know where his life is headed, but at least he’s got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.

The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is he’s distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. There’s no way this can work.

A gay M/M cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon
..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

https://www.goodreads.com â€ș showWeb resultsThe Ranch Hand and the Single Dad … – Goodreads

A MelanieM Review: Fade In (Tales of Bryant #3) by V.L. Locey

Rating: 4,5  stars out of 5

Will Devon and Caiden discover that their new love is a wrap after the filming ends?

Weddings, champagne, and slow dancing. It’s a lethal combination and one that has led film student Devon Maxwell into one awkward predicament. Brought in at the last minute to help his friends Isamu and Brian during their Bryant Park wedding, Devon was not prepared for Caiden Dell to sweep into his life. The spark of attraction between him and the hip film executive was instantaneous. That spark led them right into Caiden’s big bed for a night of pleasure that Devon will never be able to duplicate no matter how many takes life gives him.

To make things even more complicated, Caiden offers the recently vacated job of office intern to him. He’d be a fool to turn down an offer to work at Budgie in the Dell, the hottest LGBT film production company in the Big Apple. Looks as if Devon’s hopes of working in film are about to come true. He’s ready for days filled with tiring shoots, long hours, and irate actors. He just never dreamed his nights would overflow with passion, laughter, and whispers shared with a gorgeous, older lover.

V.L. Locey’s series,  Tales of Bryant,  is one of those that I wish could have concurrent stories running together.  The author has managed to create such a splendid group of complex, layered characters, each so different from each other, then based their lovers also in opposite “worlds” before bringing the two together, hooked by a delicious confectionary of a bakery near Bryant Park.

Two are poor film students, the others older, richer, although not always wiser in love.    Here I am missing the magical chemistry of Brian Gilles and Isamu Taylor who I followed through two stories (Tales of Bryant, Nine Small Sips).  Their relationship, past histories, and love were something I couldn’t get enough of, and only get glimpses of here.  Yes, I want more of them.

But Devon Maxwell and Caiden Dell are a lovely new couple to obsess over in Fade In, the next installment in Tales of Bryant.  Both characters are people we have met previously in Brian and Isamu’s stories and now we see them after that couple’s wedding.

Although Fade In is a novella, Locey makes it feel like a full length novel.  Her characters are well developed, their intense attraction and love for each other realistic and heartfelt. As was their pain and doubts.  I was with them every bit of their faltering way here and loved it.  As with the others, my only issue is the length because I wanted more at the end.

That romantic resolution needed more of a follow up for me, a better peek into their future.  Where Brian and Isamu got a second story, the next doesn’t belong to Devon and Caiden but another familiar character so I felt a bit let down.  I wanted a continuation here for them as well.

Perhaps that’s down the line.  I certainly hope so.

This is a wonderful series.  Layered, vivid, full of life, rich with location and characters.  One I highly recommend.

Cover Art: Meredith Russell is wonderful.  Love it.

Book Details:
Author: V.L. Locey
Series: TALES OF BRYANT, Book 3
Tag: Age Gap
ASIN: B08429CR84
ISBN: 9781393414315
Length: 34,000 words approx.
 
 
Tales Of Bryant Series 



Book #1 – Tales of Bryant – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Book #2 – Nine Small Sips – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

 

Blog Tour with Excerpt for Rules to Obey (Davey’s Rules #5) by Susan Hawke

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Rules to Obey

Davey’s Rules Series Book 5

Susan Hawke

M/M Romance, Daddy/boy

Release Date: 12.12.19

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Blurb

Davey’s Rule #83: Daddy will encourage his boy to be the best he can be and be supportive of his boy’s career choices.

Marcus Alves has waited most of his adult life to find the perfect match. A sweetheart who will love cuddles, need a Daddy to help him thrive, and most importantly
 be the type of boy that might want to use the binky that Marcus keeps hidden in his pocket. Now in his forties, he’s refusing to give up on his dream—or the unused playroom that’s waiting for someone to enjoy.

Jeff Robustelli has had a rough life. Growing up in a commune with absent parents was hard for a rule-following straitlaced guy with a genius IQ. When the uncle who saved him died, Jeff did what he does best—buried his head in the sand and pretended life wasn’t changing. Working in a Daddy club has shown him what he really wants, but Jeff is too afraid to take a chance on something new.

When Jeff has a sudden need for a fake fiancé, he strikes a deal with the older man who always seems to be there when his world is crumbling and makes him feel safe. In exchange, he agrees to a fake Daddy/boy experiment designed to let him try out being little without any pressure.

While Marcus and Jeff navigate their “deal” and the unexpected new feelings that begin to emerge, Marcus also must help the younger man through a series of life changes that put him on the road to being the adult he’s been too afraid to be. When everything in Jeff’s life is in turmoil, Marcus is his one stability. But can Jeff trust his own heart when nothing else in his life is making sense anymore?

This is the fifth book in a series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

getbook.at/RulesToObey

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Excerpt

My heart raced with excitement as I thought about the surprise I’d left for him among the coloring books. “How about we start easy? First off, I would like to call you Jeffy when we’re together like this. Is that okay?”

He seemed to consider that for a moment, his lips silently forming the little name a few times before finally nodding. “Jeffy. I like that because it’s not too different from normal but sets me apart when I’m being
” He paused, lowering his voice to a whisper as he finished his sentence. “Little. It sets me apart when I’m little.” He was so earnest and sweet that I wanted to eat him up.

“Good boy. Thank you. The name suits you, Jeffy. Now, why don’t you look down on the bottom shelf and choose a coloring book? There is also a plastic box filled with crayons that you’ll want to use.”

Jeffy licked his lips and hesitated for half a second before crouching and carefully examining the stack of coloring books. I held my breath as I waited for him to get to the bottom. Somehow, I thought I was safe ignoring Davey’s advice about not having Jeff make choices when I’d hidden the perfect surprise for him. It only took a few moments as he neatly slid each book from the top of the stack and moved it to the bottom while he carefully examined each one. I knew when he found it because he blew out his breath so fast that it whistled through his front teeth.

He looked up at me with shining eyes and held the coloring book high like a trophy. “Transformers? You have a Transformers coloring book? And I can use it?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not only can you use it, but I got it especially for you. Why don’t you look at the plastic box beside them now? That was also chosen just for you.”

He picked up the blue box with the metallic logo, and the smile I got was worth the time I’d spent searching online for the Transformers pencil box. After he put the other coloring books back on the shelf—taking a moment to meticulously straighten them first—Jeffy stood, hugging his prizes to his chest. He still looked like he had half a mind to take off at the slightest provocation, but he wasn’t looking quite as overwhelmed as he had a few minutes ago.

Susan Hawke Logo

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Amazon Author: https://amzn.to/2Hdgwvl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke/

Catch up with the series here:

Rules to Follow: getbook.at/RulesToFollow

Rules to Break: getbook.at/RulesToBreak

Rules for Santa: getbook.at/RulesForSanta

Rules for Growing: getbook.at/RulesForGrowing