Tag: author Casey Cox

Review: Skies That Burn (Kings of Airlie Book 3) by Casey Cox

Rating: 3🌈

Skies That Burn is the finale to Casey Cox’s trilogy about the Kings of Airlie, a powerful family of kitesurfing champions, father and sons, their troubled dynamics and the dysfunctional damaging family history that’s impacted them all.

Oceans that Swim, the first book, was incredible, both in the introduction of this wounded group of brothers and in their love of and extreme talent for the little known sport of kitesurfing. Cox has brought this sport vividly to life here as well as the crazy athleticism needed to excel as champions.

By the second story, Mountains that Move, has finished, the reader and all the major characters have experienced and revealed so much of the trilogy storylines and mysteries.

Cox has had the King brothers (Terry, Troy, and Travis) have had so many dark family secrets exposed, including horrible abuses, as well as unthinkable events occur here. All during their various runs for the kitesurfing championships during the cable tv show reality series they are filming. It was a lot of storytelling but Cox did a great job with heavy emotional scenes and content. Be aware that it involved child SA, family abuse, and more. Read the warnings.

So what is left for Skies That Burn? Travis, the oldest of them, getting his romance, and plot threads , if any, are finalized.

Unfortunately for this book, it feels as though most of the passion and enthusiasm went into the other novels and brothers. Terry and Troy had the dramatic stories and histories. They had the biggest, wildly descriptive kitesurfing scenes, and were our introduction to the sport.

With Travis and Luca Silva, the Brazilian kitesurfer, so much about their journey is written by Cox, laid out in detailed descriptions. But instead of being involved or emotionally invested, their relationship felt removed and lacking chemistry. It checks all the right boxes. The potential should be there for a good romance.

But I never felt it. Even with all Luca’s substance abuse issues (that comes across as “told to” instead of his written reality as a long term drug addict), the enablers, and even the fact I kept wondering about any sports drug testing, this entire narrative didn’t make sense to me.

The many unresolved trilogy plot lines, especially the one involving their mother, that was so swiftly fixed by a fast moving investigation that the onsite paparazzi didn’t seem interested. Highly unlikely given the seriousness of the event. The father, a major figure, is basically brushed off here as an afterthought. He, along with too many other aspects of this trilogy, are given underwhelming treatment in the last story. Cox’s story is feeling more rushed and less well developed than any of the previous stories the more it progresses.

Then Cox does an odd thing and doesn’t write one epilogue, but a series of jumbled mini-scenes. Each one an epilogue.

Yes, we do finally get a measure of kitesurfing scenes but only a few. So that they come across as one more element to tie up.

This trilogy starts off strong and powerful , continuing with the haunted Mountains that Move.

Skies That Burn (Kings of Airlie Book 3) by Casey Cox ? It’s the smallest of waves, the last ride of the day. Everyone is ready to go home. It’s definitely done. Enjoyed the characters, happy that they found their own HEA, and finished the journey. Ironically, away from kitesurfing, a sport I enjoy watching now.

Kings of Airlie trilogy:

✓ Oceans that Swim #1

✓ Mountains that Move #2

✓ Skies that Burn #3

Buy link:

skies that burn: MM Rivals to Lovers Sports Romance (Kings of Airlie Book 3)

Blurb:

TRAVIS
All I’ve ever wanted is a simple life—kitesurfing, my brothers, and someone to love.

Too bad Luca Silva, the Brazilian golden boy of kitesurfing, didn’t get the memo.

We’re the epitome of on-again, off-again, our relationship a looping roller coaster neither one of us can stay off for long.

We may not choose who we love, but we can decide if we fight for them. And I’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to Luca…even as we face off against each other in the grand final.

LUCA
I’m not the perfect athlete everyone thinks I am. My whole life is a sham. The only real thing? My love for Travis.

But everything about his world is complicated. His family. His bad boy reputation. His track record in the sport.

I love Travis with everything I’ve got, but we’ve been yo-yoing back and forth for years now. And that’s withouthim knowing what I’ve been hiding.

Once he discovers my secret, it could very well destroy us—for good this time.

skies that burn is perfect if you love:

• MM sports romance

• rivals to lovers

• hate to want you

• hurt/comfort

• thrilling series conclusion (everything is revealed!)

This is the final book in a trilogy and is NOT a stand alone.

• Publication date: July 15, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 195 pages

Review: Got Me Feeling(Vet Shop Boys Book 8) by Casey Cox

Rating: 3.75🌈

Got Me Feeling is the series finale for the sexy, heartwarming series by Casey Cox about a group of veterinarians, their clinic, and each man’s journey to HEA.

I’ve adored this series, found each story fascinating, and the manner in which each vet found their happiness a joy to read. Cats, funny t-shirts, lube soaps, twins, bakers, piglets, weddings gone wrong, the author has taken us and these caring people on quite the path to love.

Their stories have been written so that we feel like we know them. They’ve been humorous, serious, often thoughtful, sometimes very painful in what the different individuals have gone through, but always ultimately loving and satisfying in the end.

I don’t know why but I expected more from a finale story than I got with Locky and Roman, but I wanted a wrap up book that had a relationship that left me feeling a little more comfortable and happy than the one that was written here.

Maybe it’s just the elements that Cox introduced into the storyline for Roman’s character that weren’t conducive to the type of character and personality traits that he was supposed to have within him. He literally stalked Locky in the story. And instead of communicating to his brother, or Locky, the fact that he’s “investigating” Locky’s shady ex husband, he’s keeping secrets. Letting Locky continue to feel vulnerable and insecure as he heads towards his divorce. The voice that keeps telling Roman he’s a thug is the one I started to agree with, and not the one that everyone else says is a person who is in recovery.

Those issues are waived away in the book as “ok” because well, Roman loves Locky, and was doing things in his best interest. Am I the only one who thinks that these are flags?

Had more time been taken to explore these aspects of the relationship, I might have been more inclined to think that they were realistic in the dynamic and partnership. But so much was glossed over here.

Roman was straight until Locky, then he’s bi? Locky sexual? Pan? Was never straight. I’m not a fan of the GFY but this is another aspect that wasn’t really given depth. I’m attracted to you, let’s have sex. Ok.

The kitten thing was cute. The ex husband was a dramatic hurdle that was almost nonexistent.

Then everyone had a party to celebrate. Series over.

It all felt so rushed. From the relationship to the storyline and all the elements in between. Nothing seems especially well developed or balanced with aspects of each character trait left feeling a bit unsettled or unfulfilled.

Never felt realistic. And I thought as a finale I should have come away feeling happier and with a better overall picture of the group at this stage of their lives.

So final thoughts. It was a nice story but wasn’t one I would have expected from a series finale. Vet Shop Boys is a sexy, warm-hearted series and I found the tales very entertaining. Read them and enjoy.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

✓ Got Me Talking #7

✓ Got Me Feeling #8 – finale

Buy Link:

Got Me Feeling (Vet Shop Boys Book 8)

Blurb:

I’m a thug. I’ve done bad things. And I’m straight… So why can’t I get the sexy Aussie vet out of my head?

When I showed up on my brother’s doorstep three years ago, I’d hit rock bottom. Broke and homeless, with a miles-long trail of destruction in my wake.

Those days are behind me. I’m rebuilding my life. Staying focused. Disciplined. Busy. If I’m not working to pay back my debts, I’m helping out at my brother’s animal shelter. Whatever it takes to keep my impulses under control.

And then I meet Locky, the new Aussie vet. His husband cheated, kicked him out, and is threatening to turn their divorce nuclear.

My newfound control snaps. I have to help, even if the smart thing to do would be to stay away.

I definitely shouldn’t give Locky a place to stay.
Or offer to be his wingman…with benefits.
Or get involved in his messy divorce.

Too late.

I may be straight, but Locky’s triggered every possessive instinct I have. And that’s what makes this situation dangerous. Because I do very bad things to protect the people I care about.

I’ve worked hard to start over, so why has Locky got me feeling I’d be willing to blow it all up for him?

Got Me Feeling is book 8 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect plenty of humor, found family, bi-awakening, forced proximity, a possessive thug who’s hiding a kitty-cute secret, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

Review: Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Talking is the penultimate story in Casey Cox’s heartwarming series about a small Virginia town Veterinary Clinic’s doctors search for and finding their HEA.

You can feel the series winding down as the last of the characters find their partners and lasting relationships. Yet Cox’s stories remain strong and compelling, with each person getting a new chapter of their lives to move forward with their biggest dream, a person to love who loves them back.

Jeremy has been a staple in the series as this quiet baker behind the wonderful baked goods at Daley’s Bakery, a place that’s been featured throughout the series. He’s grown as a character but now gets his story and HEA.

One of the major element here is stuttering. Jeremy has suffered in the past because of the rejection and mistreatment he’s endured due to his struggles with speech. Only with Tyler, a former Vet Shop Boy veterinarian and his best friend, and the other vets and partners, does he feel accepted.

The newest hire at the Vet Shop Boys is an older English veterinarian, who’s relocating to the US for personal reasons. Montgomery is in storage, emotionally and almost physically. He’s committed to a rental property and still grieving the loss of his mother, as well as getting over his divorce.

Cox sets up a chance meeting with both men that’s believable, incredibly sexy, and lets us inside each of their minds as something unexpected happens between them.

It also helps us understand the need for communication when the logical moment arrives where they meet again. And the difficulties that arise when it doesn’t happen.

I love the way Cox is able to pull the reader into the world of these characters to the point where we sense their insecurities, their need for shielding themselves from being exposed emotionally. That’s on both sides. Montgomery is also frail, but his quiet, almost frozen demeanor hides the turmoil threatening to come out whereas Jeremy’s fears carry forth with every word he utters.

Their relationship is slow and moving. I wish it was longer. The age gap and health issues had some surprises towards the end.

It’s that ending that’s shows more than anything the series is almost at a close. We’re not in Virginia anymore.

And that’s ok.

One more unhappy vet to get his HEA in Got Me Feeling and then the series is done.

It’s a lovely show. I’m thrilled to see Jeremy get his romance and happy ending. There’s realistic elements but I expect that from the series and author.

It’s why I’m recommending this and the entire series. Well written, wonderful characters and plots of interesting elements, moving scenes, sexy, and warm-hearted. Love it!

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

✓ Got Me Talking #7

◦ Got Me Feeling #8 – finale Oct 23,2023

Buy Link:

Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7)

Description:

What do you call a herd of rhinos? A crash. That about sums up my life, too.

Having spent the last three years caring for my dying mother, I need a new leash on life. So I say goodbye to the UK and take a job opening at a small-town vet clinic in the US.

Via a layover in New York. Where I get, ahem, laid over.

With a man.

Not something I’ve ever done in my forty-three years.

Not something I intend on repeating.

Which won’t be a problem since I’ll never see the guy again… Until I step into the local bakery.

There’s no way anything can happen between Jeremy and me. I’m lost, grieving, and, oh yeah, straight. He also happens to be fifteen years younger than me. So what is it about the sexy baker that’s suddenly got me talking?

Got Me Talking is book 7 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect a silver fox British vet having a bi awakening, an adorable baker with a stutter, age gap, plenty of humor, found family, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

Review: Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Talking is the penultimate story in Casey Cox’s heartwarming series about a small Virginia town Veterinary Clinic’s doctors search for and finding their HEA.

You can feel the series winding down as the last of the characters find their partners and lasting relationships. Yet Cox’s stories remain strong and compelling, with each person getting a new chapter of their lives to move forward with their biggest dream, a person to love who loves them back.

Jeremy has been a staple in the series as this quiet baker behind the wonderful baked goods at Daley’s Bakery, a place that’s been featured throughout the series. He’s grown as a character but now gets his story and HEA.

One of the major element here is stuttering. Jeremy has suffered in the past because of the rejection and mistreatment he’s endured due to his struggles with speech. Only with Tyler, a former Vet Shop Boy veterinarian and his best friend, and the other vets and partners, does he feel accepted.

The newest hire at the Vet Shop Boys is an older English veterinarian, who’s relocating to the US for personal reasons. Montgomery is in storage, emotionally and almost physically. He’s committed to a rental property and still grieving the loss of his mother, as well as getting over his divorce.

Cox sets up a chance meeting with both men that’s believable, incredibly sexy, and lets us inside each of their minds as something unexpected happens between them.

It also helps us understand the need for communication when the logical moment arrives where they meet again. And the difficulties that arise when it doesn’t happen.

I love the way Cox is able to pull the reader into the world of these characters to the point where we sense their insecurities, their need for shielding themselves from being exposed emotionally. That’s on both sides. Montgomery is also frail, but his quiet, almost frozen demeanor hides the turmoil threatening to come out whereas Jeremy’s fears carry forth with every word he utters.

Their relationship is slow and moving. I wish it was longer. The age gap and health issues had some surprises towards the end.

It’s that ending that’s shows more than anything the series is almost at a close. We’re not in Virginia anymore.

And that’s ok.

One more unhappy vet to get his HEA in Got Me Feeling and then the series is done.

It’s a lovely show. I’m thrilled to see Jeremy get his romance and happy ending. There’s realistic elements but I expect that from the series and author.

It’s why I’m recommending this and the entire series. Well written, wonderful characters and plots of interesting elements, moving scenes, sexy, and warm-hearted. Love it!

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

✓ Got Me Talking #7

◦ Got Me Feeling #8 – finale Oct 23,2023

Buy Link:

Got Me Talking (Vet Shop Boys Book 7)

Description:

What do you call a herd of rhinos? A crash. That about sums up my life, too.

Having spent the last three years caring for my dying mother, I need a new leash on life. So I say goodbye to the UK and take a job opening at a small-town vet clinic in the US.

Via a layover in New York. Where I get, ahem, laid over.

With a man.

Not something I’ve ever done in my forty-three years.

Not something I intend on repeating.

Which won’t be a problem since I’ll never see the guy again… Until I step into the local bakery.

There’s no way anything can happen between Jeremy and me. I’m lost, grieving, and, oh yeah, straight. He also happens to be fifteen years younger than me. So what is it about the sexy baker that’s suddenly got me talking?

Got Me Talking is book 7 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect a silver fox British vet having a bi awakening, an adorable baker with a stutter, age gap, plenty of humor, found family, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

Review: Givers (Upper Echelons Book One) by Casey Cox

Rating: 3.5🌈

Casey Cox is diving further into the billionaire romance trope with the first in Cox’s new Upper Eschelons series, Givers.

I’m a fan of this author from the Vet Shop Boys and thought I’d see what sort of perspective they’d bring to this popular contemporary romance trope.

There’s some good elements here with respect to the characters and their personalities that made for some interesting moments. I also enjoyed the You’ve Got Mail approach the author took with the dating app, something Cox admits to. It’s a charming ploy , and works here as well as it does on screen.

However, my thoughts after finishing the story is that every element, each neat aspect of the narrative I thought special or outside the usual plot line never got the attention of detail or was carried to its fullest potential that the author was capable of achieving.

Robbie Small (he’s also short in stature) is involved in the Wellness business (his company) , working out, and extremely conscious about diet. It relates back to a painful family history and his mother. This is an important part of his life and personality. It’s made him what he is today. Yet once it’s out in the story, it’s over. And this topic disappears completely.

This is a trend within the narrative. A storyline or aspect of one that may strike a reader as a compelling element is only partially put into use, and then discarded.

When both Dunlop and Robbie Small are matched up by the dating service we get an enjoyable, engaging conversation that adds to the anticipation for these men to share more of themselves and gain a deeper understanding. But that doesn’t happen. Spoiler alert. This element is stopped short.

The book actually contains a scene where Dunlop and Robbie go to meet a couple from another book (Heart Unbroken). It makes no sense if you haven’t read that story. And really, except for the author’s own need to include it so a brother can be yelled at twice, it’s hard to understand why it’s included here. The argument that the company and brother are “cold hearted” has been made satisfactorily.

It’s choices like that, extra page time that makes the book dense, less interesting, less focused on the characters and central themes of this story.

Dunlop wasn’t a character I was immediately drawn to. It took time to find any type of connection with him, unlike Robbie Smalls who was engaging and likable from the start.

The billionaire trope is , imo, a type of contemporary romance that’s harder to find a realistic connection with , so the author has to look deeper into the characters themselves for elements for readers to understand and be drawn to. I’m not sure Cox was able to find those elements and make us or at least me, care about the billionaires here. That’s a hard sell any day, but more so now.

So it’s a good romance. If you’re a fan of Cox or this trope, give it a try. Otherwise, check out the Vet Shop Boys! There’s a series I can recommend.

Upper Eschelons:

✓ Givers #1

◦ Takers #2 – Aug 7, 2023

Buy link:

Givers: MM Billionaire Romance (Upper Echelons Book 1)

Description:

I’m so bad at love, I’ve resorted to outsourcing it.

ALGRL is a next-level, algorithmic-based online dating service with a 97% guaranteed success rate! With odds like that, even I can’t mess it up. Right?

One thing I’m sure of—Dunlop Palmer is not the Mr. Forever I’m looking for.

He’s a billionaire alpha playboy. Filthy rich, criminally attractive, and 100% not settle-down material.

He irritates me from the moment we meet. He gets under my skin once we start working together. And he totally catches me off guard when I start catching glimpses of the real him.

Turns out, my first impressions of him were way off-base. There’s a lot more to Dunlop than meets the eye. And see? This is why I can’t be trusted when it comes to men.

I should be focused on the perfect guy I’ve been matched with online—hello, 97% success rate—and not the walking, talking, sex god of a disaster that is Dunlop.

Am I about to make another huge mistake?…

GIVERS is an opposites-attract billionaire MM romance with You’ve Got Mail rom-com vibes. It features an alpha billionaire who’s guarding his heart, online dating, a ginormous size difference, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Review: Heart Unbroken by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.25🌈

“I didn’t want to kiss you goodbye—that was the trouble—I wanted to kiss you goodnight—and there’s a lot of difference. “ – Ernest Hemingway”

— Heart Unbroken by Casey Cox

I love a romance that is introduced with a remarkable quote that ties into the story and characters as this one does here.

Second chance at love, lovers reunited. Yes, please.

Casey Cox gives us two wonderful characters in actor Rove Sullivan, and hotelier Leo Carter, ok three with Leo ‘ best friend, Tal.

From a quick awkward meeting at Leo’s resort earlier in Rove’s career before he’s a big star, to the present where events bring them together again, Cox makes us believe that the men actually do make a deep impression on each other in the early moments. When events happen to cause each to reach out to each other, again Cox has supplied the groundwork emotionally for the reader to understand the context and connect with them.

I so enjoy Cox as a writer. The author’s romances are interesting, the characters are human beings with faults and strengths that are relatable, no matter the circumstances because they can be understood across many different levels. Job failures because of things outside of their control? Loss of dreams? Perhaps the hardest of them all. Learning when to let go of something that keeps you from moving on.

Heart Unbroken is another heartwarming contemporary romance from Casey Cox that I’m recommending. I only hope that we get a chance to see a sequel for Tal’s romance sometime soon.

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Heart-U…Heart Unbroken – Cox, Casey: Books

Description:

ROVE

Five years ago, we had a fleeting connection. Instant attraction, sizzling chemistry, and scorching-hot sex.

It was only brief, but it was…everything.

Then my career takes off. I become one of the biggest openly out Hollywood A-listers. I’m on top of the world—rich, famous, and successful.

Until a cruel red carpet gotcha stunt blows my life apart. In the blink of an eye, I lose everything I’ve spent two decades working and sacrificing for.

I’ve got no one to turn to and nowhere to go… Except back to the man I met five years ago.

LEO

Five years ago, I met someone unforgettable.

He made me feel something I thought I’d lost forever. Something that died with my beloved Dante a decade earlier.

I never expected to see Rove again. When he returns, the spark, the chemistry, the connection, is right where we left it five years ago. Actually, it’s only intensified.

The more time we spend together, the clearer it becomes—there’s no way I can let him go again. Can we find a way to make it this time?

HEART UNBROKEN is a second chance at love MM romance with two men in their 40s, a naked meet-cute, an only-one-bed situation, found family, 90s pop culture references, and a ‘sail into the sunset’ happily ever after (literally).

Review: Got Me Merry (Vet Shop Boys Book 6) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

A wonderful series just continues on its own hopeful, warm-hearted journey with two new characters and latest members of the Vet Shop Boys found family of vets and their partners and pets.

Well, almost latest. There’s been an Aussie vet with marriage issues added but his story is later.

Now we are treated to the heartwarming story of the deepest best friends to lovers romance and a renewal of the Christmas spirit for one and all.

The one lacking in holiday’s cheer (for all the depressing and heartbreaking reasons) is Lawson Barnes, last year vet student and best friend of the ever positive, very handsome Chester Mathews. Chess is also in his last year of vet school and they both apply for the one internship at the Vet Shop Boys. Their interesting interviews and Gus’s big heart sees both of them working together with two internships and suddenly they’re finding a new home and family around them.

The 2-person POV works beautifully to bring the initial mindsets of each man into clarity so as Law and Chess grow and change, we see it reflected in each other’s thoughts and emotions, and actions.

It starts with Chester’s plan to make Law learn to love Christmas, a season Law’s never really experienced due to his parental negligence and sad adolescence. He, obviously, pulls on all the other vets and partners to aid in his plan.

Cox’s storylines shine spotlights on the other couples while giving focus to Chester and Lawson’s journey to HEA.

This is full of fun, joy, love and a reminder of what the Christmas spirit is all about.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend Got Me Merry (Vet Shop Boys Book 6) by Casey Cox . Pick it and the rest of the series up for great contemporary romance reading.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

✓ Got Me Merry #6

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showGot Me Merry (Vet Shop Boys #6) by Casey Cox

Description:

Can my best friend get me to enjoy the holidays? Ho… Ho… Um…No?

Christmas just isn’t my jam. The crowds. The cold. That Mariah Carey song blasting everywhere I go. Thanks, but no thanks.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Grinch. The holidays are awesome if you have a great family and money to shower them with gifts. Unfortunately for me, I have neither of those things.

All I want for Christmas (great, now I’m quoting that damn Mariah song) is to focus on my internship at the Vet Shop Boys clinic and hanging out with my best friend and roommate.

Turns out Chester has got other ideas. Along with a crew of loved-up vets, he’s on a mission to get me to enjoy the holidays and fall in love with him.

Wait… What?!

There’s no way I’ll ever become one of those festive people who likes Christmas, but who knows? Maybe this will be the first holiday season that actually gets me merry?

Got Me Merry is book 6 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect plenty of humor, found family, best-friends-to-lovers, a grumpy Christmas Grinch, a sunshiny Christmas lover, some very wacky Christmas traditions, a sizzling hot fun run on a freezing winter day, a two-legged dog with a heart of gold, meddling vets determined to add a sprinkling of love to the holidays, and a heartwarming happily ever after!

—-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer

Review: Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.75 🌈

I knew I was in for a wonderful time when I found myself laughing out at a awkward moment just pages in. Hilarious, believable, and totally entertaining. For the readers and other characters watching.

Tyler Morris has a few issues. He loves being a veterinarian, but he can’t cope with losing patients, the heartbreak and grief. He’s also determined to lose his V card. Past trauma has made him feel like no one wants someone like him.

Daly Evans, new owner of the cafe and bakery, is also hiding major issues. Health issues that have effected his body image.

Taking the cafe over from his grandmother , Daly is struggling.

Tyler is a character we’ve met before, but here in Got Me Going, with his background exposed, and his inability to deal with the worst consequences of being a vet, Tyler comes vividly to life. Just as Daly does, as he fights to keep the shop open and his fears for his future in check.

I love this series and each couple has grabbed at my heart, but Daly and Tyler had me laughing, sniffling, and throughly enjoying their journey to HEA.

Cox has written a remarkable romance, full of heart and joy. I’m highly recommending it and the series.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

✓ Got Me Going #5

◦ Got Me Merry #6 – Dec 5, 2022

Got Me Going (Vet Shop Boys Book 5)

Synopsis:

Can a veterinarian lose his V-card before turning twenty-five? Oh, one hun p he can!

On the surface, I’m super sassy and just a little bit extra. But underneath, I’m hiding a painful secret from my past and one hugely embarrassing problem in my present—I’m still a…I’m still a…Dammit, I can’t even get it out.

Let’s just say it starts with V and ends in irgin.

Daly’s the new barista, and he takes Thirsty Thursdays to a whole new level. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a sexy shaved head, ocean-blue eyes, and an insane smile that lights me up whenever he aims it my way. He’s also kind, friendly, and interesting. In other words, the perfect guy to be my first time.

A night of too much coconut tequila leads to us making a drunken pact. Daly will help me with my V-status issue, but he adds a caveat. We have to get to know each other first. Then, and only then, can the physical stuff happen.

It sounds simple enough. But the more I get to know him, the more I realize what we have is more than just a physical attraction. We share a connection. We like the same things. And stupidly, I’ve gone ahead and caught feelings for the guy.

This was never meant to be anything more than just a physical thing, so why has Daly got me going out of my mind the way he does?

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Mountains That Move (Kings of Airlie #2) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Mountains That Move (Kings of Airlie #2) by Casey Cox is another excellent book in this series about a incredibly damaged family of kitesurfing champions known as the Kings of Airlie. The title is true as is the little known adrenaline rush of a sport.

What’s missing from the description is the information I believe certain readers should know prior to picking up this story. It has elements of self harm, a main character’s history of childhood sexual abuse, and other issues that may act as triggers.

It’s realistically described while occurring off page, and the character’s actions and dark emotional state to his decades of trauma are believable and devastating.

Troy King is a haunted, broken man. He’s half of the POV here. One of King family of kitesurfing champions, he’s the second oldest but has bourn the worst of everything his damning family dynamics has created. In silence.

The other perspective, except for one odd section at the end, is Kaide Thompson. Security, former love, long time friend, the man Troy loves and sends away time after time.

Kaide is a window into their past and gives us needed insight into Troy’s actions, wildly swinging emotional state. It makes their dynamics relatable when Troy is heavily into denial. Kaide is layered, and believable. But he’s always going to be not as powerful a personality next to the heart of the story which is broken Troy.

Added onto their highly unstable relations, there’s the increase in threats that pushes the issues as security/client. It also brings up a multitude of past events, eventually.

Cox was fantastic when working on the tormented Troy, his relationship with Kaide , and his family. This story is so full of pain, brutality , lies, all set against the high adrenaline sport of kitesurfing. Cox’s scenes of flying over the waters, and executing those jumps are thrilling.

Honestly, YouTube Kings of Airlie championships for some amazing footage.

The last fourth of the novel is packed with quickly mounting plot lines. Another POV is thrown in unexpectedly, carrying with it a huge amount of information about the family, and specific characters.

It’s who’s this? You’re doing what? They did what? Who’s all these people? What’s all this history? What’s going on? Why is this even being thrown in here? Really? You want me to believe that?

I’m starting to blink with narrative overload here. Because holes start to appear, and I’m asking myself why it’s all necessary to have this density now.

There’s another development that involves the villain, then one of our heroes that frankly makes zero sense.

And it all ends on a cliffhanger.

I’m sort of astonished.

This is a terrific book. It really didn’t need embellishments. Or whatever all that is at the end.

The story of one man’s devastating childhood and his ability to admit and ask for help. That’s beyond everything.

Cox had me at that. That’s why it’s gets the rating. That mess at the end almost had me dropping it.

So I’ll continue along because while it gave some sort of resolution to Troy , there’s still that cliffhanger.

Kings of Airlie Trilogy:

✓ Oceans that Swim #1

✓ Mountains that Move #2

Skies That Burn #3- release TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showmountains that move (Kings of Airlie #2) by Casey Cox – Goodreads

Synopsis:

This season, I’ve got a lot to defend…

He’s known as ‘the angry one,’ the middle brother with a chip the size of an asteroid on his shoulders. Trouble seems to follow Troy King wherever he goes. What no one realizes is that Troy’s broody, angsty exterior masks a lifetime of pain, torment, and trauma––and a long-held secret that threatens to tear his already dysfunctional family even further apart.

The only place Troy feels in control is in the water, and this year, he’s determined to win his third world championship title. But that dream gets disrupted by a series of anonymous, online death threats. What’s even worse is that the person called in to protect him is the only man who brings him undone: Kaide Thompson.

Kaide’s mission is simple––keep Troy safe. But Kaide and Troy share a seven-year history. One that takes complicated and messy to a whole other level. Their chemistry is electrifying; their attraction undeniable; their dynamic as magnetic and destructive as ever. But they’ve been down this road before… Twice… And it always ends the same way.

Despite Troy doing everything he can to push him away, Kaide isn’t backing down this time. He’s prepared to do whatever it takes to not only keep Troy safe, but also help him find a way to deal with his pain. Even if it means he’ll have to walk away from the only man he’s ever loved.

To achieve his dream, Troy needs to double down and focus on winning the championship. But with his life in danger, the season spinning out of control, his family more dysfunctional than ever, and a lifetime of secrets simmering just below the surface, will Kaide be there for him when the horrific truth finally comes out?

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

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

Review: Got Me Thinking (Vet Shop Boys #4) by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.5🌈

Got Me Thinking, fourth book in Casey Cox’s terrific Vet Shop Boys series, is a very sweet,low angst, contemporary romance.

Chase Higgins is the vet who’s life has just had a complete life upheaval, after a long period of stress, and a inability to conceive children in a dying marriage. It was finally coming to the realization that he needs to live his truth, even if it hurts people close to him. That means telling his wife he’s gay, divorcing, and starting to live as a gay man. In his 30’s.

Fisher West is a single dad of twin girls. Recently relocated back to his hometown of Brookhaven, Virginia, to raise his girls, get his life settled after a heartbreaking dissolution of a relationship.

Each man has undergone enormous changes in their lives, made mental decisions as to any new romances, and new goals at home. Whether it’s small pigs as pets, houses to redo, or just getting reestablished in a community.

Cox gives us two wonderful, relatable men, puts each into situations the reader will connect to, then starts to push them together in the most delightful way.

As Chase figures out what being a “ out” gay man means , and Fisher helps just by being his friend, the warmth and joy of their growing relationship rises off the page. Whether it’s through interactions with all the kids, animals, Saturday dinners, or many conversations, all very realistic and funny and , thankfully, adult, it’s all so smoothly done, that I’m all in without realizing it.

I’m full all in love with the men, the idea of a combined family, the way they actually talk through the issues bothering them. That alone was masterful because it was so thoughtful and yes, grownup. It lacks drama, and I appreciate that. Sometimes, being a grownup, if there’s respect and intelligence, as well as the idea you communicate your thoughts and issues, that’s a great element in a romance and relationship.

The epilogue shows that they had obstacles to overcome but it’s such a marvelous chapter and we see how the family and men went on. Happy and very much in love.

Got Me Thinking (Vet Shop Boys #4) by Casey Cox is a wonderful contemporary romance, with a man who starts to live his truth and finds love, family, and a happy future. It’s a warm-hearted, loving book that will leave you smiling. What’s better then that?

I’m highly recommending this and this gentle series.

Vet Shop Boys series so far:

✓ Got Me Hoping #1

✓ Got Me Wishing #2

✓ Got Me Looking #3

✓ Got Me Thinking #4

◦ Got Me Going #5 TBR

◦ Got Me Merry #6 TBR date TBD

https://www.goodreads.com › showGot Me Hoping (Vet Shop Boys, #1) by Casey Cox – Goodreads

Synopsis:

He’s a single dad ready to start dating again. I’m newly divorced and new to…well, everything. This is going to be a disaster… Isn’t it?

When my marriage ends, I decide to buy a run-down house and get a drove of piglets. My friends think I’m having a breakdown, when really, all I’m doing is the one thing I’ve avoided my whole life––figuring out who I am.

One thing I’m quickly learning is that life loves nothing more than to throw you a curveball when you least expect it.

Take Fischer West. From the moment we serendipitously collide on a midnight stroll, he ignites something within me. We have a connection. I want to explore it, even though the timing is all wrong.

There’s no way either one of us is ready for a relationship, so why has Fischer got me thinking it might just work?