Found Objects is the latest urban fantasy romance by Mary Calmes and itās exactly what we expect from this author. The old,settled rich location of a small town high in the mountains of West Virginia, an intriguing group of found family of town, and a great setup for a slow paced romantic journey.
Calmesā plot lines includes a newly arrived werewolf pack that has brought with them to the town, pack dysfunction, mystery and loads of action packed moments.
I love Merritt Baker and the mystery that Calmes builds around his character. Merritt is the owner of the townās restaurant, and a central figure in the community. A friend and someone who acts as a shield or protector when needed.
When a new shifter pack arrives in Coille, West Virginia to establish themselves in a new territory , they bring with them old problems along with a dysfunctional pack and history. And Cole Swann and his younger brother, Evan, nephews of the Alpha of the Swann pack.
The way this author blends the well known Appalachian mythology with other lore is intriguing and well done. It works well for the many other characters here and for adding some really great layers to this story.
It ends with a HFN, given the specific species of each character. And known life spans.
I will admit to hoping that Calme revisits this town and special community as I really enjoyed them and didnāt get enough of several of their storylines.
A definite winner and one Iām happy to recommend.
Merritt Baker is older than he looks. Quite a bit older, in fact. He knows all about the woods and where one should never wander at night, but the fact of the matter is, sometimes men are the scariest creatures of all, and Merritt makes it his business to protect the innocents caught in their wake. In the small town of Coille, West Virginia, where he makes his home, he takes care of quite a few people, and thatās always been enough. Or has been. Lately though, heās felt a bit lost, as though heās forgotten what it means to really live rather than simply exist.
Change arrives when a pack of shifters buys the land that borders his. He doesnāt think twice about them until his simple rules are ignored, and suddenly thereās conflict. One of the wolves, Cole Swann, is very interested in him, and surprisingly, Merritt canāt seem to get the man out of his head. But things arenāt what they seem, and between other packs, ghosts, and worst of all, love, Merritt might be in over his head. Thatās the thing about being lostāit can be wonderful when youāre finally found, but is it worth the risk of losing yourself?
Out Of A Fix brings an end to Mary Calmes wonderful Torus Intercession series with the last of the original fixers, 52 year old Nash Miller takes a job in a small town in Washington state where the family she left behind of a woman who is now in WITSEC program resides. Her brother is concerned their safety isnāt a priority for the FBI and wants Torus to insure they are protected during this trial.
Seems simple enough. However, thatās not the case that Nash finds out when he enters the town. The ex-husband is absent on a job site. The kids are in trouble and heās desperately needed there as a fixer. On many levels.
Calmes quickly turns this last story into a heartbreaking then finally heartwarming tale of a family rescued . Which turns into an engaging emotional story about a family that has finds their hearts and home rebuilt into a new beginning, including their own fixer.
The children are so well written. They grab at the readers hearts just as they do Nashās. Whetherās Tatum, the youngest child or the oldest son, whose behavior has brought him into the worst possible situation, these are kids who are fragile and need help immediately. And get it.
The issues are slow to be revealed and are addressed as needed. This includes issues of the dadās too. Luke Duchesne doesnāt get an immediate pass on his behavior but thereās also an effort made to understand and address it. And to do better.
Therapists have a prominent role here and thatās a positive element of the story. For each of these characters have issues to overcome.
The plot moves forward swiftly, the romance is not always the center of the story but the forming of the family which folds in the newly created dynamic of Nash and Luke. That feels very realistic and seated in the story.
Itās fantastic to see all the characters from the Agency and the couples reunite here at the end. We see where each of them are in their own lives and relationships as well.
This is just an outstanding sendoff to one of my favorite series.
Iām highly recommending it and have starred my favorite stories below. Iām sure we each have our own.
If you put a family back together, how can you ever leave them?
Through the years, Nash Miller has watched all his buddies fall in love and get married. It was romantic, and heād wondered when he himself would find the one. Now, older, wiser, he realizes that what heās always wantedāa husband and a familyājust isnāt in the cards for him. And thatās all right. He has wonderful friends, a good life, and he gets to help people, which has always been his true calling. So when the time comes to protect a family in a tiny town in Washington State, heās more than willing to get on his white horse and ride.
The family needs a bodyguard, but it goes beyond that. The mother abandoned them for a new life, and the father is absent, stuck on a work project he took on to keep his family afloat. What Nash finds are three kids in need of a fixer, and lucky for them, thatās exactly what he does. Providing support and structure is second nature to him, and heās on solid ground, confidentā¦until their father, Luke Duchesne, gets home. Heās nothing like Nash assumed heād be, and with each passing day, the lure of the man, and his great kids, gets harder to resist. But he canāt stay there. Heās a fixer, after all, and what theyāre all feeling is simply gratitude. Isnāt itā¦? Though when Luke kisses him, it starts to feel like so much more. Nash hopes heāll be able to explore a life with Lukeāhe just needs to make sure his own isnāt cut short.
George Hunt started out as a minor character in the popular Marshals series as a bodyguard to Sam and Joryās daughter, Hannah. But as written by Calmes, there was just something special about George. Something extraordinary. The readers just wanted more.
The character developed as did his roles throughout various crossover stories, each redefining his history, his character and his heroic actions. And it brought him into the shared world, because of many traumatic events, with Hannahās doctor, Dr Kurt Butler.
These are all fantastic novels that should be read, not just for the foundation knowledge but for the terrific storytelling.
But all those narrative paths led to Georgeās Big Day. A hilarious, sometimes poignant, action packed novel in which George tries to get married. Accompanied by many of the characters from his missions (and crossover novels) as well as the friends and co-workers from the Marshals series, itās a law enforcement thriller, matrimonial circus, where hijinks ensue, love is pledged, thereās blood and casts, and a HFN with rings in sight.
Plus dogs and and a very mean kitty.
Did I say how much I love George and his stories? I absolutely adore George, and all his books. Especially this one. And while Iām not sure if this is the last, itās ok if it is. What a wild ride it is.
Love it and itās a total joy.
Great covers by Reese Dante.
With George:
Just George #1
Wintering with George #2
George’s Big Day #3
Connected Series:
A Matter of Time – 6 books
Marshals – 6 books
Standalone:
Again
š¹See the authorās notes for the entire list of crossover characters and the books/series they came from.
George Hunt wants to get married. The fact that he does is utterly amazing and a huge leap of faith for a man whoās always been certain that happily ever afters only happen in fairy tales. The thing is, though, ever since Christmas, when Dr. Kurt Butler, the man he loves, gave him a ring, heās changed his mind about whatās possible. But between deployments and venues that have to be booked years in advance, matrimonial bliss seems persistently out of reach. Fortunately, Georgeās friends come through, offering the perfect setting.
Of course, when your life is full of heroes, there are always villains looking to even the score. When the day of the nuptials conflicts with murderous agendas, the only thing that really matters is being married at the end of the day. If George can keep his eye on the prize and everyone does what they do best, it might just all work out.
I was looking forward to Once Upon A Christmas Song by Mary Calmes, a novel in the multi-author Once Upon a Holiday series. And after reading it, Iām finding it hard to rate.
The story has many of the best elements of Calmes writing and some of her aspects of her work that just donāt seem as well thought out.
First the best of this book. Thatās the setting, New Orleans, which is beautifully rendered in atmosphere and realistic locations. Then itās the wonderful found family of La Belle Vie, the bar/restaurant thatās the home and heart for an entire group of people. Calmes makes this key setting a hearthstone by folding into the workplace the multidimensional people who work there and are considered family of its owner, Chris Gardner.
Chris, his bar/restaurant and found family? Fantastic! The issue arrives with the holiday romance aspect.
Thatās a rockstar who left Chris (and the friends there) behind to find fame and fortune. Which he found along with drugs, alcohol, and addiction. Now 2yrs later, without any communication, Dawson West has arrived expecting open arms and to pick up the relationship where they left off. A ending that, reasonably, devastated Chris and took him a while to recover from.
What works here is (spoilers) Chrisās initial reaction and responses to Dawsonās nonstop entreaties to pick up immediately on the romance between them as if nothing happened because Dawson went to rehab. Nowās heās out and a ānew person ā. Itās heās back! And his band mates are just as strangely written as enablers or clueless with regard to relationships and specifically to their own personal relationships with Chris.
If Calmes had decided that the story was about forgiveness and recovery, a friend relationship, and rewritten the ending, this might have worked. But Dawson is a problematic character, albeit one weāve seen before in certain Calmes stories. The flip side to the golden boys every one loves.
Dawson, an ambitious singer in a rock band, rises to the top of the charts, then , along with his fellow musicians, becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol, burning himself and them out. The story goes into a little more detail but the catch is that Dawson went to rehab, along with a band mate/friend twice, to return to Chris and home. Got clean because of Chris. Two years after break up , and recently release from rehab. No mention of getting clean strictly for himself. Because what happens to addicts when plans fail if they went through rehab for the wrong reasons?
And now heās constantly pressuring Chris to get immediately together, like thereās no past, because they āloveā each other. Etc. Chris asks for space and time to think and talk. Immediately no, keep the pressure on, donāt respect Chrisās decision or wishes to make decisions based on his own personal feelings. So many flags. And the author seems to realize that but itās temporary stop in rational plotting.
While having Chris explain why the space is necessary or even why talking about the differences (heād lived a full satisfying life in the singerās absence) is required , a relevant part of the conversation here, Calmes then negates everything that is solid about this aspect of the story and has Dawson rolling right over Chris, abetted by the āfriendsā, and a child manipulated by the singer. That left a sour impression on me.
So for every well written piece of this story thereās an equally less thought out aspect that works against it. Itās a love this character, no, this really isnāt working for me type of story.
The series connecting element, The Hookās Book Nook Traveling Library, has a larger role here. But unlike other series of this kind, while the married couple (adorable) and that bus are amazing, they never seem to fit well into any story. They are either too big an element themselves or too quirky to fit into the plot thatās already in place. The connection either needs to be a more simplified one or more suited to the specific series , like a seasonal object. Just mo. Give them their own story.
Cover design by Kelly York
Once Upon a Holiday series – 8 books:
Once Upon a Second Chance by Davidson King
Once Upon A Mistletoe Kiss by Sammi Cee
Once Upon a Holiday Vacation by Annabella Michaels
Chris Gardner has a good life in New Orleans. He owns a club in the French Quarter, has a wonderful crew of people who call it home, loyal, caring friends, and even gets his kid fix by helping to take care of his chefās daughter. What he doesnāt have is that special someone to share his days and nights with. He thought he did, once upon a time, but that man left to find fame and fortune, became a rockstar, and never returned. And thatās fine. Life isnāt a fairy tale. Now if only he could find a band to play music in his club at night, that would be a Christmas miracle.
Dawson West had to leave to see if his dreams could become reality, but what he didnāt count on was that once he had the world at his feet, heād miss the man whoād held him tight. Between the endless climb toward greatness and the pitfalls of addiction, Dawson lost himself for a while, but that doesnāt mean he stopped loving Chris. Not wanting his love to see him broken, he makes certain heās clean and sober when he finally comes home. Going radio silent while becoming the man Chris deserves seemed like a good idea at the time, but nowā¦
Now, Chris has a problem. Dawson is back, out of the blue, and if Chris lets him return to rocking his club, is that an invitation for his heart as well? How can Chris ever trust again, even if it is the season?
Once Upon A Christmas Song is a part of the multi-author series Once Upon A Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hookās Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.
Ice Around the Edges by Mary Calmes is a perfect example of how a story written years ago (December 2010) and re-released just doesnāt hold up in present times. At least not without making some major changes and narrative length.
Iām a fan of Calmes and her characters but this storyline is full of elements that demonstrate how certain aspects of a relationship has changed over time. Things now that raise flags and are considered warning signs for a person werenāt really well known fourteen years ago. Or elements that would have factored into contemporary romances.
The basic story is that this couple broke up because one of them, the one who had the most money and wealthiest family heard his father and grandfather arguing over his āfriendā saying he wasnāt good enough. So without further information or arguments on their behalf, the rich son , Dixon Bain, immediately broke up with the other man Evan Kano, and never saw him again. Years pass.
Evan goes on to live a full and eventful life. Gets shot, ends up hospitalized. Heās handling it well and responsibly. But out of nowhere comes Dixon, steamrolling Evan with plans for Evan to immediately leave Chicago, his apartment, go to NYC, etc. After no contact with Dixon in years. What follows is a prime example of whatās now termed ālove bombing ā.
Doesnāt leave when asked. Hides in a room. Brings his mother with him to make excuses while the person is fragile in a hospital bed. Honestly, more flags.
Thereās some honesty here but very little. The story itself is only 62 pages.
Had Calmes rewritten it, extended the narrative to include time for these men to explore who they had become after all this time? Give the men and readers a chance to see and relate with the story and men as they reconnect as adults with new experiences and maturity. That would have given this the missing depth and relevance that itās lacking.
Instead the story we or they got here is the one from 2010. There was a lot of potential to update this but it didnāt happen.
Read it because itās by Calmes and you just read everything of hers.
Evan Kanoās life is on an even keel until the night heās shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evanās first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.
Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evanās life because he thought his family didnāt approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now heās returned to claim the only man heās ever loved… if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evanās still-wounded heart.
I have loved this series for a long time and was so happy to see another story and couple added to this expanding law enforcement community and universe. According to the author, this is just the beginning of the journey for Del and Lang in terms of books which is appropriate because the beginning of their partnership and romantic relationship is exactly what Calmes delivers here.
We enter as relocated Texan, Delroy āDelā McCabe, begins a new chapter of his life. Delās in Chicago as one of a group of law enforcement officers on probation as they hoping for the permanent assignment as US federal Marshals. Theyāre on probation and training under the office of Sam Kage, the deputy chief of the Northern District of Illinois, basically head of all the Marshals in the area.
Another member of that group is a local Chicago officer, Langston āLangā Ross, a man whose family and roots run deep and whose connection with Del is instantly apparent and solid.
Calmes delivers an emotional journey of friendship, and emotional connection as Del and Lang go from action packed case to case, exploring their own experiences as relationships as regards to their careers and each other.
Of course, other Marshals and their partners and families are also involved in this journey and story, a wonderful aspect of the series and Calmesā writing that sees crossover characters.
Other elements of the story include Langās discovery of his bisexuality or pansexuality because of his love for Del. Delās recognition and acceptance of the need for therapy for the parental abuse he suffered during his childhood, and Langās support for his own PTSD issues. Itās sensitively written and folded realistically into their characters and storylines.
I love Calmesā novels and her characters tend to be heroes. Right now I needed to read this. And I definitely want to read more about this couple and their relationship going forward.
Highly recommended.
Marshals series to date:
š¹All Kinds Of Tied Down #1
š¹Fit To Be Tied #2
š¹Tied Up In Knots #3
š¹Twisted and Tied #4 – Miro Jones and Ian Doyle (1 through 4)
š¹Balanced and Tied #5 – Eli Kohn and Celso Harrington, ballet dancer
š¹Tied Over #6 – Josiah Redeker and Bodhi Callahan
š¹Newly Tied #7 – Delroy āDelā McCabe and Langston āLangā Ross
For the last six months, Deputy US Marshal Delroy McCabe has been secretly pining for his partner, Langston Ross. Heās kept his desires to himself because he wants to do a good job and prove himself at work. More importantly, if Lang were to find out his true feelings, maybe the person he cares for the most might walk away.
Between the understanding and support Lang gives him, as well as time with his family, Del canāt afford to slip up. But then, why does his partner and best friend care who Del sleeps with? Why, if given a choice, would Lang prefer to do anything with him? Maybe Delās been missing something important, and perhaps Langās not the only one whoās not seeing whatās right in front of him.
Because sometimes the strongest ties are the ones that bind our hearts.
Every reader has comfort reads and comfort authors. Mary Calmes is one of mine. Sheās happily ever after. I know her heroes without even looking at her name on the cover. Theyāre highly competent in their abilities, gorgeous (whether they acknowledge it or not), full of warmth and kindness, especially for a certain inner circle of people. They shine.
And fall in love, usually deeply , quickly and forever. And Calmes makes a great story for their romantic journey to the point we believe in them.
They are fixers in a highly specialized agency, Torus Intercession, which has a unique and often powerful clientele. But the fixers themselves often have need of fixing as much as the people they are hired to work with. And the romance between them is quick, combustible, and as memorable as the men themselves.
I definitely have my favorites in the series. And while Get A Fix might not be quite at that level, I definitely enjoyed this story and the couple. Itās very close.
Thatās due to Cooper Davis, the Torus fixer. I fell in love with him as he helped Ainsley Cushing, mom to big brood and having airport meltdown along with Gemma, 2, at the Bangor International Airport. Its there we got to know him, watch him interact with Gemma,2, fill a overwhelmed Ainsley about himself as he helps her get her stroller and get back together before meeting up with her husband coming in on the next flight.
Thereās sequence after sequence of heartwarming moments, real and genuine in their ability to ground us in this character and the family we will get to know better.
Ashford Lennox appears at the wedding location, an Inn thatās not exactly what the bride or anyone else expects. Under construction, ghostly fog instead of photographic backdrop worthy snow covers the Bay and surrounding landscape, and the wedding party is a stressful affair. As youād imagine. All beautifully written and executed.
I enjoyed Ash. This relationship, as new as it is, is understandable. They both realize it is a hard like and lust with amazing potential. They want to see where it goes. I think thatās a great foundation here. The chemistry is sizzling and they are a terrific team.
Thereās other smaller elements I appreciated. Iām not sure if everyone will agree with me on this. The ex and how he was handled is one of those. I think he was very well done. Yes, heās an appalling man. But even those people have a right not to be outed. For me, Calmes made calm thoughtful choices about him. Iām sure others wanted a more dramatic comeuppance.
The ending was a bit abrupt but Iām hopeful that we see more of them in the upcoming wedding.
For me, this was another winner in a series I really enjoy.
Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesnāt mean thatās a sign, does it?
Cooper Davis has a nice life heās quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, heās entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when heās asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, heās not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.
Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything heās ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. Heās learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, itās like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.
Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shotā¦
As much as Iāve enjoyed the previous books in the series, His Realm was just a disconnect for me in many ways. From certain aspects of the character of Jason specifically to moments in the plot that weakens the couple and their dynamic, I just found I had issues here.
Which is a shame because I do enjoy so many of the scenes that the author has created here for the main characters and between others just as important.
House of Maedoc is an entertaining series that, in books one and two, creates a unique world and populates it with dynamic characters. Itās been wonderful to go along with Jason and Varic throughout their journey from their first meeting to their current position in their relationship. Itās been a tumultuous journey with both individuals undergoing major changes in their lives and their personal emotional development.
Iāve loved watching them. Up to now. Because itās worked til now. Each story has contained huge amounts of dramatic elements and forward momentum in the vampire world and relationships. Even with characters who are not readily likable or beings seen as worthy of emotional connection, like the King himself.
It is Jason who should anchor his own story alongside his Prince, Varic. But Calmes makes some interesting choices for the story and characters that , for me as a reader, dilutes their impact as a strong couple and for their personalities, which spend so much time apart.
Here, Jasonās emotional responses to various highly complex or tragic situations just seem off. These ālight heartedā sort of particular personality traits are ones weāve seen before in other Mary Calmes characters. But usually they were contemporary characters and the events that caused some of the same reactions were less likely to be as violent or extreme as the events that occurred here.
A grin or teasing comment from Jason when one would necessarily or reasonably expect a serious, thoughtful response to a question or situation where itās been a an ongoing tragedy or people have lost their lives or subjected to loss.
Itās so jarring that it causes the reader to question whether the characterās actions are credible and think how shattered youād be in the same situation.
Thereās more. Repeatedly, Jason warns of serious threats and is dismissed. Even after being informed his advice wonāt be ignored anymore. But Jason himself is a major problem. He,as the consort of the Prince, and therefore a member of the royal household, refuses to adhere to security measures and protocols. He constantly goes out without his guards, not reflecting on the ramifications of this for Varic and his staff.
Heās become an inconsistent character. As has Varic in relation with communication with Jason, what distance does to their relationship, etc.
Itās one element after another which weakens them, the story, their relationship, for the sake of a narrative drama that involves so many frustrating scenes and dysfunctional dynamics that itās hard to care at times how it ends.
With a wedding and more things that just are pulled together quickly enough for the sake of the series rather than in keeping with everything thatās gone on before, with all the threads and charactersā personalities.
I like this author and feel that she has other, stronger series and characters to choose from.
Read this if youāre a fan, and to finish this series.
On their first meeting, Varic Maedoc, prince of the vampyrs, told Jason Thorpe that loving him was not for the faint of heart. He wasnāt kidding. In the past two years, Jason has been kidnapped, lived through several attempts on his life, and foiled a coup. Now, his new life as the princeās consort and adviser to the king is made even harder by Varicās prolonged absence. With his prince off hunting down a traitor, Jason must fend for himself.
While the separation doesnāt last, even Varicās return wonāt stave off the wicked plotting of others, and Jason soon finds himselfāagaināfighting for his life while navigating ancient betrayals and revenge put in motion before he was even born. And he must prevail because his prince needs him to bring a place without honor back into his realm.
But what festers in rage and bitterness is something Jason never expected, and nothing heās experienced in his human life, or in the decadent court of the king, couldāve prepared him for the wrath thatās about to be unleashed.
Varic needs both his crown and his consort to be the king heās always wanted to be, and itās up to Jason to make sure their bond never breaks.
Lay It Down is what the author calls her billionaire/grad student romance, an opposites attract story about a twin ending up with his brotherās ex lover under the worst possible circumstances.
The framework of the novel is a good one. One twin has come to see his happily āengaged to a billionaireā brother only to find himself drugged, and without his passport by his same brother whoās left for parts unknown. Now stranded on the resort island of Ibiza, Hudson has to figure out what happened and make right the damage his twin has caused.
Sounds good, right?
And for many elements of the story it is. Hudson is a lovely character. Unlike his irresponsible , and honestly, unlikable, twin, Dalvon, heās easily someone that the reader can relate to and admire. A man whoās used his history as the protective older responsible brother as the boys navigated the foster system, he used it to better himself and get an education, which heās still pursuing.
Calmes spent a lot of time building this character and it shows. Unlike his brother which appears here only through phone calls and by the many times heās mentioned by others, never favorably. Even his actions are those that swing from negligence to oneās absolutely criminal.
Which means his twit of a brother? Thatās where much of the problem with this story comes from.
Hudson awakens from a drugged sleep to find his brother has scampered off with his passport, stranding him in the ruins that heās made of his life there. Doesnāt seem to matter what heās done to anyone who has to depend on Dalvon. Off he goes.
Everything this other twin does and says is deplorable. But the author seems to think weāre going to think heās just so helpless and a bit selfish but itās ok. Those actions are forgivable
Nope itās not. And to have a main character whoās constantly either being victimized by his brother or being his brotherās āsavior ā doesnāt make for a satisfying story. It makes for a frustrating experience, especially since that pattern seems to continue forward at the end.
I like reading how Hudson runs around using his knowledge to help the people and businesses his brother was ruining. That worked. Especially since the characters that are grounded in the villa are wonderful.
But the instant love with Miguel , his brotherās ex was less successful a believable aspect of the book given the timeframe of a few days. Had there been more time to give their relationship growth and depth, Iād been on board.
Then thereās the whole criminal enterprise thing. That threw the story right over the top. And made no sense.
I really like Mary Calmes but this wasnāt among my favorites. Too bad because it had a lot of potential.
Most people would say being stranded in the villa of Spanish shipping magnate Miguel GarcĆa Arquero on the beautiful isle of Ibiza wasnāt such a bad deal. But Hudson Barber isnāt one of them. To him, being stuck without a passport in a foreign country far from home is a nightmare, made worse by the fact that the person who did the stranding was his flighty twin brother.
Unwilling to turn Dalvon in for identity theft, Hudson is forced to wait, but meanwhile he discovers the chance to rehabilitate Miguelās failing local businessesāenterprises left to Dalvonās inexperienced care. The flagging ventures are a badly wrapped gift from heaven, and if Hudson can turn them around, he might be able to leverage the experience to finish his MBA.
Then Miguel returns to Ibiza, and instead of finding a boy toy, he discovers Hudson has turned his cold villa into a warm, welcoming home. Miguelās path is clear: convince Hudson to lay down his defenses and let love in.
Mary Calmesā other billionaire romance is Parting Shot.
Wintering with George , the second book in the With George series by Mary Calmes, is hard to be defined as a standalone series as its main characters are supported by and has its foundation knowledge based in two of this authorās most popular series (see list below).
However, Wintering with George is set two years after the events of the first novel and Calmes is able to give George and Kurtās relationship a depth only time makes realistic. Thereās still plenty of struggles and doubts, especially when George is still being unexpectedly called to duty for missions he canāt talk about.
That strain feels raw and the fear real. This is when the one person POV becomes intuitive because Calmes narrative has to include Kurtās complex feelings, but from Georgeās perspective. Thatās a difficult thing as Kurt has a tendency to want to psychoanalyze events and knows the boundaries where they should stop. Itās a great dynamic that we need to see more of.
Itās time to meet Kurtās small family. Another great background story here and that turns into the main narrative going forward.
Thereās plenty of action. Dogs and Georgeās cat, Bub. Kids to break up the adult action and add to the heartwarming atmosphere. Calmes has the best elements down pat here.
Except one.
We really need one more book to complete the trilogy and series. I hope we get it. This is too good to leave at two stories.
George Hunt is certain that spending time with his boyfriendās family over the holidays will be a disaster. How can it not? For starters, he knows nothing about families, never having had one, as for the restā¦talk about pressure. What if he messes up, says the wrong thing, and ends up losing the most important person in his life? Dr. Kurt Butler is his miracle; George canāt afford any missteps. But if heās careful and does everything right, perhaps theyāll see his good qualities instead of the lethal ones.
Sometimes, though, fate lets you put your best foot forward, and George gets to show off how handy he is to have around when bullets start flying. If he can keep everyone alive long enough to do some wintering, maybe heāll discover that a family is something worth having after all.
