āIn the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.āāAlbert Camus Scottā
With that quote, Lane Hayes leads us into a heartwarming, absolutely engaging tale about two men who meet on a turbulent life changing airplane ride to London.
I fell so in love with this story from the moment I met them as they tried to get settled into their seats next to each other and prepared for their journey to London. Hayes effortlessly captures the essence of the intimacy of the closeness of the seats, the emotional experience it becomes as they get deeper in conversation and farther along into the flight.
Thereās 39 year old Scott OāBrien, a baker originally from Seattle who now lives and works full time in the UK. Bearded, bearish, and quiet , Scott is a portrait of a man who has withdrawn into himself and intends to stay there. Too bad his seat companion is 29 year old Theodore Belden, an accountant from San Francisco on his way to visit his mother.
Theo is vibrant, a gift of verbiage and positivity. Heās also absolutely adorable in a Theo way. Heās also afraid of flying.
From this point the story flows visibly gathering layers and bits of each manās past as theyāre being pushed and pulled together into a incredible romantic journey that includes fairy cakes and side trips to Bathās historic sites.
This was funny, sexy, romantic, and had me researching fairy cakes! Itās also now one of my favorite Lane Hayes story. Theo and Scott are such a fabulous couple.
If you are a fan of romance, grab this up! Itās a joy to read! Iām highly recommending it.
A grumpy baker, a quirky ad man, and a recipe for foreverā¦
Scott
So this cute guy sits next to me on the plane and proceeds to talk my ear off for hours. Not good. I donāt like talking and I donāt like strangers. But Theoās sweet, smart, and sexyāthe perfect distraction from business woes and personal worries.
Okay, things get overly friendly, but weāre adults who know the score. Iām too old, heās too nice, and we live on different continents.
Then, out of the blue, he shows up at my bakery with that pretty smile and a list of wacky marketing ideasālike how to make fairy cakes a thing.
I donāt like fairy cakes.
But I do like Theo, soā¦maybe?
Theo
The new me takes risks. The new me is brave and confident. The new me flirts with hunky, imposing bears on planes while traveling to a foreign country.
Itās going well, thank you.
However, my plans to sight-see, drink tea, and eat my weight in biscuits every day are derailed when I realize there might be a way to help Scott and prove a few things to myself.
Donāt worry. I wonāt fall for the grumpy baker. No way. Heās complicated and broody andā
Uh ohā¦it might be too late. Help!
Fairy Cakes in Winter is a bisexual, age-gap, grumpy/sunshine MM romance featuring a sexy baker, a sunny tourist, and a few dozen fairy cakes.
Lanes Hayes has written a heartwarming holiday story in The Humbug Holiday. One of my favorites this season, itās has a gentle romance between two men whose histories include adolescent pasts with deep emotional pain associated with the Christmas holidays.
One, Cameron Warren, a famous author of mysteries, has escaped his LA home , family, and notoriety for a newly purchased old Victorian in small town Fallbrook, Vermont . Heās there to write and hide from the holidays.
However, his elderly aunts have temporarily accompanied him to make sure heās settled, alive, and decorated in his new home. One that needs a ton of work.
Joe Linton, Handyman, is hired by one aunt to help make the beautiful old house livable for the winter, and start with the crusade to get their nephew to decorate.
Hayesā characters are real in their faults, charming in their own ways of thinking about life and their feelings for the holidays, decorating and the town. Each manās story will slowly come tumbling out , piecemeal, as one writes, the other puts the house in order, and their relationship grows.
Itās warm, like sitting next to a fireplace, chatting, learning about someone. Itās believable and grounded in small town culture and the strengths of that lifestyle.
My heart was easily invested and flowed with the story, right through to the end. So charming and wonderful.
Perfect for the holidays and one Iām absolutely recommending.
Two grumpy bears and a holiday season neither will forgetā¦
Joe
So this sexy silver fox rolls into my small New England town and buys a run-down old house in need of renovation. Thatās where I come in. My job is to do some basic repairs, so he can write in peace. Yep, the hotshot is a bestselling author, but thatās not why I recognize Cameron Warren.
No worries, I wonāt let a one-night stand make things awkward. I could use the work, but is he seriously asking me to help him buy a Christmas tree too?
No way.
Cameron
Iām a good-natured guy all year long, but I have to admitā¦I hate the holidays.
There. I said it.
This season, Iām hiding away on the opposite side of the country in a picturesque village. My family isnāt excited about my decision, and the only way to assure them Iām fine is to deck the darn halls. Or hire someone else to do it.
The handyman might not be the logical choice for an elf, but his grumpy act makes me smile. Which makes me think the holidays might not be so ābah-humbugā this year after all.
The Humbug Holiday is a bisexual, age-gap romance featuring two grumpy bears who find unexpected magic and learn to embrace everyoneās favorite time of year!
Shameless Puckboy brings us to Oskar Voyjikās story, one Iāve greatly anticipated. Throughout the Puckboy series, when the Collective , a group of LGBTGIA pro hockey players, has gathered together to celebrate each otherās milestone events or to welcome another into their ranks, Oskarās antics and outrageous personality has stood out.
Now his bad judgement with his flagrant sexual activities, caught on camera and swiftly passed to all media outlets are threatening his career. He and his actions have just gotten so out of hand that the San Joseās PR manager decides to personally tackle reigning in the bad boy of his team if not the NHL.
I love this story. Itās a two person narrative that works remarkably well to get the reader into the mindset and hearts of PR manager Lane Pierce and gorgeous bad boy hockey player Oskar Voyjik.
Itās wonderful writing because with both men , itās a matter of emotional defenses, of assumptions made that now have to be dropped and deep sea changes in life patterns to rearrange to move forward with each other. Finleyās and Jamesās carefully crafted personalities are rich with stubbornness, humor, bitterness, sexuality, and the need for acceptance.
Watching these two move towards each other while adjusting their preconceived notionās about each other and finally realizing that they are in a real relationship is believable and moving.
Thereās the inevitable drama but not an unexpected element. It feels true to the story and situation.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed each book and couples in this series, Shameless is probably my favorite.
Thereās another coming out Foolish Puckboy but not until next year.
Argh!
Until then, Iāll have to fantasize. And recommend to all who havenāt read or caught up on this series, that you do so. As soon as possible.
After a little mishap in an alleyway with CCTV, my public image needs fixing. Oops? It might have been a stunt to get the attention of Lane Pierce, San Joseās new PR manager, but I didnāt realize what the consequences would be when I did it. Iāve got Laneās sole focus now in all the wrong ways. He has designated himself as my babysitter, and while itās fun messing with him, being bound by curfews and rules has never worked for me. The more I push back, the more I realize whatās really on the line. My career, my future, and maybe even my heart.
LANE
Being appointed head of San Joseās PR department was a dream come true ā¦ until I met Oskar Voyjik. He may be San Jose royalty, but with the stunts Oskarās been pulling, the team owner is down to his last thread of patience. Which puts me in the firing line. If I canāt turn Oskarās entitled party boy image around, weāll both be shown the door. I have free rein to do whatever it takes, and it turns out whatever it takes is Oskar. Only, the more entangled our lives become, the more I see the Oskar heās buried deep down. The one who hurts, the one whoās sensitive and kind, the one ā¦ the one I think Iām falling for. I canāt have him and my career, and if rumors of the professional lines Iāve crossed get out, itās not only my dream job I can kiss goodbye; Iāll be disgraced from professional sports completely.
āāā-
Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Unmanageable (In Vino Veritas #3 ) by Leslie McAdam is another terrific contemporary romance in a series solid with them.
Thereās several elements here that immediately spoke to me.
Luke Lagomarsino and his ex-wife Kira have a young daughter, Addison. McAdams makes Kira a complicated, loving individual and mother who deserves to thrive in a rewarding professional career. And has Luke acknowledge that itās time for him to make the changes and decisions necessary for Kira to be able to take a job thatās important to her emotionally and career wise.
I love a story that doesnāt demonize the wife or any ex for that matter but looks at a family situation from a layered perspective.
That continues to happen with Luke as he has to adjust to returning to his small hometown, being a full time father, and a less ā hands on ā business career.
Itās a great portrait of a man in flux. Itās identifiable and makes Luke someone we can relate to.
Scott Malone, the romantic, sweet younger man whoās both rescued by and rescuer of Luke is a vulnerable and engaging character. So overwhelmed by debt that heās incapable of facing it or knowing how to ask for help, heās generous of heart and loving nature. The scenes written with him and Addison, the daughter, feel incredibly believable and grounded in reality.
Luke and Scottās path to love and family is heartwarming and thoughtful. Itās got layers of realistic personal growth that needs to happen, and communicating between men and family for everyone to come together.
Itās wonderful to read and their happiness is everything!
Iām highly recommending this and the series. Thereās something for everyone here.
Iāve listed them below. Check them out and happy reading.
Since she broke up with me, I get my needs met any time I want, without putting my heart on the line. Exactly how I like it.
But when she is called overseas and leaves me with our child, my bachelor lifestyle ends faster than you can say, āDaddy, I want a pony.ā
I need help.
Problem is, helpās come in the form of an incredibly hot nanny.
My employee.
Who is much younger than me.
And also ā¦ a guy.
I watch Scott care for my kid and canāt help feeling like he clicks into place in her life.
When he looks at me, though ā¦ I get an entirely different feeling. One that makes me long for things I canāt have.
Like him.
Unmanageable is a contemporary m/m age gap romance about a starry-eyed nanny who wants hot-air balloon rides and singing telegrams and a grumpy single dad who most definitely does not.
The first series:
Vino and Veritas #1:
šµFeatherbed (Vino and Veritas 1) by Annabeth Albert
šµHeartscape #2 by Garrett Leigh
šµHeadstrong #3 by Eden Finley
šµUndercover #4 by Eliot Grayson
šµAftermath #5 by LA Witt
šµBooklover #6 by JE Birk
šµFlipcup #7 by Kim Hartfield f/f
šµHideaway #8 by Rachel Lacey f/f
šµTurnabout #9 by Laurel Greer
šµUnguarded #10 by Jay Hogan
šµInsatiable #11 by Rhys Everly
šµDaybreak #12 by Kate Hawthorne
šµHeartsong #13 by AE Wasp
šµStronghold #14 by Ana Ashley
šµLimelight #15 by E Davis
šµUnforgettable #16 by Marley Valentine
šµShowstopper #17 by Regina Kyle
šµUndone #18 by Leslie McAdams
āāā-
Unless itās noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.
Iām not sure exactly where the author intends Nothing Ordinary to fall in their series, except as a prequel perhaps.
It was originally written as a series, then re-edited, new material added, and now re-released just as the first book in the series was arriving. So it acts as a informative lead-in for Pietroās story. Much of Pietroās history and his relationship with his brother is relayed here. So if you loved that book like I did, itās worth it for that alone.
But this is Gabe and Ezraās story. So the events run almost concurrently to those in Switch – Hitter (Hit and Run #1) . Many scenes will seem familiar if youāve read the other book.
Gabe, the older brother who, due to a car accident, lost his career in the Major Leagues, his marriage, his self esteem. Heās now a private school high school volleyball coach, angry, and alone. Not a happy man.
Ezra Mandel , the new culinary teacher is many things:
A culinary genius. A first-time teacher. An anxious mess.
He looks the same age as his students and has a deep case of social anxiety, made worse by an
abusive ex. None of those elements make him think his experience as a teacher in high school is going to go well.
It doesnāt. He runs into Gabe in the teachers lounge on his first day who yells at him to get out, thinking Ezraās a student. It goes downhill quickly from there.
This story of opposites attract, enemies to lovers has a lot of promise. Each man has problematic areas to their character. Gabe is dealing with issues of self esteem, anger, loss of career, and even sibling jealousy/envy. He feels heās never good enough. Anger is his fall back emotion.
Ezra is full of anxiety, a people pleaser who canāt tolerate loud voices, especially those raised in rage. His low self esteem pounded into him by an abusive ex who enjoyed hurting him. A culinary genius who canāt stand the pressure of the kitchen.
These are all complicated elements and needs itās equal in storytelling. While Lindsey did a good job dealing with Ezraās anxiety (therapy, communication, meds) and Gabeās issues of career loss, low esteem, and envy, I not sure Gabeās elements got addressed enough. Of all three characters who had emotional issues, (Ezra, Pietro, Gabriel) , Gabe is the only person not seeing a therapist. I kept thinking anger management classes were the least he needed. If you have to continually excuse a teacherās behavior because heās ācomplicatedā?
Flags , people, flags.
Which brings me to a couple of major concerns or issues I have here. And spoilers territory ! I like these characters. I do. I find them sympathetic, mostly.
Continuity.
Lindsey has both Pietro and Gabe use their celebrity influence as MLB players, past and present, to make important local changes. Include a trans player on a team against the Administrationās wishes, push rulings, whatever. They use what theyāre are , rich and well known, to make changes. Over and over. They are local boys made great. Point made.
Even if Gabe feels like a has been, heās not.
If Lindsey had just explored all the ramifications of these two polar opposites getting together, it would have made for a fascinating story.
But thereās another ugly element thrown in. One of an attempted sexual assault. It happens, itās over. And other then a very minimal amount of mentions to the aftermath. Done. Yes, Therapy. Yes. Fired. Yada. Yada. But basically , thatās it for such a serious topic.
To my mind, if youāre going to introduce such a sensitive and horrific situation, (it happens on the page, but is swiftly dealt with), then I think thereās an obligation to make this section as relevant and responsible as possible. Gabe and Pietro have the influence to have this person arrested, heās a sexual predator, whoās been in a high school.
But thereās no follow through here. On any aspect really of this situation.
Itās pretty much glosses over considering the gravity and scope of the scene.
I just didnāt get it. The story flies quickly to the end, and Gabe and Ezraās HEA.
I didnāt read the serial so I have no idea which sections were added and whatās original. But if the assault scenes were added afterwards, it makes sense, because they donāt feel as thoughtfully written as Ezraās anxiety or Gabeās relationship with Pietro.
So itās worth reading if you want to read the entire Hit and Run series and want all the background. This is great for that.
Read it for Ezra, and yes Gabe. Iām sure we will be seeing them again later on in the series, not just in Pietroās story, which I highly recommend.
A culinary genius. A first-time teacher. An anxious mess.
And helplessly attracted to the rudest, most grumpy man he has ever had the misfortune of meeting.
Ezra knows his first semester ever teaching at a private school is going to be a disaster. What he doesnāt expect is to get into a rivalry with the volleyball coach who canāt stand him. But the more he gets to know Gabriel Bassani, the more he starts to realize his pain is a lot deeper than the surface of his skin.
And Gabriel is a complicated man. Heās lived in the shadow of his MLB star brother for most of his life, his past marriage was a disaster, and heās long-since stopped believing in love. But Ezraāpersistent, beautiful, irritating Ezraāis the kind of man who refuses to give up, and Gabriel isnāt sure if he wants to beg him to stop, or beg him to keep going.
Whatever they have isnāt ordinary, but then again, ordinary isnāt something either of them has ever wanted.
This book features a low-angst, slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with a nervous sunshine culinary professor in his first year of teaching, a grumpy ex MLB player with a chip on his shoulder the size of Wrigley Field, a gaggle of students who enjoy making bets on the teacherās lives, and a happily ever after that just might feel like a world record breaking home run.
Nothing Ordinary is a previously released serial novel in the Hit and Run series, now with 15,000 words of revised and additional content.
As far as I can tell, VRC: Vampire Related Crimes is a four book series with book 1 and 2 centered around Finn and Marcus, book 3 Is another pair, and book four still another.
All members of the VRC: Vampire Related Crimes Unit and with close ties to each other.
How To Vex A Vampire scores high just on the character of Finn alone. Finn has a number of unusual elements to his character you donāt normally find in romances, supernatural or otherwise. Heās a double amputee to start off with. Heās missing a leg and arm. How he came to lose both is part of the story and wonāt be gone into here.
However, his issues with self image as a amputee are dealt with here realistically. So are the problems that occur with prosthetics, over use, accidents, and the perceptions held by others about amputees. Itās all here. Inside Finnās head and outside, in the Department and people heās associating with.
Winters has written a fascinating character with a physical disability in a way thatās realistic and believable. Even though thereās other aspects with supernatural elements to factor in. Finn asks to be treated as a equal , and we come to regard him as much more.
Marcus, the true vampire, whoās adamant that humans not be a part of the unit, is the one who falls for Finn. After Finn, everyone is less layered, but I like Marcus, and thoroughly enjoy their chemistry and relationship.
Winters has created a horrifying plot and a terrifying villain. Both of which are fully revealed in the next story. Here we are just beginning to get the chills and frightening idea of whatās ahead.
That is the thing, along with your total affection for Finn, that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Excellent job!
Wintersā marvelous characters, fantastic plots, and dialogue make VRC: Vampire Related Crimes and How To Vex A Vampire both must reads!
Finn Getting into the vampire-only detective unit was the easy part; whatās going to be more difficult is dealing with my new partner, an ancient vampire who keeps threatening to eat me. The unit has never had a human in it, and Marcusāor as I like to call him, Fangy McFangfaceāwould really prefer to keep it that way. Heās grumpy, short-tempered, and broody, but I have a way with words and I know heās starting to like me, even if he swears heās not. But what he doesnāt know is that I didnāt join the unit because I was tired of being a homicide detective, I joined because there is someone after me. Theyāve already taken enough from me and Iām afraid theyāre going to take all of me if I donāt find someone to help. Thatās all Marcus was supposed to be, but now, heās so much more and I canāt imagine my life without him.
Marcus The moment the pesky human walked through that door, I knew I had to get rid of him. Heās charming and almost everyone else instantly loves him, but he doesnāt understand how risky it is being part of this unit as a human. But as I get to know the stubborn man, I learn that perhaps heās not as naive as I once thought. And maybe heās what I needed to realize there is more to life than just work and my dog. A group arises who is threatening to disrupt the alliance between the humans and the vampires, but Finn is the one who shows me how strong that alliance can be and reminds me why itās worth protecting. When threats hit closer to home, I realize I would do anything for Finn because heās brought so much joy to my lifeāand because heās mine.
This 105k word book contains: A creative use for undergarments, unintentional splits, a wolfhound who just wants to be a part of things, a vertically challenged human who still manages to wrap every vampire he meets around his little finger, the best date ever, possessiveness, really awkward dancing, some workplace revenge, and just a bite or two. Or three.
Part of a 6 book-series, Hockey Allies Bid M/M Romance Collection from six different authors, Loving Layne is V.L. Loceyās addition to this terrific series.
A fan both of the game, the players, and LGBTQIA+ hockey romances, I loved a series about a group of Hockey Allies at a charity event and the romances that sprang from it.
Locey didnāt disappoint with two amazing characters here.
Roman Kennedy, a journalism major, whoās very background oozes ink for the presses, is on a mysterious road-trip with his college roommate and best friend to Chicago.
Ah , Roman. Heās the one with the beloved newshound grandfather in his past. The one who left him the stylishly older fashioned hats Roman wears, the music tracks and vinyl of music he listens to, and the classic car Roman inherited that he drives. Roman is that character you adore immensely.
The other main character is Layne Coleman, NHL hockey player, one year away from retirement. A ten year age gap but actually mentally and emotionallyā¦ no separation. They click! Like two pieces that immediately get each other.
Locey writes them as two souls who as they talk , itās not just physical chemistry, but a meeting of two like mindsā¦ and hearts. So the reader is so on board with their romance and relationship.
Roman and Layne are great together. I love their section of this story.
Thereās a drama that plays our quickly and a mystery that most will have figured out almost immediately.
The elements that I find , well if not likable, but then perhaps less dimensional, are Dillon, Mrs. Coleman, and Mrs North.
Maybe they have just less āpage timeā but whatever the reason they come across as less fleshed out then the main couple. Especially Dillon. Heās nothing but action and emotion. There doesnāt seem to be any real depth to him.
Which was fine, it was Layne and Roman I really cared about and they had a wonderful ending. I could even do with another story about them. I liked them that much!
Hereās another hockey romance winner from a author whoās great at both writing hockey and romance.
Sometimes the last thing you expect to happen might turn out to be what you needed all along.
Roman Kennedyās first trip to the Windy City isnāt going quite as planned. Mysteries intrigue him, and his best friend Dillon seems to be sitting on a whopper. So, with his grandfatherās favorite hat on his head and his notebook in hand, the journalism major starts digging. Sadly, getting his bestie to spill the beans on what the secret is isnāt as easy as Roman had hoped.
Now, through no fault of his own, heās stuck in an expensive hotel attending a bachelor auction of all things. Heās surrounded by lumbering jocks who, heās sure, are just waiting for the chance to poke fun at the skinny, gay Jewish guy. Imagine his surprise when one of the big lugs sits down with him and talks Bernstein and Woodward.
Layne Coleman is sexy as sin, smart as a whip, considerably older, and has the same passion for investigative journalism as Roman does. His deep blue eyes and dark hair make concentrating on anything but the soft kisses theyāre now sharing difficult. Romanās keen instincts are understandably clouded by romance, so when Dillon reveals his secret in a highly public way, itās hard to say who is more stunnedāRoman or Layne, the man at the center of it all.
Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco is the penultimate novel in Sam Burns four book Fantastic Fluke series and itās terrific.
As the author starts to do the arduous task of both ramping up the expectations for the expected magical thrown down and accompanying revelations she also has to start , however slowly, pulling together all the loose plot threads and tidying up her narrative house as it were.
The weight carried by the penultimate story is much like that of the second novel. Itās subtle, often without the shine and glory of the finale, but with huge responsibilities for the characters and plot.
Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco Carrieās that weight with ease, bringing new information on our main characters magical abilities to light as well as delving deep into the past that created both their ancestry and the dire issues they all face currently.
It does so through action packed scenes, quiet moments of reflection, and quirky communal times spent eating pizza amidst laughter and love. It shows us found family at its most supportive and itās ability to continue to grow and connect to allow others within its warm embrace.
Iāve come to absolutely love this group of beings, people, familiars, mages, what have you. What a remarkable family of well defined individuals Burns has created for us to love and connect with.
And a plot that seems to want to transcend both time and realities, if the Convergence has anything to say about it.
Itās hard to believe the author has chosen to end this series at four novel. I could easily have spent a shelf of stories here.
The next will be out in February 2022. Until then I absolutely recommend reading this entire series in the order they are written for characters growth and plot development.
That cover like all the rest is astonishing.
The Fantastic Fluke Series -4 of 4:
ā The Fantastic Fluke #1
ā Fluke and the Failthless Father #2
ā Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3
ā¦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in February 2022
When an earthquake shakes up Sage’s night, his instinct is to forget about it. They live in Californiaāquakes happen. But this one sends the consciousness that lives in the ley lines running to him in fear, so he and his gunslinger boyfriend set out to investigate. What they uncover is a century-old plot to destroy not only the ley lines, but the city of Junction itself.
Now, they’re in a race against an unknown adversary who wants to annihilate everything they love, and the only man with the answers is Sage’s long-dead Uncle Jonathon. Good thing they only have to read his journals, not deal with the insufferable jerk in person.
Between a heist to steal a magic artifact, Uncle Jonathon’s bigoted ramblings, and one surprise after another from his allies, can Sage find what he needs to save Junction?
Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco is third in its series, so if you haven’t read a Fluke book before, you should definitely start with book one, The Fantastic Fluke. The Faultline Fiasco is a 65k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, as they try to save the world. Or at least Southern California..
The Holiday List is the fourth and final book in Lane Hayes Script Club series, built around a group of nerd scientists who live and work together. They form a club that does odd jobs, each becomes a focus of a book as well as one of the scientists who end up with their HEA.
This was a cute story. Chet was someone new to the house and therefore not a person weāve grown to love as we had all the others. He was just as adorably quirky and Hayes gave him a suitable family and background.
Chet really shown with his interactions with Lincoln, the child he was helping with his science projects. I really wished this story had explored that dynamic further, including Sam into it. Because that would have elevated this story into something special, especially at the holidays.
As it is, we get a āas toldā sort of narrative for their developing relationship. As in Chet and Linc did this , then they performed thatā¦ etc.
It did not fill in for the missing lively personal warmth and displays of developing affection the other scenes made apparent.
I liked the characters. That of Sam, the divorced father with his issues of insecurities and background were well done. Also his chemistry with the adorable Chet was clear.
But, I felt there could have been more scenes , maybe of them decorating Samās house, since that was a big element, anything that had them actually talking and establishing a relationship (one we see happening).
The numerous sex scenes are hot and well, sexy. However relationship and character growth needs to be given equal page time for everything to flourish. Including our interest in the couple.
They have a very sweet ending and lovely epilogue. It puts a happy ending to the book and series.
While not my fav in this series, itās cute. And if youāre a fan, itās a nice way to say goodbye.
Synopsis:
The Mars maestro, the single dad, and a wish listā¦
Chet-
Boy, am I lucky! Finding a living situation with a houseful of passionate scientists just before the holidays is ideal in every possible way. As the newest member of the Script Club, I feel itās important to step up and tackle the to-do list my friends would prefer to avoid. Item one, address the tutoring request from the neighborhood-hottie-slash-single-dad on the next block. Iāve got this!
Or do I?
Handsome, older, sporty gentlemen intimidate me. And Mr. McSwoony doesnāt like the holidays. This may be a daunting task.
Sam-
What do you do when a new neighbor shows up on your doorstep with cookies and a wacky plan to spread holiday cheer? I donāt need cheer, but I could use help with some of the experiments my son wants to try. I know football, not science. Hopefully, I can talk Chet into a mutually beneficial trade. The only snag is that Iām seriously attracted to my local Mars expert. Heās unintentionally charmingā¦in the very best way.
Donāt quote me, but maybe this holiday elf with thick glasses and a mile-long list might be exactly what I need.
The Holiday List is an MM bisexual, geek/jock romance with a holiday twist featuring a lovable scientist and a single dad whoās probably on the naughty list!
Colors of Love has quickly become one of my favorite series and one I highly recommend when people ask me for a contemporary romance novel to read.
Beautifully written, well crafted characters of depth that immediately grab at heart and mind, the stories all have certain fascinating elements.
One main element is a hockey player who is at a pivotal stage in his life. It could be that heās facing a decision to retire, or a debilitating injury, perhaps the player is rehabbing a image or being traded. Even questioning their sexual identity. But the man is at a moment in his life where change is needed, whether heās aware of it or not.
In Pines & Violets, that element is filled by Greg Mattar, D-man for the Surge NHL hockey team. Heās still mourning the loss of his beloved wife to breast cancer while adjusting to single parenthood to twin daughters. Itās not going well as he hasnāt been able to move forward, emotionally.
From the gut wrenching Prologue where we meet Larissa, his wife as she and Greg feel the lump in her breast to Chapter 1, where they are dealing with her death,we are as devastated as this small family. And 100 percent invested in Gregās recovery and the familyās future.
When Gregās sister talks him into spending summer in the Catskills in a cabin near their new summer house, the anticipation is huge and heartfelt that changes are coming.
And it doesā¦amazingly accompanied by a flock of honking geese, a pair of adorable fainting goats and wearing a old straw hat.
Which brings me to another strong and reoccurring element to Loceyās series. That of the fascinating, unexpected, usually complicated second main character. They have truly run the gamut here, from cross dressing gorgeous jazz singers to yoga teachers and everyone imaginable in between. Often they might have never been mates you would have expected the author to pair the hockey player up with until itās absolutely magical.
Like it is here.
Aiden Burke is a walking scar, his past trauma and painful history literally written in the tears across his skin. Heās a powerful character yet gentle and oh so moving one.
The way in which the men, and girls connect over the summer is so heartwarming and emotionally satisfying. Youāll need to break out the tissues in more than one moment here.
Their story is hilarious, especially where the girls are concerned, realistic, painful, and incredibly moving.
Pines & Violets made me so happy that I know Iāll be rereading it sometime soon. Iām just not ready to let these people, this small family go yet. I adore and have taken them to heart so.
I believe you will too.
Make this the top of your TBR list. Itās such a great story and perfect for the holidays.
And if you havenāt read the other books in the series, I recommend them too. Marvelous!
Colors of Love series:
Lost in Indigo
Touch of a Yellow Sun #2
The Good Green Earth #3
Slow Dances Under an Orange Moon #4
A Brush of Blue #5
Songs of a Red Currant Wine #6
Pines & Violets #7
Synopsis:
He never thought heād find love again, but one summer changes his entire life.
Greg Mattar always had a clear path in life. The son of wealthy professionals, he and his sister wanted for nothing growing up in Montreal. His skills playing hockey led him to be picked first in the draft and a successful career as one of the premier defensemen in the league. He married his college sweetheart and within a year, theyād been blessed with twin girls. Then the unthinkable happened, and Gregās life was turned inside out.
After losing his wife to cancer, heās left alone to raise his daughters and at the same time balance his career. After a rough two years of mourning coupled with a dismal season, Greg and his girls travel to a small vacation community deep in the Catskills. There he meets Aiden Burke, a local artisan with a past who enchants not only Gregās daughters but Greg as well. During a vacation filled with laughter, acceptance, and morning goose parades, the two men fall for each other, which begins a journey down a winding road of revelations and romance.
