Lane Hayes has another great series in The Script Club, winning me over immediately with the first novel which introduces us to the central characters and universe.
Following the Rules also sets out the formal by which all the rest of the romances and stories will follow.
There is a main group of geniusā friends in their last semester of grad school. They have similar intellects and are pursuing careers in Aerospace engineering generally, but more complicated. Iāll let each character describe it. Take my word for itā¦ space, NASA, ā¦.
All are huge nerds in different ways, which makes each a vastly unique personality.
First up is Christopher āTopherā Thornton, aerospace engineer studying Astrodynamicsā¦ and Iāll leave the rest to him. Heās in need of money as a grant and summer job fell through. His friend, George (and roommate) suggests that his brother Simon needs help to make it through his college courses while he waits to see if heāll return to the NFL.
That brings up all sorts of issues for Topher as ājocksā both attract him and end up being his Kryptonite.
Simon Murphy, ex NFL player, Georgeās brother, was cut by his NFL team after a series of injuries, including a number of concussions. Now that heās finished rehab, heās enrolled in college to finish his degree while waiting to see if his agent can get him back in a NFL team.
But heās having trouble with his courses, especially the math snd science so itās George or more specifically Topher to the rescue.
Except straight Simon starts to realize heās extremely attracted to Topher in every way.
This is a terrific series that deals a lot with a person examining their perceptions about their own sexuality and then realizing that perhaps theyāve either been repressing or denying their true selves until now.
That meeting, here itās Topher, the person that makes them able to want to ācome outā for themselves and live their truth is everything.
Hayesā characters are always so well done. They feel so unique but never stray into the cartoonish. Like Topher and Simon, they are opposite personalities but layered enough to feel vulnerable and open to both hope and disappointment.
Theirs is a funny, sweet, and a bit dramatic (of course) romance. Itās lovely and a great way to launch this series.
My friendās brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problemā¦jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions tooānot a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?
Simon-
Finishing college isnāt high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. Heās also a little strangeā¦but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when Iām around himāas though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, weāll find what weāre looking for. But that means changing the rulesā¦
Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.
You know those books about the professional security agencies with highly trained agents with specialized skills ? Ones who are extremely cool under stress and focused on the job and clients? Even if a romance seems pending, they donāt loose their professional patina or come off as comical.The novels with plots dealing with drug cartels so criminally vile that the scenes and storylines come across as realistically gritty? Those books?
Yeah, this isnāt those.
Hijacked is more a āeye rollā emoji, suspend your belief sort of tale. The type where you canāt believe anyone actually does the jobs theyāre supposedly doing but , hey, the novel is fun so letās just roll with it shall we?
If you can do that, you enjoy this story, otherwise no.
If you canāt put aside your need for any sort of reality check, then this is just one big ā yeah, noā.
The characters, from dialogues that range from ālocal yokel ā cringe worthy (reallyā¦ they sound right out of the Beverly Hillbillies) to South Park cartel style criminals, nothing here says take me seriously.
Scene after scene of situations where nothing feels believable , written by the author, so purposely really bad judgment on everyoneās part, just keeps occurring.
Like , the drug cartels guards who most likely are crazy homophobic are coming down the hall so letās have sex now! SMH!
They, of course, just assume thereās no cameras or listening devices so it must be ok. Because, duhā¦ professional.
So yeahā¦ entertaining on a fun, cartoony way. Quick read . No depth of character and the plot is one that continues into book 2.
Yep, itās a series.
If this sounds like something youād be interested in, you have several books to look forward to.
Synopsis:
Renowned cardiologist Carter Rogers is used to having things under control. His life, his prestigious reputation, his career, his future.
Things he canāt control this time around:
ā¢ His meddling grandfather
ā¢ His annoying gamer cousin
ā¢ Buggy South American jungles
ā¢ Being the meat in a feuding cartel sandwich
ā¢ Getting kidnapped by a monologuing drug lord
ā¢Falling for the very hot, very mouthy ex-soldier from his past
In short, Carterās peaceful, well-planned life has beenā¦ hijacked
Got Me Hoping is the first in Casey Coxās new Vet Shop Boys contemporary romance series and itās a winner.
Sweet, heartwarming, light, and romantic! Plus animals! Because it centers around a veterinary clinic and the vets that work there.
Vet Shop Boys is the name of the clinic, a twist on the 80ās boy band .
I liked the series setup and characters immediately. Each one engaging and adorable. Plus soooo in need of a HEA that you canāt wait for each personās story.
First up is Noah Walters, 34 year old vet with three broken relationships behind him. Heās gorgeous, kind, giving, and uncertain about opening up to another heartbreak.
Heās also owner to the adorable Buddy, a golden retriever!
Itās at the vets favorite bar, where a game of Never Have I Ever reveals that Noahās a complete stranger to one-night stands. Itās not something he would do.
But a meeting that night changes his mind and future.
Haze Adams is at a bar when he sees a gorgeous man and has a one night stand that changes his world. The man is gorgeous, kind, funny, and their connection is unlike anything Haze has ever experienced.
Haze is a terrific character. Full of doubts about himself, his own direction in life, and pain caused by his last relationship, he too is caught unaware by his feelings towards Noah.
This wonderful tale of unexpected love, rearranged goals and a new combined future is just so lovely.
We get to know everyone at the clinic, plus people important to Haze who will, I expect, be popping up in stories down in the seriesā¦.*cough* Tate.
Thereās Gus the clinic owner, what a mess,thereās Chase, and of course, Fulton , Noahās BFF vet with all his hilarious t-shirts. Honestly, the author must have had a great time looking at Etsy and other sites for the sayings and those exact shirts! Plus I need now to know whatās the mystery about Fulton?
Luckily, his story is up next! So I donāt have to wait long.
I love finding new authors and books! Here I get a series too! So happy!
Synopsis: It’s just a one-night stand, they said. It’ll be simple, no-strings fun, they said. They. Lied.
I’m done with love and being broken-hearted. The only dogs I want to deal with are the ones I treat in the veterinary clinic I work at.
But at thirty-four, having my first one-night stand can’t hurt. Right? The rules are pretty simple.
1. Don’t spend the night.
2. Don’t see him again.
3. Don’t share anything personal.
4. Don’t fall in love with him.
But when Haze, the guy I spent a blazing hot night with and haven’t been able to forget about, shows up as our new receptionist, the rules fly out the window.
There’s no way one night could lead to anything more. So why has Haze got me hoping this might just last?
Got Me Hoping is book 1 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect plenty of humor, found family, an adorable golden retriever, a foul-mouthed parrot, a whole new way of getting clean (as well as very, very dirty) and a heartwarming happily ever after
Well, finally, here I am! Back at the beginning of the Hidden Species series Iāve been meaning to return to after finding and diving into the first novel at the start of the sequel series (Dragon Ever After
That story and the introduction to all the amazing characters and existing universe (plus writing style of Mastersā) had me hooked but good.
Still it took a while.
Now Iām gobbling up the Hidden Species books like bonbons.
Which works really well because they flow smoothly one into the next.
Louisa Masters actually sets up all the series, both of them, by presenting us with the complicated story of Sam Tiller, a man who will become the heart of the CSG , the center , and by that I mean the admin, of the Luciferās team , and the first to get his romance. Heās also setup here to slowly work himself into the center of our and all the hearts of this marvelous found family of various species.
Oh wait til you get to the Hellhounds!
In all that, the title may be a bit misleading because the demon in question is Gideon, a feared and formidable Investigator of the luciferās first team at CSG.
Ok the Lucifer? Itās a title, not a devil. Nope, nothing to do with religion. Thatās just a bad rap from a pissed off bunch at the other end of a bargaining table. Iāll save it for the story.
At any rate. Thereās a complicated relationship between Sam and Gideon thatās amazing to watch unfold, full of sexy dynamics and awesome UST.
However, itās Samās journey here that is unexpected. Emotionally compelling, imaginative and action wise fantastic, and page after page, turns this into a tale of depth, pain, personal growth, humor, and love.
And yes horror. Thatās a series thread, one of growing horror, you will see as a major mystery keeps looming ever larger over the group.
Honestly once you set out to read these books, just know youāre not going to want to stop until youāre finally done. Just have all the books lined up ready to go like I did and plow right through!
Then onto series 2!
Honestly what a great treat is in store for anyone who hasnāt discovered this author or series.
Great characters, amazing universe, wonderful writing, and humor to keep me in stitches while it had suspense that had me holding my breath! Love that! And this!
Synopsis:The truth is, Iām an admin assistant who applied for a job that sounded kind of interesting and ended up working for the Community of Species Government. Iām the only human in the office, and basically I ride herd on a team of rambunctious shifters and demons.
I also spend a lot of time avoiding Gideon Bailey, the demon I had a one-night stand with right before I took this job. He hates me, and I really want to avoid being murdered. But Iāve been offered a promotion that will mean working with him, so weāre both going to have to get over it.
Plus, people are going missing. Pregnant people. And the word is that someone is dabbling in genetic experimentation. Putting a stop to that is more important than the sexual tension Gideon and I have been ignoringā¦ isnāt it?
š¶Hidden Species series:
Demons Do It Better #1
One Bite with A Vampire #2
Hijinks With A Hellhound #3
Sorcerers Always Satisfy #4
š¶Sequel Series:
Here Be Dragons (happens immediately after the events of Hidden Species)
Dragon Ever After#1
Cover note. Of all the covers in this series, this is the only one for me that missed the mark. For me thatās not Gideon, cold, aloof, forbidding, Rich Gideon in any way. Too bad. The rest are fabulous and spot on.
Recently Iāve been reading books with older characters, in their 40ās and one aspect Iāve appreciated about these stories from various authors is the open and adult communication that flows between most of these characters.
Firefly Lane is a great example of this level of open communication. It exists not just among the primary characters but also throughout the community of the town of Harmony, whether itās blunt questions or advice. Itās still on the open adult communication scale .
Hartās themes for this story run the gamut from the ability to grow and change oneās outlook, no matter your age to the notion that finding your true home has no timetable. Even such basics as you arenāt your parents. Thereās a multitude of storylines here. All unpacked with care and intelligence.
At the heart of the story is not a couple of men but more a intersecting triangles of families, all of equal importance to this story and beautifully crafted.
The first family that launches the novel and action is that of two siblings. Holden Barnett, pilot out of Atlanta, and his estranged younger sister, Marilee Young, and her teenage son Sean. The sister and son in deep need, living in Harmony, NC.
The second family, one thatās deeply established and well liked in town is that of Monroe āRoeā Covington of the huge Covington family, his teenage son Wyatt who he had with his best friend Lindsey. Roe is out gay man to all around him and has been since his teenage years, although his closeness to Lindsey has people thinking , wrongly, they still might get together.
The foundation Hart starts to lay down here for the series is solid. We feel a warm, layered community, full of interesting people, some busybodies, many far more intriguing and caring.
And as we see our way around Harmony and get to know the citizens, the past histories and real issues are coming to the surface within the two families.
Itās never just problems with Holden and Marilee and Sean. Because their heavy issues impact Roe, Wyatt, and Lindsey. All as we watch, we see parents/uncles weighing what effect their adult relationships will have on their sons as well as their sons/nephews relationships. Yes, people actually acting as responsible adults. Love it.
All the while, keeping the romance sexy, endearing, and vulnerable.
Thereās also a back history of parental abuse ( mentioned , never seen) with Holden and Marileeās folks as well as Seanās father Adam, Marileeās absent husband. That plays into much of the story here, and finally figures into the personal growth.
I found this to be a terrific story. So many layers, great characters and foundation Town to get acquainted with.
I canāt wait to the next in the series and eagerly look forward to seeing all these people and couples once more.
Synopsis: At forty-three, Holden Barnett is getting along just fine. His job as a pilot keeps him from getting restless, and heās got a man who doesnāt want promises for the future. One phone call from his estranged sister changes everything. She needs his help, so Holden drops everything and heads to Harmony, a small town in Briar County, which represents everything heās tried to avoid in life.
Monroe Covington is forty-five and happy. He loves his lifeārunning his store, helping at his familyās farm, and spending his days with his best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt. Sure, half the town likes to forget heās gay, and heād love for the queer population to be bigger, but Roe makes do. He misses dating, relationships, and a man to hold at night, but at least he gets new eye candy when Holden, the brother of the woman whoās renting his cabin, shows up.
The attraction is instant, the friendship not far behind, but between Holdenās initial relationship status, family complications, and the two of them wanting different things, theyāre a disaster waiting to happenā¦only it doesnāt feel that way, not with how much time they spend talking, laughing, and eventually, tumbling into bed, a field, or the back of a truck together. The closer they get, the more Holden realizes that just being fine isnāt enough, and Roe begins to see that his life isnāt as complete as he thought. Now, if they could only sort out the rest of itā¦
Firefly Lane is a small town, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers summer romance with no cheating, mature characters who talk out their problems, like to work with their hands, and have amazing chemistry. Did I mention they watch movies in the company of goats?
Caulky is a totally sweet and sexy contemporary romance, the first in a new series about a group of single men working in a construction company.
Best way to describe it comes from a conversation between Cole and Ren where they saw their meeting as a sexy, porn worthy āYouāve Got Mailā. Although neither could agree on who was Meg Ryanā¦ š¤£
Full of humor and sweet insights into the scary nature of dating ,we watch them take as they finally agree to take towards something substantial and potentially wondrous.
Love both Cole and Ren as well as all the characters the surround them. We are likely to see each get their own story in this series and that includes Daniel, Renās outrageous best friend.
The beekeeping element is well done and folded in beautifully along side Renās character that it adds a depth not only to his personality but to the story as well. Love that.
My only slight quibble was the oddness of having a mother (Coleās) threatening to āwash your mouth out with soap ā because of a expletive. Heās over forty. While he should respect her desire for a certain type of language in her house, she should also show some in return. But back to that phrase.
Not only is that ridiculous but Iāve always found that expression as offensive as it is old fashioned. It implies a measure of abuse thatās no longer tolerated by society. That phrase shouldnāt be either.
Just my opinion.
That aside, this is a marvelous romance. I adored both men and their relationship. I look forward to to seeing more of them , hopefully, in the novels that follow.
Now Iām onto book two. Canāt wait.
Need a new series and contemporary romance? Try this one, Iām sure youāll enjoy it.
Synopsis;Ren is in desperate need of a rebound fling. Lucky for him, the smoking hot contractor he hired has just the tool for the job.
The last thing I want is another relationship or another broken heart.
All I need are my bees and the occasional hookup to scratch the itch.
Okay, maybe meeting up with my hot contractor weekly is a little more than occasional. And maybe the way Iām starting to feel about the guy Iāve been anonymously chatting with online should concern me.
But CaulkyAF doesnāt want to meet, and Cole doesnāt want anything serious, so whatās the worst that could happen?
****Caulky is book 1 in the Four Bears Construction series and can be read as a stand-alone. This is a funny, steamy MM story guaranteed to make you laugh and swoon. Absolutely NO cheating and NO love triangle. This series does NOT contain shifters, it’s the OTHER kind of bears.
First thing this book taught me? Donāt judge a story by itās āCRASH !!!ā.
Outside of comic books (awesome) and the Adam West Batman tv series ( equally awesome), a word like that is most likely to be followed by a KERPOW! or a BAM!
None of which I really want in my romances at the moment. Go figure.
But that initial (and only) Adam West worthy action capped exclamation aside, this story is a wonderful romantic read.
Second thing this book taught me? I really need to go find and dive into the entire Hidden Species series for which this story and new series is not only linked but has as its foundation. Huh. Didnāt know that. Missed a good series as well as a bunch of back history and world building apparently.
Both the main leads here played huge, Iām talking honking big , hero roles in that series. So yeah, need to do that asap. Itās where they first meet after all and, if one (meaning me or any reader new to these characters and universe) ,needs to know exactly what a lucifer is or the CSG, well, itās to those books we go.
However, even with missing past histories and universe building, the author does attempt to fill in some of the Hidden Species highlights so we donāt feel completely in the dark.
That plus the marvelous and utterly charming characters we meet here make this a story you will want to read and a series to add to your watch list.
Thereās a whole host of splendid beings, a bunch a fascinating dragons adjusting to a new world to adore, Brandt and Percyās relationship which was quick, often sexy and very funny, and an entire family of friends to get to know. I quickly found them all to be a very engaging, warm-hearted bunch!
It all starts with that crash in the backyard of Percy Caraway, Felid shifter, former Lucifer at CSG. The crashee? A very young dragonet out for a night spin without his parents knowledge. To the rescue?
Wing Leader Brandt. Be still Percyās heart and ours.
The author has a wonderful way with a humorous phrase and situation. Whether itās tweens on the loose or adults looking for privacy, everyone here can relate and laugh. And love these beings in lust and love.
The story isnāt a long one and will leave you wanting more of both this new universe and characters.
I look forward to the next installment.
Meanwhile itās off to track down the Hidden Species series.
Read this. I know youāre going to enjoy it as much as I did.
Synopsis:Note to self: You canāt teach an old dragon new tricks ā¦ he likes to invent his own.
After half a century of chaos, my retirement from leading the Community of Species Government has been bliss. No more hellhounds playing pranks. No more snippy demons demanding my attention. No more cajoling money from the wealthy to support the community. Just peace while I avoid my overbearing father and try to work out what my next steps will be.
Althoughā¦ maybe three years of peace is enough. It might even be starting to getā¦ boring. In fact, an adolescent dragon crash-landing on my landlordās shed is just the kind of excitement I needāespecially when he brings his species leader to my door.
Brandt. Wing leader of all dragons, suave, sexy, and ā¦ slightly unhinged. It doesnāt take much for him to convince me to give up my solitude and spend some time getting to know him. Itās hard to care about the future when Iāve got a dragon of my own to āplayā with. Naked dragon rides for the win, right?
But Brandtās the leader of his people, on call for them all the time, and Iāve left that part of my life behind me. Plus my father insists I should fulfil my duty to the family by getting a nine-to-five job and āmarrying well.ā Thatās not what I want, but riding herd on a group of beings who fly, breathe fire, and could literally crush me beneath their feet would be a huge challenge, especially since Brandtās kind of loose with r Note to self: You canāt teach an old dragon new tricks ā¦ he likes to invent his own.
After half a century of chaos, my retirement from leading the Community of Species Government has been bliss. No more hellhounds playing pranks. No more snippy demons demanding my attention. No more cajoling money from the wealthy to support the community. Just peace while I avoid my overbearing father and try to work out what my next steps will be.
Althoughā¦ maybe three years of peace is enough. It might even be starting to getā¦ boring. In fact, an adolescent dragon crash-landing on my landlordās shed is just the kind of excitement I needāespecially when he brings his species leader to my door.
Brandt. Wing leader of all dragons, suave, sexy, and ā¦ slightly unhinged. It doesnāt take much for him to convince me to give up my solitude and spend some time getting to know him. Itās hard to care about the future when Iāve got a dragon of my own to āplayā with. Naked dragon rides for the win, right?
But Brandtās the leader of his people, on call for them all the time, and Iāve left that part of my life behind me. Plus my father insists I should fulfil my duty to the family by getting a nine-to-five job and āmarrying well.ā Thatās not what I want, but riding herd on a group of beings who fly, breathe fire, and could literally crush me beneath their feet would be a huge challenge, especially since Brandtās kind of loose with rules.
It all comes down to how much I want my very own dragon ever after.
This exciting spin-off from the Hidden Species series kicks off with Percy’s romance.
While I started this amazing series with the third book, this incredibly sweet, heartwarming romance is exactly the way to fall into this universe and found family.
Itās a slow burn, first love, first time romance that captures the essence of all that confusing, unsettling overwhelming feelings of true love . Set on a ranch where you can almost smell the wild fragrances coming through the tall meadow grasses, feel the heat pouring down as the men ride and go through their chores, itās an old fashioned slowed down day in a modern world story. One to savor along with the very sweet, almost innocent nature of the relationship thatās beginning to form between Leland and Jamie.
The ranch, itās full time staff which is also a family, itās guests comes across as a real place. From the dining hall to the dusty tack room to the fire pit where the grasses need to be cut back for safety purposes, itās described so clearly, easily such a deep integral part of the people there that it becomes a part of your heart too.
And as a worn, torn Jamie finds himself deposited at the ranch uncertain and almost beaten, you just hope heās finally found home. Which he has.
Jamie is all young vulnerability, openness, and hope waiting for someone to want him. Heās an amazing character and you love him immediately. As the strait laced Leland does, even if heās not sure what to make of his own feelings.
Leland we also understand and adore, in a totally different way. They gently spark, gaze, and as two men whoāve never had relationships, stumble towards each other.
How I love this and them.
Like sitting on that veranda in the summerās evening, sipping root beer, listening to the owls call and holding hands under the blankets.
Sighing now. Perfection.
Iām so in love with this series. On to book two.
Need a new series to read and love? Start here. Iām recommending them all.
Out now:
The Foreman and the Drifter #1
The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2
The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3
Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soonā¦..
The Wrangler and The Orphan #4
The Cook and the Gangster #5
The Trail Boss and the Brat #6
Synopsis: If only Leland would forget forget that Jamie was a drifter. If only heād give their hearts a chance.ā
With Farthingdale Ranch at risk, Leland Tate, ranch manager, has to get tough and make sure everyone on the ranch follows the rules heās laid out. That means no handouts, no fraternizing, and no drifters.
But what happens when a young drifter comes looking for a job? What happens when that drifter makes Leland want to break all the rules?
A gay, m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, first time, rescue, sunshine/grumpy, boss/employee, emotional scars, and opposites attract. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.
Buy The Foreman and the Drifter to fall deeply and forever today with the first book in the new Farthingdale Ranch Series
I have been looking forward to this book and series since itās origin story, A Brush of Blue, in her Colors of Love series. Itās there that we met Landon Reese, goalie/hockey player and his future husband, bandleader Montrell Pittman. And at the end they are facing a great future together, full of new journeys, including one that sees both at Landonās large spread in Wyoming, the Prairie Smoke Ranch.
It was such an amazing story and that couple was so fascinating and diverse that I couldnāt wait to see how their lives continued and what happened nextā¦.on that ranch.
We get that here, although not as much as I had hoped to see of Landon and Martell. Here, we run across Landon most often as the carryover character. He owns the ranch after all. Of the complex , musical cross dressing Martell, we catch just glimpses.
No the focus of this novel is the Prairie Smoke ranch foreman, Nate Pearson and Dr. Bishop Haney, associate professor of Paleontology at UWW. Itās their love story, with heavy overlay plot lines of theft, bigotry, feuding ranches, rustling and more.
And that mixture of elements and storylines is both a blessing and , well not a curse then definitely a frustrating point, reader and review wise, about this novel.
Writing a series, authors can format their stories in various ways. Thereās a main foundation or universe, here itās the Prairie Smoke Ranch and itās location near the Tetons as well as surrounding communities, town and Native tribes.
Locey has established a great setting and niche community here. We have the larger towns and citizens referenced and secondary characters from there who make appearances.Thereās the smaller found family the author is slowly creating at the ranch itself thatās a combination of owners, ranch hands, and support staff. New people already situated or are soon to arrive within this group are those whoās relationships will be launched in the forthcoming books.
As I said, this series looks to follow the pattern of individual romances emerging from the ranch family that is growing before us on the page instead of following through on the couple already presented.
From foundation universe and main couple romance, then a author can layer on more themes or plots that get threaded through the narrative to further tie books and series together.
For me this has always been a somewhat tricky format to balance and have each tale remain satisfying in and of itself while moving the series objectives forward.
As a reader, I want to come to the end of each novel I read and feel happy (if itās that sort of fiction) as well as satisfied that some if not most of the plot lines raised have been concluded , even if itās not the arc storyline . Thatās more so the case because itās a anticipated smaller percentage in novels from a series because yes, you allow for a certain number of storylines to carryover into the next novel. I still emotionally need closure on something! Please donāt leave me with more questions then answers or spending hours wondering why I didnāt even connect 100 percent to our couple. More on that.
When that happens. Even if thereās no real cliffhanger (something I abhor in a series), having multiple major elements left dangling at the end , well frustrating is a nice way to put it. Then I start to look at every aspect of the story with askance.
That includes what seems to be a happy, loving main couple . Here after some thought, even their romance here feels just as unfinished as everything else. Definitely a HFN book. An air of uncertainty hangs ever present over all elements.
For me that perfectly frames out how Dawnās Desire reads and comes across at the end. I done nothing but think about this story and why I just felt unsettled and yup, frustrated by the end.
Letās tackle the romance first of all.
Itās very well written, especially when creating and defining the men who become lovers in this HFN story.
Nate has a tragic history which is easy to emphasize with and feel a part of this manās life story. I connected with Nate. And even now he stands out so clearly in my head. I know this man.
Bishop, all energized, nerdy yet capable, messy man bun and long limbs, is equally amazing and relatable. From his California great looks to his positive outlook, Bishop feels as real as Nate.
Their chemistry is off the charts hot and I can even believe they love each other at the end.
The author did such a thorough, great job in giving both men not only a layered history but each has an emotional richness to them. Nate speaks hauntingly and with deep conviction of his connection to the wide spaces of Wyoming and his almost sacred bonding to the land. As he spoke at times during the story of his need and emotional ties there , it was so moving and natural.
Bishop too has equally meaningful layers to him. Not surprisingly, these strong ties run from his joy and passion for paleontology . But on the same level as Nateās great need and love for the land surrounding the Tetons is Bishop ās innermost connection to the ocean, itās waters , smells, and sounds that speak to Bishop of his heart. Itās a immense part of his soul, one that he says feels empty when heās away from it. Yes, I understood Bishop too on a visceral level.
Sooooā¦ anyone seeing a potential issue here for a HEA? Because yes, Bishop is a associate professor at UWW, thatās a both a field that calls for major time spent on digs (wherever they may be found) but he likes the city and his oceans.
This may be a case where these men are so well crafted as to feel real. We understand their inner emotions and can then see past a simple relationship whereas love here being everything. For me instead of focusing on their HFN status, all I could think of is this relationship has a real time limit realistically speaking. That sometimes love isnāt enough.
While realistic, probably not the tone Locey was going for in this romance.
The story doesnāt address my concerns about the romance feeling like a summer ranch fling however much they declared their love.
Add that to the fact that none of the other storylines (entertaining and suspenseful major threads) come to any fruition . Each one is left to continue through to the next book. Not one is resolved.
I got to the end of Dawnās Desire feeling as though Iād read the first half of a book where the rest of it was missing.
Iām sure more information about each mystery and plot will be featured in book 2 in this series. However, that story doesnāt center around Bishop and Nate but another couple entirely.
And unlike Landon and Martell who communicated and worked , in that novel, how the complications from each manās job would fit into their newly domesticated lifestyle, here between Nate and Bishop we get nothing. Just a declaration of love.
Just not very satisfying, at least for me.
So finally, Dawnās Desire does a great job in setting up the foundation and conflicts going forward in the series. It does nothing to resolve any thread just a setup and move forward.
It does give us a age gap, layered realistic quick romance between Nate and Bishop, running from lust to love. We understand and come to love each man, easy to do as theyāre intelligent, funny, poignant, and sexy.
But is this a romance built or written in a way that feels lasting? Not so much. More like Nateās first step out of emotional hibernation than a HEA. And I could see Bishop, at another dig, thinking about Nate as the one thing he left behind. That feels believable.
Will the upcoming stories change them and my general feelings about this couple? Remains to be seen. Along with the conclusions to some of the mysteries started here.
Iāll be waiting anxiously for the next novel to see what it brings.
Meghan Maslow is a relatively new author for me. I just discovered her story from a recent multi-author fantasy series and really enjoyed it. So I was wondering what else she had written.
Imagine my joy to find an entire series to dive into.
Maslowās Starfig Investigations series offers up a wealth of characters, some truly funny dialogue, a rich universe to explore and storylines that combine mystery, comedy, romance, fantasy with more than a bit of horror.
Zombies and Orcs, cyclops and ghost ships! Plus sexy supernatural beings of all types and temperament. Itās great when a story and itās characters can make your puls
Half fairy half dragon Twig Starfig runs Starfig Investigations. His latest client? Brandsome Nightwind , magnificent sparkly unicorn with his pet human slave,Quinn Broomsparkles, in tow.
The unicorn has an object he wants Twig to recover. What seems to be straightforward is anything but and a twisting, amazing adventure ensues.
Plus an equally strange and amazing relationship between Twig and Quinn.
Thereās father issues, unholy family dynamics, bogs, yes zombies, secrets, and some just amazing characters and great scenes. I laughed, sighed, felt a little heartbroken for each in turn at points in the narrative and wholly fell in love.
I adore this story and canāt wait to see what the second installment has in store for our heroes and her readers.
Need a new fantasy book and series? Start here. Highly recommended.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 