Review: Witchwolf by Sam Burns and W. M. Fawkes

Rating: 4🌈

Normally I’m not one for the “virgin trope” storyline but Burns and Fawkes are two of my favorite authors and in their hands, it turns into Witchwolf, a delightful urban fantasy romance about a young man who in looking for a hot night out before a new job finds far more than he ever imagined.

Dakota Morris is the young man, recently graduated from college, and ready for his dream job and adventure. But before then? He wants that hot date and experience he’s denied himself by concentrating on his college and studies.

Burns and Fawkes have created a wonderful exuberant character in Dakota and then given him the absolutely best possible place to explore his new life and possibilities for his future.

Of course he doesn’t expect his future to come with werewolves, mages and a ton of magic.

The corporate world and culture the authors are laying down will be expanding with the next book , a chapter of which is included at the end of Witchwolf.

But we get the outline of how the company works and its origins. Pack owned and operated but not exclusively employed by just werewolves. This is a rich universe Burns and Fawkes are building and I’m hopeful that we get more than just two books here.

Dakota’s story has mysteries and some drama associated with it. I wish we could have had more details about his background but understand why that wasn’t given. There’s so much more here that cries out for greater detail and exploration, into the mage history and paranormal being rivalries.

I’m hoping that future stories dive into this element.

The romance between Dakota and Alpha Ajax is hot, fun, and the dynamic between them makes us absolutely love this couple. Want to throttle Ajax occasionally because of his lack of communication skills but still Dakota makes up for it.

Love the ending and energy going forward. But having the entire first chapter of Book 2 (great chapter too) and not the book? Argh.

I will be watching out for that book next.

A definite winner for lovers of urban fantasy and these authors.

Witchwolf series:

Witchwolf #1
Word, Nerds, & Werecats #2 – coming early 2026 – chapter 1 included in the first book. ❤️

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://a.coWitchwolf – Kindle edition by Burns, Sam, Fawkes, W.M.. Romance …

Blurb

Dakota Morris has decided it’s time he lost that pesky virginity.

He’s a college graduate, and he’s tired of being a virgin. So he goes out to a club his friends don’t frequent, and picks up the hottest man he’s ever seen. It’s truly a night to remember . . . until he walks into the boardroom for his new job the next morning and wishes he could forget it, because his hot pick-up is also his new boss and CEO, Ajax Fyse.

The fact that he unknowingly slept with his newest employee is the least of Jax’s problems right now. Not only is he trying to navigate a merger with a mage family who disdains werewolves as beasts, it turns out the mage he took home last night didn’t even believe magic existed till this morning.

This morning, when his magic abilities manifested.

Now, Dakota’s stapler is flying across the room, and Jax has landed himself in the position of ushering his gorgeous new hire into the realm of magic. If only sleeping with a werewolf wouldn’t ruin Dakota’s reputation among other mages . . .

Publication date: May 1, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 253 pages

Review: Suddenly Beck (Belong To Me Book 1) by Vawn Cassidy

Rating: 4.5🌈

I’ve read this author’s other paranormal/fantasy books and just love them, so I thought I’d grab up the contemporary romance series written as Wendy Saunders/Vawn Cassidy.

So far I’ve read just the first book but I can see that this is just the beginning of a wonderful new literary journey for me. A accidental one where one runaway Nathan Elliot flips a coin and, after a series of mistakes ends up in the Bay, a small coastal town near Newquay, Cornwall. Literally.

This is a heartwarming, sweet, and captivating story that has a gorgeous location, a memorable large family mourning the loss of its beloved father, a restaurant in need of rescuing, and two wounded men who seem destined for each other.

Suddenly Beck is a book I just immediately sank into, loving the characters, the Bay and all the various relationships that the author has written into this story. There is the growing relationship between Nat and Beck as they maneuver through the present tasks around them, learning slowly about their respective personalities. Then there’s Melanie, Beck’s mother who owns the restaurant and still mourns the loss of Sully her husband and the father of her large family. And all the many other fantastic moments and characters that Cassidy brings so beautifully alive as Nat becomes an integral member of the Bay and Beck’s family.

There’s more, so much more. Nat has a sister with a secret. And that large Ainsley family of Beck’s has many more relationships to share with us.

I can hardly wait.

This coastal town is a place I would love to visit often. I’m not sure the family is large enough! Highly recommended!

Belong To Me:

✓ Suddenly Beck #1

◦ Definitely Deacon #2

◦ Forever Finn #3

◦ Irrevocably Ryan #4

Buy Link

Suddenly Beck: (A Hot & Sweet MM Romance) (Belong to Me)

Blurb:

A surprisingly sweet, sinfully sexy, and deliciously funny romp along the Cornish coast.

Nathan Elliott has run away from home at the age of twenty-six. His teenage rebellion may have come ten years late, but better late than never. Leaving behind a world of wealth and privilege, and a strict patriarchal family that would never except a gay son, he’s ready to embrace life and make up for lost time, but nothing’s ever that simple. A coin toss, a delayed train, and a wrong bus later, and Nat finds himself in a small bay in Cornwall being hauled out of the ocean by a gorgeous stranger and wondering how the hell his life got so off track.

Beck Ainsley lives life by a very simple ethos, don’t get attached, don’t get involved and don’t fall in love. He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt that reads I’m a gullible idiot. Now, he keeps his life simple; all he needs is his dog, his art, his rambling sea cottage overlooking the bay and a few choice waves to surf. He’s not looking for love or commitment, but when he ends up plucking a posh boy from London with incredible blue eyes from the ocean, Cupid doesn’t just shoot him with an arrow, he decides to club him senseless with the bow too.

One simple agreement. A summer fling, a chance to act on the insane attraction between them with no strings attached, and at the end of the summer they walk away.

There’s just one problem, fate is a fickle and capricious creature, and she has no intention of letting them walk away unscathed. They’re about to discover that sometimes the heart wants, what the heart wants…

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy, comes this hot and sweet, first time, MM romance that will leave you laughing out loud and fanning yourself from the heat…

The paperback version of Suddenly Beck contains a bonus short, The Italian Job featuring Nat & Beck

• Publisher: Tangled Heart Press (July 23, 2021)

• Publication date: July 23, 2021

• Language: English

• Print length: 326 pages

Review: Charles: Learning to Love #1 by Con Riley

Rating: 5🌈

I backed into Charles by way of several of Con Riley’s free holiday stories. Each offered glimpses into this now established couple’s lives and most intimate moments.

The first revolves around a foster child that had been returned to them numerous times. It’s a beautiful story about a imperfectly perfect baby and a couple who loves deeply. Yes I was sniffing. It was the most current one in their lives.

The next backtracked and again it spoke with great emotion and quiet depth to their strengths , endurance, and love with an eye towards their beginnings to know they would never be separated from each other. Such a remarkable journey for a short tale.

By then, I was enthralled. And absolutely shocked at myself. Because I had to go back to find out how Charles and Hugo had found one another but also how Riley was able, in two such memorable stories, create a couple that included a vicar (and by extension a religious aspect) that would make me feel like reading the book.

That’s normally not something I would do.

Charles exceeded all my expectations, and overcame all my doubts that it wouldn’t live up to those glimpses of the future Charles and Hugo yet to come. I’m so thrilled that I have found this.

It’s not often I come across a book that contains both characters and a storyline that settles deep within your heart and mind. One that thought provoking but also makes you laugh . One who’s multilayered storylines continues with its complexity to pull all sorts of thoughts and emotions out of you as the story moves forward and the couple reveals more of themselves twining into the relationship.

Each location, especially the boarding school of Glynn Harber, a brilliantly described and created foundation for most of this story, jumps off the page with its own history and energy. We get to know and love the staff and especially the children who are so real it hurts when their personalities and issues are at the forefront for Charles and Hugo to navigate.

The element of religion was the one I was most skeptical of. I’m not a religious person. But here the author with her two person perspective gives voice to those of us who aren’t believers. That would be Charles. Wonderful, dyslexic Charles. And yea, dyslexia plays a huge part in Charles’ history. The person who is the most religious is Hugo. Hugo aka His Holy Hotness, is not quite a vicar, although if you’ve read those stories, you know he does achieve it in the future. The journey for Hugo , and Charles (no, Charles stays a non believer in the most charitable and charming way) is written in a moving and thoughtful manner. I understood it and I was overjoyed for Hugo. His faith is fundamental to his character and you believe in him for it.

The two of them together have to be one of the most beautiful and unique couples I read about in contemporary romance. As well as one of my favorite.

I’m highly recommending this. The following stories. And yes, track down those free holiday shorts. One was on Riley’s newsletter. It’s a must read.

Learning to Love series:

✓ Charles #1

◦ Sol #2

◦ Luke #3

◦ Austin #4

✓ Heppel Ever After #5

Charles: Learning to Love

Description:

Opposites attract in this low-angst romance filled with British snark and humour.

Life should be a breeze for a playboy like Charles Heppel. As the third son of an earl, he lives for the moment, partying and playing. Settling down isn’t for him. Not when London is full of beautiful men who he hasn’t one-and-done yet.

To escape his family’s nagging, Charles applies for a temp job that matches his playful skill set. A role in a Cornish classroom could be his until the summer, if Charles meets two conditions: he must move in with the headmaster’s best friend, and teach him to be happy.

Living with Hugo should be awkward. Charles is a free spirit, but Hugo’s a man of faith, with morals. A man who almost took holy orders before disaster changed his direction. Only far from being a chore, Charles finds that making Hugo happy soon becomes his passion.

Together, they share physical and emotional first times. Ones that change Charles, touching his soul. He wants Hugo for longer than they have left, but learning to love with his heart, not just his body, will take a leap of faith from Charles — in himself as well as Hugo.

New from Con Riley, Charles: Learning to Love is the first novel in a series based at Glynn Harber, a very special boarding school set in England’s glorious Cornwall.

♥ This shared-world series starts with Charles and Hugo, but each book follows a different couple in their own standalone novel, with a fulfilling happily ever after. Want to hear more from Charles? He stole the show in His Haven. ♥

Charles plays a huge part in Keir’s romantic journey in His Haven: A His Contemporary MM Romance Novelby Con Riley.

Review: The Real Kaimana (A Snowed Inn Romance) by Xenia Melzer

Rating: 5 🌈

The Real Kaimana by Xenia Melzer is a must holiday read. It’s a falling movie snowflake, a much needed hug, and that sexy fireplace burning ever so brightly in the cabin of your dreams. It’s the story that leaves you smiling, full of love and warmth at the thought of this couple and their happily ever after.

It’s low on angst, right on target with the balance between serious discussions about subjects such as body positivity, acceptance of one’s sexuality, and an emotional openness to life’s choices and new beginnings.

Melzer is a new author for me and I believe this is her first LGBTGIA story. I need to seek out what else this author has written because this is an amazing story.

The characters sing of life and joy while always staying grounded in a realistic foundation where families are capable of approving a son’s choices about his sexuality or career, and positivity about self image has no age restrictions or body types.

Travelogue blogger Quirin Brukmiller and businessman Kaimana Tilo will capture your heart from the start. They are so beautifully crafted, multidimensional personalities that I was swept into their lives and developing relationship and never stopped until the end.

I laughed with joy, stumbling along with them through all their discoveries and talks . And left them , far too soon, with their HEA.

I’m absolutely recommending The Real Kaimana (A Snowed Inn Romance) by Xenia Melzer and this collection. What a fantastic way to get into your holiday spirit!

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Real Kaimana by Xenia Melzer

Description:

When a travel blogger with a serious love for color and a billionaire with the most gorgeous dark eyes serendipitously meet at a hotel in the Colorado mountains, could it be the start of a true holiday romance?

Quirin Brukmiller grumbles when he is told he must go into the snow and cold to write a travel report about The Retreat, aka The Rainbow Inn, an LGBTQ-friendly hotel high up in the mountains. After some gentle persuasion in the form of free clothing from his favorite company, he packs his bags and is now ready to brave the snow for the first time. At the hotel, he has the most perfect meet-cute ever to be written for a rom-com and chooses to make the best of this golden opportunity fate has given him.

Kaimana Tilo just sold his biotech company for several billion dollars and came out to his parents. Both decisions went down like lead balloons with his conservative, money-loving family. To get some distance, a clear head, and to have his first appearance as an out gay man, he takes a trip to a charming inn deep in the mountains of Colorado. Before he has a chance to check into his room, he meets the man of his dreams. For once, life is smiling down on him, and Kai has every intention of keeping the colorful man who practically landed in his lap at his side.

When an avalanche blocks the road to the hotel forcing them to stay together longer, it is just the last sign that what they have is bound to last forever.

All the books in the Snowed Inn collection are standalone stories and can be read in any order.

—-

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

Snowed Inn story Collection:

All the books can be read as standalones and in any order and all are available to buy or pre-order

• RJ Scott – Stop the Wedding – https://books2read.com/StopTheWedding

• H.L Day – Five Night Stand – https://books2read.com/FiveNightStandHL

• V.L. Locey – Checking it Twice – https://books2read.com/CheckingItTwiceVL

• LC Chase – Breakfast Included – https://books2read.com/BreakfastIncludedLCC

• Xenia Melzer – The Real Kaimana – https://books2read.com/RealKaimanaXM

• Meredith Russell – Stuck With You- https://books2read.com/StuckWithYouMR

• Eli Easton – A Changeling Christmas – https://books2read.com/ChangelingChristmasE

Review: Invisible Strings by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 4.5 🌈

At the end of the fabulous Sinister in Savannah trilogy Walker let us know that she planned to write further stories in this universe. Specifically, one’s for some of our favorite secondary characters that deserved a HEA and full out storyline.

Mentioned were Kendall Blakemore, aka Sugar, who was Jonah’s ex and renter. Kendall got his HEA in a marvelous novel, Bad at Love! Now a favorite of mine.

Next on Walker’s list was Jimmy Alsop. We met Jimmy as an aspiring, but insecure journalist just starting at the newspaper where grumpy investigative reporter Felix Franklin (Mr. Perfect #2) lives to write, report and occasionally terrorize those around him. Felix took him on as a intern, then put him into a sort of Felix boot camp to build up his self image and ability to become a better reporter. Yes, we fell into love with the sweet, blushing Jimmy there. And it carries over into his story here.

Invisible Strings is Jimmy’s romance. By now, Jimmy has become a stronger reporter, bit more able to stand up for himself and his ideas then the younger Jimmy we originally were introduced to. Although it still helps to have Felix mentoring him as well as his backup.

Although older here, Jimmy’s innocence and exuberance is so adorable yet never overdone. Walker feeds us the type of adolescence and family history that led into Jimmy becoming the type of sheltered person he is without being someone who’s totally withdrawn and shy.

The stories Jimmy is seeking to do for his newspaper is the perfect format for the author to show the character’s interactions with others. Whether it’s someone who’s personality is fascinating or a person who’s situation seems troubling, it’s Jimmy’s humanity that the author gets to shine out in every occasion.

Nova, the astronomer, who’s mother is part of Jimmy’s series of stories, is equally fascinating. He’s divorced, single dad, with issues he’s dealing with, and a overwhelming attraction to a innocent journalist that is the last thing he expects or thinks he needs.

The invisible strings of the title are those that connect people whether we see them or feel them at first. It’s those strings that just keep pulling people back together, time after time.

Fate, stars… whatever you might call it.

Or a list that someone makes up to get done over a two week time frame.

This is a wonderful love story, made better by those characters that surround the two men and support them with their love. It’s family, or co- workers, and friends. We get to know them all.

My only slight issue is with the drama at the end that’s a “crisis “ element. That felt a tad forced given the two men, how well they communicated, and how easily it was resolved.

Overall, I adore Jimmy and Nova’s romance. Such a winner!

I believe we have another story/ romance to come. A bartender? Following the pattern it should come or be tied to Pretty Poison #3, from the Sinister in Savannah series. Hmm maybe I’ll just have to reread those. Sigh!

I’m highly recommending this, Bad at Love and the original series. The author, obviously, as well. Enjoy!

Note: love that cover and the watercolor lighthouse at the top of every chapter! Beautiful.

Connected Secondary Character Romance Series:

✓ Bad at Love, foundation Ride the Lightning

✓ Invisible Strings, foundation Mr. Perfect

◦ ? To come

Connected series:

Sinister in Savannah series:

✓ Ride the Lightning #1

✓ Mr. Perfect #2

✓ Pretty Poison #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showInvisible Strings by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Magnetic as the Sun

Jimmy Alsop, a vivacious journalist, longs to trade his sheltered life for a summer of adventure but lacks the confidence to launch his stellar plan.

Lonely as the Moon

Nova Skye, an aloof scientist, wants to resuscitate his dead love life but hasn’t found the right man to kickstart his guarded heart. Eclipse of the HeartSparks fly when a chance encounter drops Jimmy and Nova into the same orbit. Though their approach to life and love couldn’t be more different, they’re inexplicably drawn together as if connected by an invisible string.

With nothing to lose but their inhibitions, Jimmy and Nova embark on an epic adventure of discovery. Passions soar with the sultry Savannah temperatures, and soon, their carefree summer becomes something more profound and beautiful than either man bargained for. But are the ties that bind sturdy enough to withstand a lifetime, or will they fray after a season?

Invisible Strings is a standalone novel within the Sinister in Savannah universe. Jimmy was introduced in Mr. Perfect, but it is not necessary to read that book first. Invisible Strings is a contemporary romance, where the other Savannah books are romantic suspense. We have heat, humor, and heart, but there are no homicides in this book, y’all. Invisible Strings contains mature content and is intended for adults eighteen and older.

Review: The Cuckoo’s Call by Lily Morton

Rating: 5 🌈

I’m not sure why this sat a few days on my shelf before I got to it because it has to be one of my favorite romances yet this year.

Lily Morton really ticked every box for me here on contemporary romances and then further with not one but two love letters to Majorca and Venice. These settings are clearly places the author is familiar with and loves. And it shows in each warmly described location and all the finely etched details. The lagoons of Venice, history, the twisty roads and beaches along with local foods… all folded in with a memorable, heartwarming romance.

That Prologue! Honestly. Starting a story with a prologue almost guaranteed to make you sniffle ! Blink and you are already invested 100 percent in Wren Robert’s story, why he’s fog bound at that airport. And bereft.

Then comes the story.

And what a fantastic, romantic, grand story it is.

I laughed, cried, laughed some more… sighed a lot. And was ultimately thrilled at the ending.

Lily Morton gives us a spectacular cast of characters here.

Wren Morton, the Cuckoo of the title. The foster child forever being deposited in someone else’s “nest”, but who grew up without self pity, self-sufficient, kind, and with a love for learning. How I fell deeply in love with this character.

Mateo Rossi, extremely wealthy hotelier, bored, multidimensional. Of an ancient Venice family as well as one in Majorca. A man of divided hearts. Watching Mateo interact with Wren, changing as he reveals more of his real self? Amazing.

While the story is told mostly from Wren’s perspective, every now and then we get Mateo’s pov, just when it’s needed. To see Wren outside of how he sees himself. I grew to anticipate those!

The other characters like Mateo’s mother and grandfather are people that are so well developed that I felt I just didn’t get enough of them. Same about Alfie and a certain glass artist.

I really hope to see a sequel to this story.

The Cuckoo’s Call by Lily Morton is such a remarkable romance that I felt 5 stars wasn’t nearly enough.

I’m highly recommending it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Synopsis:

Can a summer romance last forever?

Wren Roberts thought he’d found his fairy tale when he met Mateo Rossi on holiday in Majorca. The wealthy and successful older man swept him off his feet, and before he knew it, he’d thrown caution to the wind and was living in Mateo’s waterside apartment in Venice. It’s a far cry from his harsh upbringing and crummy flat in London.

But as the summer turns to autumn, cracks begin to show. Mateo’s family aren’t welcoming, and there doesn’t seem to be a place for Wren in Mateo’s world. He could have coped with all of that, but Mateo himself seems like a different person away from the sunshine island.

Should Wren have been more cautious in riding off into the sunset when he wasn’t sure what lay over the horizon?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a romance about two men who find that sometimes happily ever after doesn’t end there.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Cuckoo’s Call by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Review: The Foreman and the Drifter (Farthingdale Ranch #1) by Jackie North

The Foreman and the Drifter (Farthingdale Ranch #1) by Jackie North

Rating: 5🌈

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.

It’s 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, it’s 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 that’s beginning to form between Leland and Jamie.

The ranch, it’s full time staff which is also a family, it’s 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, it’s 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 he’s finally found home. Which he has.

Jamie is all young vulnerability, openness, and hope waiting for someone to want him. He’s an amazing character and you love him immediately. As the strait laced Leland does, even if he’s 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 who’ve never had relationships, stumble towards each other.

How I love this and them.

Like sitting on that veranda in the summer’s evening, sipping root beer, listening to the owls call and holding hands under the blankets.

Sighing now. Perfection.

I’m so in love with this series. On to book two.

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

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

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

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

Synopsis: If only Leland would forget forget that Jamie was a drifter. If only he’d give their hearts a chance.”

With Farthingdale Ranch at risk, Leland Tate, ranch manager, has to get tough and make sure everyone on the ranch follows the rules he’s 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

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsThe Foreman and the Drifter by Jackie North – Goodreads

A MelanieM Review: Boys of Summer (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A.E. Wasp

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Teammates, roommates, friends with benefits. What could go wrong?

Boys of Summer is a book about finding the perfect person to ride shotgun with on the crazy road trip called life. It contains a Dolly Parton lookalike, an unfortunate deer versus car incident, and poorly-timed epiphanies.

Everybody leaves. That was the first lesson Thunder goalie James McVicker ever learned. The second lesson was that if you don’t want to hurt, don’t let yourself get attached. Patrick O’Reilly is the best friend Vicky’s ever had. So obviously when Vicky finds himself possibly, maybe stupidly, falling in love with the guy, it only makes sense for him to leave first, right? So why does it feel like he’s just made the biggest mistake of his life?

Patrick O’Reilly loves being in love. He loves the romance and hearts and flowers of it all, but he hates the way it always seems to end. Friends are simpler. Friends don’t break your heart. Luckily, he has the greatest best-friend-slash-teammate-slash-roommate in the world. Hanging out with Vicky is as easy as breathing, and despite Paddy’s initial fears, adding some epic benefits of the sexual kind to their friendship only makes it better. He’s certainly not going to ruin things by doing something as stupid as falling in love. Obviously, Vicky isn’t in love with him. He’s just confused by all these stupid weddings. If Paddy can get him to talk, they can work all this out and get back to being friends again.

The course of true love never did run smoothly, but maybe with the help of their friends and family and some last-minute divine intervention, what started as a road trip could turn into the adventure of a lifetime.

I am desperately hoping that this is not the end of the series for our boys of summer because I am hopelessly addicted to this cast of characters, this team, and this series. With each story and couple, A.E. Wasp has kept this series fresh, lively, and invigorating. Wasp beautifully combines her love and ability to write the fast paced, complex game of hockey with a gift for capturing the believable dynamics of a wide range of developing relationships and lay them out before her readers in such a way as to pull us in and make us love these people.

And with each story I declare the men and their relationship my favorite novel.

Boys of Summer (Hot Off the Ice #5) by A.E. Wasp with Vicky and Paddy is my favorite story and they are my favorite couple. Of course.

Here is a novel that has friends to lovers, awakening sexuality, deep friendships, layered characters, familial and found families, and a game that combines, no demands the best of the men playing it. That’s intellectually understanding it’s demands at a high rate of speed, a flexibility of mind and body, the ability to endure its exhausting schedule and indignities inflicted upon bod and soul, all the while keeping the passion for the game burning. It’s rare and Wasp highlights the game in all its facets through the eyes of its players and coaches, and sometimes their SO’s.

The series has started with a veteran retiring to here, two of the youngest players on a team. We’ve effectively gone backwards in perspective in what it means to be gay or bi or LGBTQIA+ and playing on a NHL or NHL associated hockey team. From coming out to still figuring out who you are sexually, and the journey in between.

One of the many elements that has always drawn me to the stories of AE Wasp is the author’s characters. They are so well constructed, multidimensional and real. But more than that it’s the dialog that accompanies them. It sings of personalities so full of life that the Kindle can barely contain them! I laugh and sometimes cry with them, I see them so clearly as the words flow out of their mouths. I know these men, and love them.

It’s why I want to see more of them and want this series to continue so I can see them, all of them once more. Hear them smash up against the boards, the swoosh of skates across the ice, and the love of one player for the game, his team, and the love of his life. Whoever that may be.

Boys of Summer was everything, Hot Off the Ice is incredible, and author AE Wasp one of my favorite authors. Pick up the entire series and find out why I am recommending all three so highly.

Cover art is lovely and still working to brand the series.

Sales Link: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 544 pages
Published September 28th 2019 by Kelpie Press
ASINB07YK3SG2Z
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series I Hot Off the Ice #5

Hot Off the Ice Series

Hot Off the Ice Boxed Set: Books 1-3

A Chaps Moondrawn Review: Captivating (Elite Protection Services #2) by Onley James

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

This is the second book in this bodyguard series, written like the first with alternating points of view for each chapter. You could read it as a standalone or read it first, and then go back and read the first one if you want to know more about Linc and Wyatt’s story, even though this happens afterward. Elijah is damaged by past abuse and a Hollywood stage mom. Luckily his grandfather helps shield him for a few years before his death. The studio hires the security agency to protect Elijah after he’s attacked by a fan at a red carpet event. Enter Shepard as Elijah’s new bodyguard.

The book has something to say about actors as commodities, powerful people who act above the law, and mental health–although please know Shep’s diagnosis as a sociopath is a fictionalized version and not true to life. A conversation between Mac and Shep really illustrates how wrong in the head Shep is…so is it bad that I am on team Shep? Both of them are actors trying to blend in for their own survival, but the key to knowing why they work is that Elijah is a narcissist and hates uncertainty; once they are together, Shep makes sure he is certain of everything and is the center of his attention. I liked that the reader is never allowed to forget Shep is a sociopath. His pretending to be normal is always there. Elijah is sometimes surprised to be reminded life isn’t all about him and his dramas. He’s lucky to have Wyatt and Charlie as friends, but I wonder how well they really know him.

What I liked the least was the premise that Shep had to extract information from Elijah in order to help him. They are already exploring their sexuality together to find out what they like and don’t like. There seemed no need to make up this type of scenario just for the sake of a kinky scene with a child victim of rape. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t super hot though. The secondary characters didn’t add much here except for Lucifer, who though used as a foil, could have been more nuanced. I would like to see more of Shep’s twin brother. What I liked the best was Elijah taking back his agency and moving on with his life, letting the expectations of others go to do what he wants to do. Be prepared that this security agency all of the sudden turns into a vigilante group, so if you like your heroes wearing white hats, this might not be the book for you. This sets up the couple needed for the next book. There are many tropes here to enjoy: age gap, voyeurism, first time, and hints of Daddy with some topping from the bottom. Really it’s more that Shep runs everything except the bedroom, which is left to Elijah. This is an entertaining, over the top, revenge story that has sexy, albeit dark moments.

The cover design by We Got You Covered Book Design matches the first in the series. It shares the shattered glass image, signaling the books are about damaged lead characters, but adds the film to be a representation of Elijah and the industry he works in. The colors are bright and eye-catching.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published December 4th 2019
Original TitleCaptivating
Series Elite Protection Services #2

In the Spotlight and Giveaway:Anyone but You by Brien Michaels

Anyone but You by Brien Michaels

Riptide Publishing

Published December 9th 2019
Cover art: LC Chase

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing |

About Anyone But You

Murder is one hell of a drag.

Jack Kieza has a problem. He’s deeply attracted to men, but his homophobic family has left him too afraid to act on it. With his thirtieth birthday around the corner, his curiosity gets the best of him, and he finds himself at a gay club. After spending a fiery night with drag queen Sheila Saltue, everything changes. Especially when he discovers her alter ego: his boss, Ryan Swift.

Ryan knew he should’ve said no the second Jack approached him. Now he can’t stop himself from texting Jack every chance he gets. But Jack won’t let him take the wig off during sex, and being Sheila off-stage is wearing thin.

The more time they spend together, the more intense their feelings get, but Jack isn’t ready to date a man yet. When drag queens start turning up murdered, it forces Jack to reexamine his feelings, because what if Ryan is next? While Jack wants their burgeoning relationship to work, it would mean having to admit who he is to the world. And that’s an idea as frightening as death.

Available now from Riptide Publishing!

About Brien Michaels

Brien Michaels was hatched shortly before the turn of the century. He grew up in the DMV area and has been creating characters for as long as he can remember, starting with an imaginary friend named Farquad Beaverhausen. Before turning his considerably wicked imagination to writing, he was an actor, aspiring film student, movie theater concessionist, and the first human to enter the seventy-second dimension. Though it is unclear whether he made it back or if Farquad’s evil twin, Brad, has taken control of his body. He’s currently on the run from the Secret Police, who want to bring him in for questioning regarding the whereabouts of erotica authors L.A. Witt and Lauren Gallagher. If you encounter him, please contact his publishers immediately, as he likely should be chained to a desk writing and not out walking children in nature.

Twitter: @BrienMichaels

Giveaway

To celebrate this release, one lucky person will win a $10 gift card to Riptide. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 14, 2019. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Hot Off the Ice Series

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Anyone but You by Brien Michaels

Riptide Publishing

Published December 9th 2019 Cover art: LC Chase

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing |

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Published December 9th 2019
Cover art: LC Chase