Keeping Casey is another terrific contemporary romance from Amy Aislin. Loosely connected to her hockey series through the Glen Hill College Mountaineers hockey team, which has made its appearances in other stories , this novel is the first in a new Keeping Him series.
In Keeping Casey the author weaves many of my favorite tropes together to form a sweet and moving romance. Here we have a nerd/jock relationship thatâs a friends to lovers with elements of slow burn, hurt/comfort, even LGBTQIA bullying within a fake boyfriend storyline.
Yep, all that and it works so well together.
Of course it helps tremendously if you have adorable, layered characters with realistic chemistry that whenever theyâre together the warmth and love just flows off the pages.
Thereâs a bullying aspect here but on the jock side which is unexpected but again completely realistic. Also twinned painful pasts for both men where each has taken that trauma and emotionally internalized it in vastly different ways.
These elements, two incredibly different characters and one amazing relationship. It all makes for a fantastic romance and terrific secondary characters whose stories will be appearing shortly.
Another aspect I loved is that people, hockey players and their partners, from her other books and series , pop up here as supporters. It works beautifully. And itâs great to see them all again.
Iâm highly recommending this story and Iâm onto the next!
Keeping Him series:
Keeping Casey #1
Keeping Kellen #2
Synopsis:
Casey Preston is the guy with the plan. The list-maker. The one who micromanages his own life.
Spontaneously offering to be his best friendâs fake boyfriend to get Ethanâs annoying team captain off his back?
Thatâs not thinking things through. Itâs not even smart given Caseyâs been fighting his feelings for Ethan for years.
Ethan Rain just wants to play hockey and get his college degree. Adding a fake boyfriend to the mix? He doesnât need that complication.
If Casey were his real boyfriend, though? If he got to keep Casey forever? Now weâre talking.
As we head into November, itâs time for the Holiday stories (and movies) to start being released.
And for those of us who love to read them (and watch them) to start our holiday feasting!
First up for me was the first in this adorable Amy Aislin Christmas series Lighthouse Bay. Currently running at two books, both holiday novels, itâs a great way to dive into your seasonal reading.
Christmas Lane is a heartwarming age gap, friends to lovers romance set in the appropriately snowy New England (and Hallmarky) town getting ready for its Christmas parade! It doesnât get more holidayish ( Iâm on a roll with yes, those absolutely should be words thing) then that.
Zach Greenfeldâs helping out his sister in the familyâs, now hers, store while figuring out his next step. Turns out he gets roped into running the townâs parade, since event planning is his specialty, and ends up next to his forever crush.
Holland Stone, former teacher, now exclusive dollhouse maker and float designer ⌠of his own. And Zachâs crush.
The slow burn romance between Zach and Holland occurs through a parade day countdown format which I love. Day by day as we get closer to the actual parade, the men grow closer through planning the parade, the details of each float, the disasters the arise, the community as it works together and the overall sense of achievement and love that pervades this story.
Everyone and everything has such warmth and depth to it. It may all be covered with the rosy glow of Christmas but by the end thereâs no place or town and with no couple youâd rather be spending your time with.
Christmas Lane is charming, heartwarming and romantic. Just a marvelous way to start your holiday reading. I highly recommending it.
Lighthouse Bay series:
Christmas Lane #1
Gingerbread Mistletoe #2
Synopsis:
It’s recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld’s favorite time of the year and he’s just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush–Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float–Santa’s sleigh–gets damaged.
Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa’s sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.
Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.
Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!
I really wondered about this story because of the character of George.
Thatâs tall, cape wearing, genius whoâs been a bit of an enigma although heâs gotten a lot of page time within the series to date.
Nice trick. Very vampire like.
So whoâs heâs paired up with becomes as much as a surprise as he is . And that makes this story more satisfying all the way.
Rules of Play helps fill in Georgeâs important adolescence stage as well as advance the timeline for the focus group of friends. We get his past and see the entire group more settled into jobs or relationships.
Maturity is advancing,,,, somewhatâŚ
But the person about to come back into Georgeâs life is someone very familiar and close to Georgeâs family.
Aiden is one of Simonâs best friends, and Simon is one of Georgeâs older brothers. Aiden also spent much of his younger years at the Murphy house because of his parents dysfunction and love of alcohol.
A broken down car and a night rescue is all it takes to bring Aiden ,as a mechanic, back into Georgeâs life. Georgeâs bossâs unfortunate love life will keep him there as they plot a way for Newton to romance the girl of his dreams.
Close proximity and really heated libidos bring about all sorts of changes in their relationship, including ones Aiden never anticipated. One where he just might be bisexual.
Complicated characters, realistic situations, emotionally charged conversations about sexuality, and, friendship. All those elements wrapped up in a great romance.
Lane Hayes delivers a marvelous tale full of humor, lusty scenes, warmth and love.
This series continues to evolve and get better with each story.
Love this and everyone novel. Recommending them all.
My brotherâs friend is hotâif youâre into flannel-wearing lumbersexual former jocks who eat donuts for dinner and still scribble to-do lists on their palms. Iâm not. Iâm a serious scientist in my final year of grad school. Okay, I admit I have few quirks of my own. I also have a broken truck and a boss who thinks I can help him find love. Iâm in over my head. Help!
Aiden-
A few quirks? Really? George is the weirdest dude I know. He wears capes in public, brings a book everywhere he goes, and loves all things spooky. Heâs also the smartest person on the planetâwho somehow thinks I can help him write a How-To-Get-A-Date playbook for his boss. Yeah, that sounds suspicious. I know baseball; I donât know anything about love. But I canât say no. The thing isâŚIâve always had a soft spot for George. But falling for my best friendâs brother is against the rules, isnât it?
Rules of Play is an MM bisexual awakening story where opposites attract and shenanigans ensue!
As much as I adored the beginning book in this series? Got Me Wishing just made the series and universe even better.
It brought in heavier themes such as addiction, animal abuse, forgiveness, redemption. It even weaves in kink shaming and how the judgements you make impact others. All done very sensitively and beautifully by the way. All while allowing the romance to remain center stage.
Yes, this story unpacks a lot besides a very romantic and emotionally rewarding love affair turned HEA.
Fulton Meyer, 34 yo vet, BFF to Noah Walters (Got Me Hoping #1), immediately turned into a favorite character of mine out of all the vets and peripheral people in and around the Vet Shop Boys Animal Clinic.
Prone to snarky lines, a funky fashion sense, and a seemingly endless supply of great t-shirts from Etsy that proclaim things like âI Kissed A Pug And I Liked It ~Kitty Purryâđđ⌠well there was just something about Fulton!
He needed his HEA! Plus there was some mystery going on as to why no man had ever stuck around.
Now in Got Me Wishing we get Fultonâs story. Casey Cox delivers the painful personal history that has made him who he is today, including the fact heâs so lonely. Except for all his cats of course. All eight of them.
Into Fultonâs crazy life comes Bishop Turner in one adorable âmeet cuteâ scene turned lusty!
From poignant to adorable to funny to sexy, this introduces shouts destiny!
Trust me, youâll be into this couple as quickly as they are ⌠uh hem⌠into each other.
But the relationship? And actually getting to know one another? Each otherâs layers? That take time .
This is a story of trust earned, pasts revealed, and love that comes slowly to those that need and deserve it.
I just love everything about this story. Beautiful elements, new characters, so many thoughtful moments between Fulton and Bishop as they explore their romance and future, as well as open up about their past.
If this is any indication where the rest of the series and romances are headed, I canât wait.
Next up is poor befuddled, broken hearted Gus.
I highly recommend every story and in the order written. Take the journey with all the Vet Shop Boys. Itâs one I myself am eagerly anticipating.
A half-birthday + a second chance = one true love? As. If.
Who needs a man when I’ve got cuddly kittens?
No one’s ever wanted me once they discover my secret. I guess that’s why I’ve thrown myself into my work as a veterinarian, as well as become the proud paw-rent to my eight cat rescues. I’ve even managed to convince myself I’m purr-fectly happy being single.
So when Bishop, a handsome stranger, strikes up a conversation, I don’t expect it to lead to anything else. There’s no way a guy wanting to start over is interested in love. So why has Bishop got me wishing for something more?
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 donât 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 isnât those.
Hijacked is more a âeye rollâ emoji, suspend your belief sort of tale. The type where you canât believe anyone actually does the jobs theyâre supposedly doing but , hey, the novel is fun so letâs just roll with it shall we?
If you can do that, you enjoy this story, otherwise no.
If you canât put aside your need for any sort of reality check, then this is just one big â yeah, noâ.
The characters, from dialogues that range from âlocal yokel â cringe worthy (really⌠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 everyoneâs part, just keeps occurring.
Like , the drug cartels guards who most likely are crazy homophobic are coming down the hall so letâs have sex now! SMH!
They, of course, just assume thereâs no cameras or listening devices so it must be ok. Because, duh⌠professional.
So yeah⌠entertaining on a fun, cartoony way. Quick read . No depth of character and the plot is one that continues into book 2.
Yep, itâs a series.
If this sounds like something youâd 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 canât control this time around:
⢠His meddling grandfather
⢠His annoying gamer cousin
⢠Buggy South American jungles
⢠Being the meat in a feuding cartel sandwich
⢠Getting kidnapped by a monologuing drug lord
â˘Falling for the very hot, very mouthy ex-soldier from his past
In short, Carterâs peaceful, well-planned life has been⌠hijacked
A very sweet, sexy contemporary romance that I throughly enjoyed. Itâs just the lovely HEA tale that Louisa Masters writes so well that it feels easy and the story flows so smoothly from start to finish.
There are peripheral characters that form a cohesive group of friends garnered from other stories in this series. Thatâs a great element as we love getting to interact with all of them again, depending where u are in reading the Met His Match stories.
The main characters of Simon Wood, retired footballer ( that soccer for us in the US) and Lucian Morel are very well crafted, each fascinating on their own and beautiful when drawn together as a couple. Especially when facing obstacles and life challenges.
Thereâs a wonderful center theme of a charity to help underprivileged children obtain their goals which I appreciated and thought was well executed.
All in all, a great sweet romance in a contemporary series you might want to put on your TBR list!
Met His Match Stories:
Charming Him
Offside Rules
A Christmas Chance
Between the Covers
Synopsis:Taking on his next challenge. His plan for a charity to provide funding for underprivileged children to pursue football as a career has passed its first hurdle: he has backers and an executive consultant. Now itâs time to get the ball rolling.
Lucien Morel, heir to the multibillion-euro Morel Corporation, is shockedâand thrilledâto learn his father has volunteered him as consultant to a fledgling football charity. Better yet, the brains behind it all is heartthrob Simon Wood, his teenage idol and crush.
Although Simon and Lucien get off on the wrong foot, itâs not long before theyâre getting along like a house on fireâsparks included.
But with the charity under public scrutiny, can their romance thrive?
Previously published as The Athlete and the Aristocrat
I just love this story! It just ticks so many of the âmake me gush out loudâ boxes when I think of stories that just hit me right in the heart.
Starting with the fact that, yeah, itâs N.R.Walker, whoâs able to do that book after book.
Then itâs that dead letter theme. Beautifully written, emotionally fraught messages from the past that emerge, lightly dust laden, to prompt an incredible journey , one that also turns into one of self discovery and often love. Whether it ends in a bittersweet , heartbreaking revelation or one of heart-stopping joy, those letters from the past represent a haunting mystery that grabs both at your mind and heart.
I can name movies, tv series, novels,âŚand this theme never becomes tired or shallow. Because the potential for pain and for hope is too huge here no matter the media. Our minds are already reaching out for the ending, we want to know what happensâŚ.
In Walkerâs hands, weâre in for an emotional, heartwarming journey. Our introduction to the âdead letter office â is through the amazing, delightful, effervescent character, Malachi Keogh as heâs being ushered onto its premises and his first day on the job by his father.
Iâll not go into the details as Iâll leave that to Malachi and the story to relate. Itâs a gem by the way.
There, Malachi meets his boss, Julian Pollard, all sexy and well, beige. Then a cast of characters to charm your socks off, co workers you will become so intimately familiar with as to feel they are part of your regular lives. Much as they become a deep part of Malachiâs.
Julianâs , eyes gleaming with quiet humor and enjoyment, is an absolute jewel of a man and character. Such a memorable Walker personality in a ocean of them! Heâs so perfect for Malachi!
I love that their romance proceeds with communication, humor to go with outstanding chemistry and off the charts dynamics! Love this couple.
The letters at the heart of the mystery and story title grabs your heart and rattles poignantly to get your attention . You can easily imagine the era they were written in and the couple involved.
And like Malachi, you fear for the outcome and the revelation as you get closer to finding the person who wrote them.
No spoilers here. But this romance is all about finding your place and true love as Malachi does.
Itâs a story you will want to put under comfort reads. And recommend to others.
Thatâs exactly what Iâm doing now. Beautifully written, memorable characters, incredible story. Pick it up and read it now.
Just a small picky note: one thing that is sure to get me is the disappearing animal character in a story, it sort of happens here. It surprised me because Walker is huge with her animals in books. So when Buster is a fun, very much alive animal character I was disappointed not to see that Malachi hadnât in some way appropriated him for themselves because clearly he was theirs and not the neighbors.
I imagine him still waiting by that window door for it to be opened and Iâm so sad.
I love BA Tortugaâs cowboy and kids stories. The warmth, the amazing feel of love and family comes flowing through every scene and situation the characters encounter.
Whether itâs one of awkwardness, anger, fear, humiliation ( families, remember), hilarity, pain, and love, the overwhelming atmosphere is that of people who deeply respect and love each other. No matter what the exact nature of their biological ties might be. Itâs family at its finest.
When bull rider Seth Rodgers adopts the family of his best friend, Pistol McMann when he died of cancer, his life was forever changed. He became Uncle Seth , in fact, dad, to five kids, overnight. Itâs a life heâs found he was made for and he loves more than life.
Seth. And everyone of those children are intricately crafted to feel as alive and realistic as they come. Seth, tiny, wiry, energetic, determined, is every inch the ex bull rider, now organized family man with ranches to run. You can see him, weary , napping in front of the tv so clearly.
And every kid, yep, you will know them too. Each with their fears, strengths, funny moments, and ability to see through the grownup fabrications that occasionally get thrown out there. Love each and every one.
Law McMann , ex Army, disabled vet trying to see where heâs got a future, is a character easy to connect with. As heâs trying to reconnect with civilian life, heâs also trying to find himself a spot back into a family heâs never really known.
This is an emotional story of loss, recovery, reconnection, family, and love.
And on every level, at every stage, the author brings those challenges and themes together with our characters in a heartwarming story that will leave you smiling and happy.
Yes, I throughly enjoyed this! And am recommending it.
Synopsis: When rodeo cowboy Sethâs best friend dies unexpectedly from cancer, he finds himself taking on a ranch and a bunch of his friendâs younger siblings, because they have nowhere else to turn. Seth loves those kids like theyâre his own, and he settles in well to his new life, which is why heâs pretty wary when his buddyâs older brother finally makes it home from a long stint in the military.
Law knows he might get a chilly reception at his brother Pistolâs old ranch, even if the kids living there are his half-siblings. He didnât make it to his brotherâs funeral, after all, but to his credit, he was blown up trying to come home to do just that. Heâs fighting injuries and insecurity, but when Seth welcomes him to the family ranch, Law knows heâs pretty much in love. Even if he thinks Seth was his brotherâs lover. Can these two find a way to let their emotions out before tragedy strikes their family again?
Itâs play hockey time so I canât get enough of my favorite sport, that includes reading about it in my romances.
Amy Aislin is in that top group of authors I recommend who write outstanding hockey romances. Her stories include both great characters but just as importantly the fact that this author loves and understands the game of hockey in all its aspects. And feeds the reader that love and knowledge through various threads of storylines and themes.
Also with Aislin (as with other authors of hockey romances) , her characters, couples and stories are written so they intertwine into a rich satisfying tapestry of hockey, romance, and HEA. People, couples, teams, the Toronto Trailblazers, Glenn Hill College Mountaineers (college team), Burlington, Vermont, VancouverâŚ. People, places, teams that weave together in book after book, a delightful rich and colorful ongoing flow of love that has never ceases to amaze me.
The Play of His Life is a perfect example of this. I even remember when Riley got hurt on the iceâŚ. In another story. Then he was a solid member of the Trailblazers. Until his injury took him out of the sport he loved. We sort of wondered what happened to the likable Riley. But never found out.
Until now.
But here we delve into the complicated background and painful history of not just Riley but the man he left behind.
And the second chance at love they both get. Yes, one of my favorite tropes.
With a two person POV that I always find works so well, Aislin gives us the background of both men, all the way to kindergarten through all their formative years, to first love and then the issues that divided them and tore them apart for years.
Itâs touching, moving, funny, frustrating, and , raw. I loved it, these men, and their journey back to each other and HEA.
Plus , yes we get to see so many okâd friends as well, as usual.
The writing is so good I could free the biting cold coming off the lake, feel my hands freezing in the cold winds, and the absolute joy in a young boy hitting his first pucks. Magic.
Consider this and all the Amy Aislin stories highly recommended.
Synopsis:The last person Christian wants to run into on a visit home to spend time with his mom over the holidays is his former best friend-turned-lover-turned-ex. But there Riley is, in all his tall, chiseled, blondness. The same guy who walked out on him six years ago, breaking his heart in the process. Who knew he’s still in love with the jerk?
Two years ago, Riley was injured out of the NHL, but he’s got his own bakery now and a quiet life selling quiches and cupcakes to his customers. Then Christian unexpectedly walks back into his life, forcing Riley to question his choices. Especially that one choice he made six years ago that walked him out of Christian’s life. Now if only he had the courage to tell a boy how he really feels about him…
The Play of His Life was originally published in 2017. This updated version has a brand new cover, but very little new content aside from grammar and typo updates and the addition of the bonus epilogue that was originally available via subscription to Amy’s newsletter.
I truly love Mary Calmes and consider her books comfort reads. Whether itâs the latest in her Torus series or Frog, I have an understanding of what characters I might meet, no matter the situation, and the outcome of the passionate romance the main couple falls into. Doesnât matter if theyâve just met or have known each other for years.
Thereâs a remarkable amount of comfort to be derived from this knowledge and yes, love for her guys. We know a Mary Calmes man when we read one.
Theyâre often too perfect for their own good and everyone (mostly) in the novels loves them. Myself included.
However in More Than Life the standard themes Iâm used to doesnât run so smoothly here. Or at all really in parts.
Looking at some of the elements, those with âcriminal aspects â especially, if the reader takes all the events as they occur and runs out all the ramifications to their logical ends, how they do end here and how they should end are volumes apart.
And that bothers me.
Yes the romance is how one would expect and I like this part of the story. Morganâs trauma from his time and abuse in prison is perhaps given too light a treatment but heâs going to therapy so ok great.
However, my biggest issues here is that ( spoilers) all those that acted criminally got off basically with no legal repercussions.
With physical assault and battery, especially an attack so vicious that it put its victim in the hospital for an extended stay, if the author writes such a huge element into their story and makes it a pivotal part of the main characterâs story and history then thereâs an equal responsibility to ensure that the person who inflicted that beating be held accountable. Indeed, as he is shown to be an even more morally bankrupt, devious person whoâs likely to repeat his behavior of assault by his own words, for him to be totally let off without even a police report of any type filed against him and his father had me stunned.
For the perpetrators , even one in a novel, of such acts to be let off so lightly and with so little disregard for the future victims to follow is such a irresponsible act that I was just horrified. The character brutalized Hart and the beating he gave Hart scarred and hospitalized him but when he reappeared then then went about victimizing yet another.
All the while expressing his views on rape his fatherâs men carried out ( he wasnât bothered by it FYI) and could see himself attacking more people. SMH.
But no , it doesnât just stop with one person but others whoâs behavior was equally outrageous, murderous, criminal, heinous, or just plain whacked here were , narratively ,story wise , let off the hook, to go live their lives elsewhere as well.
For me this felt utterly irresponsible for the sake of the one character of the main couple seemingly being seen as âgreat guyâ about things. So chill and forgiving. Uh no.
Nope I call that being highly idiotic and masochistic and should all this be in RL, he surely would have been responsible for letting a predator get away without any records to follow him. Hart does not come off well in the good judgement department here. Morgan maybe, HartâŚ. Maryâs typical âgolden boyâ? No.
No this book has its own issues of judgement to solve.
Liked the romance though. Not sure itâs enough to overcome the other things Iâd had problems with. Probably not.
Synopsis:
Hart Jarrett was only supposed to be passing through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He wasnât supposed to get involved, no emotional entanglements to tie him down. Setting down roots was never part of the plan, not until he opened himself up to love. Too bad the man he bet on bailed and left Hart holding the ranch. There were two choices after that: run away, or stay and build something real from nothing.
Nearly six years later, Hart has created a home and a life he never expected, with the help of his best friend and foreman, Morgan Brace. The ranch is thriving thanks to its loyal men and strong ties to the community. But thereâs a snake in the garden, and it takes many forms. Thereâs a dead man on Hartâs property, a man he knows, and the questions are piling up. As if that werenât enough, his ex has reappeared out of the blue, with plans to reclaim what he willingly gave.
And, to make matters worse, it appears Morgan is finally taking his dating life seriously.
Everything Hart has built is unraveling.
The life Hart wants doesnât work without Morgan in it. Imagining a future without Morgan, him turning elsewhere for love and coming in second to someone else in Morganâs heartâas well as his bedâis almost unbearable. So maybe, just maybe, the answer lies in Hart confessing that he loves Morgan more than life itself.
If Hart gambles and loses, will he even still want the life heâs worked so hard to build?
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 