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,âŠand 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 happensâŠ.
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, VancouverâŠ. 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 iceâŠ. 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, HartâŠ. 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?
Recently Iâve been reading books with older characters, in their 40âs and one aspect Iâve 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 itâs blunt questions or advice. Itâs still on the open adult communication scale .
Hartâs themes for this story run the gamut from the ability to grow and change oneâs outlook, no matter your age to the notion that finding your true home has no timetable. Even such basics as you arenât your parents. Thereâs 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 thatâs deeply established and well liked in town is that of Monroe âRoeâ 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.
Itâs 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.
Thereâs also a back history of parental abuse ( mentioned , never seen) with Holden and Marileeâs folks as well as Seanâs father Adam, Marileeâs 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 canât 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 heâs got a man who doesnât 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 heâs tried to avoid in life.
Monroe Covington is forty-five and happy. He loves his lifeârunning his store, helping at his familyâs farm, and spending his days with his best friend, Lindsey, and their son, Wyatt. Sure, half the town likes to forget heâs gay, and heâd 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 whoâs renting his cabin, shows up.
The attraction is instant, the friendship not far behind, but between Holdenâs initial relationship status, family complications, and the two of them wanting different things, theyâre a disaster waiting to happenâŠonly it doesnât 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 isnât enough, and Roe begins to see that his life isnât as complete as he thought. Now, if they could only sort out the rest of itâŠ
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?
So Iâm finished with the penultimate book, sigh, as as with all the others there are many great elements here, so much fun and great joy. Also unexpected little narrative gems that continue to leave me smiling, even now.
This is, like most of the books in the series, a low angst sexy, full of love and laughter novel. Yes, a main character has some social anxiety and low body imagery to overcome but itâs probably not the one character people are going to expect.
No itâs not Miller. Miller is completely at home in his body and identity as a trans man. Heâs had a supportive family and a great therapist to help him through his transitional years and issues, both with his dimorphism and his ADHD. Itâs the later that has Miller at the gym twice a day, working off the energy and allowing the chemistry in his body the outlet it needs for him to settle and focus.
Miller is funny, mature , and his outlook on the people around him gives us an additional window into the various personalities of the Four Bears Construction Company and their partners. Heâs part of the family and also one they admire.
No, the adorable man with body issues and social anxiety brought on by years of men making him feel awful about himself and his perhaps rotund bear like shape is Dr. Demetri Rose. Lover of Ancient Rome, knitting, and his pet tortoise Mars. Demâs exes have made Dem feel inferior about everything from his body image to the fact that he likes knitting to even the way he has sex. So now Dem has just retreated into his classroom and his house.
We immediately connect with Dem, the way heâs been bullied and hurt. Heâs such a sweetheart and the reader wants him to go and find love. Now!
All it take to get these two started is a construction job at the university.
Millerâs meet/embarrassing moment with Demetri is both awfully funny and hands to the face just let me die now embarrassing. That it ends with Miller looking still embarrassed but also amazing is why I love this series so.
These men feel real, their romance dance dynamics genuine at every step and absolutely relatable. Itâs gentle, at times humorous , moving, and downright sexy. How I love this couple!
From Dem and Millerâs frank discussions on the elements in their sex life going forward (both blunt and funny) to dancing in the rain magic, this book sings of moments of joy, laughter, and love.
It also has one of my favorite Stoneyisms. âNonsense makes the heart grow fonder.â If youâve read these stories, you know that apparently Stone grew up in a household where every well known saying doesnât exactly come out the way everyone else knows it to be. His mother laying down the âlogâ to his father about somethings, the explanation behind each being the absolute best. She laying the foundation of her argument. I must say ,,,, um yep.
Another one âThereâs more than one way to pet a cat.â Because skinning a cat is plain awful. Why would anyone do that. Why indeed.
So Iâm with Stoney on most of them. And yes totally right. âNonsense makes the heart grow fonder.â It definitely does,Stoney.
Yep, another must joy filled read. Another highly recommended romance. Love, love this book and series.
Btw? Adore Mars and his knitted cosies. And Shelldon too. Each story and couple have their own pets to accompany them on their journey to HEA. This time itâs tortoises to the rescue!
Special note here too. Demetri has a great neighbor, Auggie. A mechanic who was clearly crazy about the oblivious Dem. Auggie works for Big Bull Mechanics, a auto shop thatâs competitive with Dareâs Auto. Itâs equally full of gorgeous men. We get to meet a few here and in the next story. FYI wonât be the last weâve seen of this group.
Synopsis: A ripped, transgender construction worker and a tweed-wearing, tortoise-shell-cozy-knitting, bear of a professor… Somebody’s getting stripped.
The last place I expected to run into my childhood camp crush was at the local university, looking all kinds of cute in a tweed jacket with a nervous blush. Iâve always had a bit of a thing for the nerdy professor type.
Demetri says he doesnât date. I want to believe that itâs true and not that heâs not interested in a transgender man like me. If all he can offer me is friendship, Iâm more than happy to take it.
Coy looks during sweaty workouts, rainy nights on his couch watching him knit shell cozies for his pet tortoise⊠Iâm falling for him whether I want to or not.
Can I break down his walls and prove to him that he can trust me with his heart? And can I trust him with mine?
***Stripped is a swoony, steamy MM romance that is the 6th book in the Four Bears Construction Series. It can be read as a stand alone, but you wonât want to miss these bearâs antics. This series does not contain any shifters, only the OTHER kind of bears.
Four Bears Construction series:
đ”Caulky #1
đ”Nailed #2
đ”Hardwood #3
đ”Screwed #4
đ”Stud #5
đ”Stripped #6
đ”Drilled #7
đ”Goats Like Cake Too: Four Bears Construction Series Epilogue
Stud, the fifth novel in the Four Bears Construction series, is a great example why one should read these stories in the order they were written.
Over the past four novels and romances, weâve watched the West and Sawyer drama.
Or non drama. Because, although a stone could tell how much in love West has been with the bar owner since the first time they met, Sawyer has firmly kept West in the friend zone, if that. Book after book, glances, even a trip to Hawaii which we get caught up on here, we have seen these two men in serious denial/want about each other.
But in Stud, everything changes. And per this series,the swing in dynamics starts off hilariously. Omg, China dolls! Nope, no spoilers.
West , the nephew of Dareâs (Stoneâs mechanic husband),has been a great character throughout the series. Heâs been supportive, funny, all the while going through his own amount of personal growth as a young man and craftsman. Heâs amazing. So Iâve been waiting for him to get his man and HEA.
Neuhold not only obliges with a funny, warm-hearted romance but an unexpected reunion that gives us all a wonderful closure.
Sawyer has been a peripheral character , one we see at Wooleyâs, the bar he inherited from Gus , itâs previous owner, snd the gangs favorite hangout.
In Stud, Sawyerâs past , as astonishingly does Gusâs in a remarkably poignant story element, comes into focus. We see exactly why heâs held West at a distance for so long despite his feelings, and the turmoil inside him when West declares heâs going to start dating.
That declaration jumpstarts Sawyer and his mixed up heart and mind on a strange, funny and quite wonderful path to HEA with West , a restored Victorian, and a bunch of feathered kids. Oh my.
One element Iâve adored in each book has been the great pet/animal(s) per couple. I have sometimes forgotten to mention it. Shame on me because itâs a terrific part of each story and couple.
So hereâs the list so farâŠ.
Four Bears Construction series animals:
đ”Caulky #1: Cole and Renâs bees
đ”Nailed #2: Stone and Dare: Rudy and Nard Dog
đ”Hardwood #3, Ev and Watson, Hedgehog
đ”Screwed #4 Ollie and Daniel: Monty the Python
đ”Stud #5, West and Sawyer: Huey, Luey, Duey, Darkwing
đ”Stripped #6, Miller and Dem,
Mars and at the end Shelldon, omg so adorable. Yes review to come. Yes tortoises!
đ”Drilled #7 the finale. Apollo and Ridge, cat Log⊠been waiting to see a cat tbh. Review to comeâŠ
How do you not love a series that folds in such great animals along with sensitive and funny romances?
Thatâs easy to answer. I do. I do love them.
Each different and great couple, each amazing path to love and HEA.
I donât have many left. Sort of dreading saying goodbye. But not yet. A few to go.
What a wonderful, heartwarming and joy filled journey itâs been so far.
Like all the others, I hope youâre on this one with me. I highly recommend this one . Stay with me till the end .
Stud: A boss, knob, or nail head…or, you know, the hot guy whoâs way too young to keep asking me out with that adorably earnest smile âŠ
Itâs been three years since West walked into my bar and asked me out for the first time. I was relieved he stopped asking after the first few ânoâs and a way-too-good-to-be-real kiss. Heâs fifteen years younger than I am; it can only lead to trouble.
Of course, now heâs running through people off dating apps like itâs his job and wearing these lace panties that look really unfair on someone as furry and muscular as he is, and, um…what was I talking about?
I probably shouldnât sabotage his dates, but Iâm only human. I might not be ready to admit that I want him, but Iâm definitely not ready to let anyone else have him either.
Heâs too perfect, too hot, and I am in way too much troubleâŠ
*** Stud is a friends-to-lovers, construction-worker-in-panties, omg-so-much-swoon story that happens to be the fifth book in the Four Bears Construction Series. Every book in this series CAN be read as a stand alone, but theyâre a lot more fun together!
Once again this series goes into a different direction with Everett Aldridge and his road to HEA.
We have had Cole who wasnât looking for love when he found Ren, his forever Honeybee. Then there was is hilarious bighearted Stoney who managed to find his true love just next door in his neighbor, Dare.
I did rush ahead to get Ollieâs story in Screwed #4 but I wonât spoil how wonderful that turned out here. But there are definitely inklings about.
Nope. Hardwood, double entrendreâ intended, is all Everett. And what a story it is. Because itâs not just a romance but also Evâs path towards coming out of the closet heâs sealed himself into for decades. Itâs about letting go of his fears, finding himself as a gay man later in life.
Thatâs a lot to unpack.
Especially if youâre also a father to a young daughter, Livi, and still have a ex wife ,Valerie, you maintain a good relationship with who needs to be told.
Thereâs a LGBTGiA crew and work family that are comfortable with themselves and their sexuality youâve known for years thats clueless youâre gay. Now Everett needs to tell them who he really is. Because no one really knows who he is. Maybe even himself.
Thatâs so much pressure and guilt on top of the enormous feelings of insecurity and fear pressing down on Ev that you can almost hear him gasping for air.
The two person POV thatâs a format of this series works beautifully to give us real insight into Everettâs emotional state and situations as he decides to reveal his sexuality and come out as a gay man.
Itâs poignant, frustrating as he vacillates at points on deciding when is exactly the right timing, his fears and excitement on his âgay firstsâ. Nuehold does such an outstanding job bringing us along with him on this journey. We are there standing on the edge with Ev time after time as he works up the courage to finally see what and who his truth self is. Bravery isnât always huge steps but small ones.
And sometimes who need someone to support you and show you the way. That would be Watson.
Watson Bolt, the music teacher, is amazing . From his school interactions with other teachers to his song choices (young tunes and Broadway worthy showstoppers), Wats is a gem of a character. Heâs such a lovely layered person, especially flirty, generous, outgoing, engaging, and vulnerable too. Love his hedgehog too.
I have to mention how much I appreciate the treatment Evâs ex wife , Valerie, gets here. Sheâs a well rounded personality, seen through loving eyes as a great person and good friend. Her part in their marriage and consequent divorce is handled with great sensitivity and love. So well done.
Everettâs journey from closeted divorced perceived âstraight dadâ to happy out gay divorced dad in a new relationship is a path strewn with small pitfalls, a few barriers , some awful dancing and one memorable finale.
I just loved it. It set me to singing.
Not baby shark, but maybe a Broadway musical tune or two.
Snap this story up along with all the others. Yes đ Iâm highly recommending it and the series.
Synopsis:
Iâve spent forty-four years of my life telling the world Iâm a carpet man. Is it too late to admit to myself and everyone else that deep down Iâm really all about the Hardwood?
It took me over thirty-five years to admit to myself that Iâm gay, another seven to find the courage to say it out loud to anyone else, and exactly thirty seconds to develop a massive crush on my daughterâs music teacher. Itâs really not my fault, have you even seen those cute bowties he wears?
After everything itâs taken to get here, am I going to work up the nerve to come out to my ex-wife and my best friends? Am I ready to shake up my comfortable, simple life and take a chance on Watson? Or am I going to throw a wrench in my own chance for happily ever after?
***Hardwood is a steamy, seriously so much delicious tension, single-dad, gay awakening, low angst story, which happens to be the third in the Four Bears Construction Series. It CAN be read as a stand alone. There are NO shifters in this series, only the OTHER kind of bears.
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 âYouâve Got Mailâ. Although neither could agree on who was Meg Ryan⊠đ€Ł
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, Renâs outrageous best friend.
The beekeeping element is well done and folded in beautifully along side Renâs 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 (Coleâs) threatening to âwash your mouth out with soap â because of a expletive. Heâs 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 Iâve always found that expression as offensive as it is old fashioned. It implies a measure of abuse thatâs no longer tolerated by society. That phrase shouldnât 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 Iâm onto book two. Canât wait.
Need a new series and contemporary romance? Try this one, Iâm sure youâll 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 Iâm starting to feel about the guy Iâve been anonymously chatting with online should concern me.
But CaulkyAF doesnât want to meet, and Cole doesnât want anything serious, so whatâs 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.
