Tag: friends to lovers

Review:  Newly Tied (Marshals Book 7) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5🌈

I have loved this series for a long time and was so happy to see another story and couple added to this expanding law enforcement community and universe. According to the author, this is just the beginning of the journey for Del and Lang in terms of books which is appropriate because the beginning of their partnership and romantic relationship is exactly what Calmes delivers here.

We enter as relocated Texan, Delroy “Del” McCabe, begins a new chapter of his life. Del’s in Chicago as one of a group of law enforcement officers on probation as they hoping for the permanent assignment as US federal Marshals. They’re on probation and training under the office of Sam Kage, the deputy chief of the Northern District of Illinois, basically head of all the Marshals in the area. 

Another member of that group is a local Chicago officer, Langston “Lang” Ross, a man whose family and roots run deep and whose connection with Del is instantly apparent and solid.

Calmes delivers an emotional journey of friendship, and emotional connection as Del and Lang go from action packed case to case, exploring their own experiences as relationships as regards to their careers and each other. 

Of course, other Marshals and their partners and families are also involved in this journey and story, a wonderful aspect of the series and Calmes’ writing that sees crossover characters. 

Other elements of the story include Lang’s discovery of his bisexuality or pansexuality because of his love for Del. Del’s recognition and acceptance of the need for therapy for the parental abuse he suffered during his childhood, and Lang’s support for his own PTSD issues. It’s sensitively written and folded realistically into their characters and storylines. 

I love Calmes’ novels and her characters tend to be heroes. Right now I needed to read this.  And I definitely want to read more about this couple and their relationship going forward.

Highly recommended.

Marshals series to date:

🔹All Kinds Of Tied Down #1

🔹Fit To Be Tied #2

🔹Tied Up In Knots #3

🔹Twisted and Tied #4 – Miro Jones and Ian Doyle (1 through 4)

🔹Balanced and Tied #5 – Eli Kohn and Celso Harrington, ballet dancer 

🔹Tied Over #6 – Josiah Redeker and Bodhi Callahan 

🔹Newly Tied #7 – Delroy “Del” McCabe and Langston “Lang” Ross

Covers by Reese Dante

Buy link

        Newly Tied (Marshals Book 7)

    

Blurb 

For the last six months, Deputy US Marshal Delroy McCabe has been secretly pining for his partner, Langston Ross. He’s kept his desires to himself because he wants to do a good job and prove himself at work. More importantly, if Lang were to find out his true feelings, maybe the person he cares for the most might walk away.

Between the understanding and support Lang gives him, as well as time with his family, Del can’t afford to slip up. But then, why does his partner and best friend care who Del sleeps with? Why, if given a choice, would Lang prefer to do anything with him? Maybe Del’s been missing something important, and perhaps Lang’s not the only one who’s not seeing what’s right in front of him. 

Because sometimes the strongest ties are the ones that bind our hearts.

  • Publication date: November 4, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 246 pages

Review:  Just Bromantically Invested (Accidental Love, #4) by Saxon James 

Rating: 3.5🌈

Saxon James Accidental Love series is drawing to an end, with the penultimate book, Just Bromantically Invested.  As one by one the “lost boys” of Big Bertha are finding their partners and HEA, it’s time for Madden and Penn to get their own story.

Madden, with his free wheeling approach to life, aversion to clothes, and large heart, has been a challenging character for me to connect with.  For some reason I just haven’t found him as interesting as the others. This book does help give Madden the depth of character and background into why the nudity is so important to him that’s been lacking. 

James’ narrative has a number of other elements to bring to the table. It’s got a best friends to lovers relationship with one of them discovering that he’s not exactly straight but bisexual. I’m not sure the author makes the full  argument for this quick turnaround on Penn’s behalf. They may have been friends but based on the behavior seen Penn’s clueless mostly so it feels more importantly based on the needs of the plot line.  They work together fluidly as friends, lovers not so much. 

But probably because the romance needs more exploration as the other aspects of their lives and struggles that need so much clarification. That house dynamics is a mess, Madden’s inability to separate himself from the others to see a separate role for others is an issue that continues past that ending.  And has an impact on the rest of the characters, especially Penn.

I do love the support and communication that finally comes when Madden is able to convey what he needs going forward, including explaining why being naked is so important as a major part of that.  

Penn , anxiety prone and introvert that he is, however, is the one that is repeatedly given the reduced role here.  In Madden’s head, Penn comes in after his relationships with his found brothers/family members of Big Bertha.  Even at the end, that feeling that Penn is not as much of an embedded player in Madden’s life as he is in Penn’s seems clear.

So it left me tentatively connected to both and actually feeling irritated by the continuing drama with Xander, who’s still refusing help.   Xander has the last book and that’s the wrap.  Should be interesting.  

I enjoyed the earlier stories better than I have the recent ones . I look forward to seeing how James closes out the series.

Accidental Love:

  • The Husband Hoax #1
  • Not Dating Material #2
  • The Revenge Agenda #3
  • Just Bromantically Invested #4
  • Not Catching Love #5 – Jan 30,2025

Buy link

        Just Bromantically Invested (Accidental Love Book 4)

    

Blurb

Madden

My best friend is uptight, gorgeous, the greatest person I know … and I might be a smidge in love with him. Just a small amount. Barely worth the mention. 

Which is a stupid choice on my part when the guy is straight. 

Starting a landscaping company with him was the perfect mix of doing what I love and an excuse to spend time with him, only it hasn’t completely taken off yet and now he’s telling me he’s lonely. 

Lonely. 

Apparently having one friend in your life isn’t enough.

So I’m determined to help him find love. With someone other than me. Maybe if I can pull that off, it’ll mean my heart will finally get the message and move on. 

Or finish breaking into a hundred pieces. 

Same thing, right?

Penn

Being besties with an overenthusiastic, gold-hearted, nudist of a man is a challenge sometimes. Madden makes everything sunshine when he’s around. 

The problem is that he hasn’t been around as much lately. We work together, sure, but he’s got his roommates and I have … no one. Just him. So I feel the distance acutely. 

My one reassurance is that we have work tying us together, but when an old client calls with a proposition for us, it feels like our once solid friendship is unraveling fast. 

He wants Madden to help him open a nudist resort, and if Madden’s doing that, he won’t be working with me. 

I’m trying not to panic over the thought of losing him, which is a typical, common best friend reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

And neither is the way my body has been reacting to him lately. 

Everything is totally, completely normal between us. 

While there’s still an us at all.

  • Publisher: May Books (October 17, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 17, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 268 pages

Review:  Forbidden Puckboy (Puckboys Book 7) by  Saxon James and Eden Finley 

Rating: 5🌈

Forbidden Puckboy is exactly why I love this series so.  It contains all the elements that makes this series so special and the couple’s journey a story I’m so excited to be a part of.

Saxon James and Eden Finley included everything that I adore about hockey romance and this series in Forbidden Puckboy.  It has all the Collective (the LGBTQIA NHL hockey franchise players group we’ve gotten to know), it’s got great hockey humor and one the ice scenes that shows the authors love and knowledge of the game.   The book has, near and dear to my heart, communication within the characters about their relationship, introspection about their own experiences and behaviors, and well defined character development.  

Love this!

There’s also no immediate happy ending or solution for the characters and couple. They, instead have to work, realistically, to keep the relationship going, given their careers.

Everything about the book, even the quick timeline, makes sense while being sexy, realistic, compelling, and true.

I adored Easton and Knox but older brother Conner too who was such a well written character, with layers that slowly revealed themselves.

Kudos to the authors on an outstanding performance in a long held series.  Great job all around.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the next book brings.

Puckboys:

  • Egotistical Puckboy #1
  • Irresponsible Puckboy #2
  • Shameless Puckboy #3
  • Foolish Puckboy #4
  • Clueless Puckboy #5
  • Bromantic Puckboy #6
  • Forbidden Puckboy #7
  • Possessive Puckboy #8 – March 27,2025

Buy link

        Forbidden Puckboy (Puckboys Book 7)

    

Blurb

Easton

You know what’s the worst feeling in the world? Being in love with someone since you were twelve years old, knowing they only see you as a little brother type.

Not even becoming an NHL star has made him realize I’m all grown up now. 

All of that changes when I ask my brother’s best friend to ref a charity match and we spend an entire week in each other’s pocket.

Being close to him is torture, but for the first time since my adolescent crush started, I begin to feel hope. I swear Knox looks at me the same way I look at him. Or so I think. When I throw myself at him and get utterly rejected, I never want to see him again.

Yet, shaking him is impossible, because he and Connor are always around, and my older brother is suffocatingly protective. Every time I look at Knox, I’m reminded of how he turned me down. 

Can’t I just die of embarrassment in peace?

Knox

The Kiki brothers are legendary in the NHL world. Thick as thieves, unstoppable on the ice, and the kind of family nothing can come between. Or so I thought. 

For the last ten years, I’ve successfully hidden my feelings for the middle Kiki brother. Easton is snarky, determined, and the prettiest guy I’ve met. Ever since we stumbled across each other on a gay dating app and shared our secrets, I’ve felt a connection to him that I haven’t had with anything else. 

But Connor is my best friend and when it comes to his little brothers, “protective” doesn’t cover it. I’m determined to take my feelings for Easton to the grave, but after a week in close proximity to him, my willpower is ready to break.

All it takes is one charity hockey match, a drunken night out, and a forbidden kiss for me to know that Easton Kikishkin is it for me. 

And unless I want to lose Connor, Easton will never be mine. 

  • Publisher: Sadenverse Books (September 19, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 19, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 274 pages

Review:  Bound To His Oath (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection, #1) by Aja Foxx

Rating: 3.5🌈

I was looking for something quick and different from the fantasy/paranormal fiction I’d been reading, so I grabbed up Bound To His Oath (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection, #1) by Aja Foxx.  

It was enjoyable, definitely a quick read, and tons of characters as well as various other elements as Foxx is setting up the universe for the series.

After reading the story, it seems we will be following the romances of several mafia bosses and their respective partners, ones we meet already “coupled up” here at the end.

 But it’s Nico and Luca’s story that comes first.  It’s a young love, established from childhood, that’s been crushed by one man’s ambitiously cruel parents. The background is revealed by the characters as events play out. 

I’m not sure how logical or even plausible some of these events are given the publication date is August 24 , 2024.  A big deal is made of gay marriage being legal in Canada (with the couple fleeing to the border) at a time it’s perfectly legal in the USA. Also, Luca,as a juvenile, was falsely imprisoned and his criminally connected family were not informed/involved or retaliated.  That element is not explained enough here.

The couple and their relationship is very romantic.  The beginning, the rescue, sweeping Nico literally off his feet into a plane and away to a new home.  That they’re reunited after years apart but seemingly just fine felt too “Cinderfella” , but in line with the rest of the book. 

Of course, there’s much more to it. A villainous family, a loving Italian mafia  family and fabulous villa, a veritable chest of superficially crafted characters and plots lines lay within.

It’s enjoyable without having to be invested in the plot or characters.  There’s just not enough depth or discernible growth written into the relationship or events to make the characters actions feel realistic.  Entertaining? Certainly. And that’s how I took it.

One of the couple’s met here and who played important roles towards the end are the focus of the next book. It tells the tale of they got together.  I expect that’s the format for each couple seen as an established pair here.

Foxx also has an arc mystery plot and that’s interesting enough for me to continue reading the series.

Buy link

        Bound To His Oath (Mafia Mayhem – The Italian Connection)

    

Blurb

“Do you honestly think I’d let you marry someone else? You’ve been mine since I took your first kiss. I was just giving you time to grow up.”

~ Nico ~

I was five years old the day we met, twelve when I figured out that I was going to love him for the rest of my life. When I turned sixteen, he gave me my first kiss…and then my world ended. I never believed the things people had said about him. He was not the bad boy everyone seemed to think he was. I’d seen his heart and it was pure gold. I just wish I’d had a chance to keep it before they took him away from me.

~ Luca ~

I was ten years old the day we met. By the time I was twelve I knew that I was going to love him for the rest of my life. When he turned sixteen, I gave him his first kiss…and then my world was ripped apart. I wasn’t the bad boy everyone seemed to think I was, but I refused to show anyone my heart except him, and they had taken him away from me.

Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.

  • Publication date: August 24, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 170 pages

Review:  Demon Hunter (The Collective Book 2) by Louisa Masters 

Rating: 3🌈

Demon Hunter and this series so far has been a semi-winner for me.  The characters that have been carried over from Ghostly Guardians have been a mixed bag as some have shown little development in character, while others have shown significant growth through their respective relationships and roles in the series and arc storylines. 

That continues here with main characters still showing antagonism towards higher demons like Marc, a fascinating higher being who’s has been and continues to be portrayed as being supportive of them and their family.  Marc is not only the reason why this group has successfully taken down their collective enemies but also as a bonded mate to one of their own. But despite this, since the finale, the hostile behavior of several members has not changed towards him, despite the events and ongoing conflicts within the Collective. 

It makes little sense for the group and serves to reinforce a certain stagnation of their personalities. 

Matt and Dylan are in a relationship, one that they are hiding from their friends and family members.  The reasons for, given the situation and circumstances of this group and the Collective will seem not particularly well thought out. Masters has a traumatic event occurring that impacts Matt, then Dylan and their group as an unseen threat to everyone is identified.

The aspect of this book that’s interesting and important for future stories is the thread about the threat/enemy uncovered and how it’s handled . Especially in what it represents in terms of loose ends and the challenges going forward.  I really like the other higher demon as well as my favorite couple of Marc and Ian.  They are heavily involved in this book and plot thread. 

Less engaging for me is the issues I have with Matt and Dylan’s relationship dynamics.  The constant lack of communication between them, the avoidance of major confrontation with each other over intimate matters, and in general, their refusal to acknowledge issues that might impact their own lives as well as endanger others around them.

That would be one thing if the author utilized this aspect of their relationship with regard to the storyline and made it easier for them to understand and move forward, but instead it’s Marc who is the most influential factor here.  It sort of happens, but it takes the entire plot and that’s entirely too long for this reader. 

Marc remaining the most epic and entertaining character of the series and group.  I look forward to seeing more of him, his relationship and dialogue. And more higher demons. 

Ghostly Guardians:

  • Spirited Situation #1
  • Vortex Conundrum #2
  • Conduit Crisis #3
  • Gateway Catastrophe #4 -finale 

The Collective, sequel series:

  • Higher Demon #1
  • Demon Hunter #2

Buy link

        Demon Hunter (The Collective Book 2)

    

Blurb

What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? 

Before that night, there wasn’t much in my life I could complain about. I hunt rogue demons for a living, which is the coolest thing ever, and my brothers are the best. Sure, there was that thing with our parents betraying humanity, and okay, I wasn’t thrilled when my brother-bestie hooked up with a demon, but everything else was amazing.

Except that Dylan, the person I love more than anything, wanted to keep our relationship secret.

I got it; I really did. He’s lost all his family, and he was afraid if my family adopted him, he might lose them too. It’s not like we’ve got the world’s safest jobs. I was sure he’d change his mind eventually.

That decision was taken from him one awful night. Now, everyone knows, but Dylan’s more worried about the people trying to kill me. Unidentified and vicious; that’s all we know. Oh, and they hacked The Collective’s server.

How does a demon hunter fight a virtual threat? He doesn’t… that’s his kickass techie boyfriend’s job. Dylan will find these people, and then we’ll deal with them.

Even if there is more going on than we know about.

  • Publication date: August 29, 2024
  • Language: English
  • File size: 2748 KB
  • Print length: 253 pages

Review: Something Borrowed (Confetti Hitched Book 2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 4.5🌈

I love it when I can giggle or laugh out loud when reading a book. It happens often when I’m thoroughly invested in one of Lily Morton’s contemporary romances. And it occurs again, right from the beginning, in Something Borrowed, the second in this author’s marvelous Confetti Hitched series.

That delicious, bubbly feeling engages when we meet the irrepressible wedding planner, Rafferty. That initial heart stopping, hilarious run to a wedding had me in tears, scenes so memorable, in and out of the story, I’m still in awe of Morton’s ability to write such visually comedic moments that also deliver great storytelling and multi-dimensional characters.

That’s pretty much how the author continues through this journey of a forever romance between two childhood friends. It’s hilarious, yet poignantly realistic with its emotional elements of Rafferty Kendrick’s dysfunctional childhood parenting, and Stan’s rapidly deteriorating vision. Morton’s especially close relationship to this topic is known to her followers but she also talks about it in a note at the end of the book. It’s just one more reason why this element and part of Stan’s character rings with such authenticity.

The focal point of this friends to lovers romance is Rafferty’s inability to commit to his romantic for Stan over his fear that he is just like his parents in their inability to make a relationship work . Alongside that runs Stan’s own personal fear of ruining their friendship by not asking Rafferty for more than the one they have.

I’ll admit an inability to communicate with each other isn’t an ideal element in a story but the surrounding threads and characters make it understandable, if not exactly what I wanted. But the scintillating dialogue, warmhearted humor, and believable relationships here overwhelmingly reinforce that the men here love each other and belong together.

Even Bennett the cad, as I often referred to him in my mind, couldn’t derail that. That bit with the promise didn’t come out as entirely plausible but needed as a dramatic push for Rafferty to move things forward.

And then it was lovely. And full of laughter and I was reminded how much I adore these characters and the writing of Lily Morton.

It’s a delightful story for lovers of contemporary romance and fans of this author. A definite win!

Confetti Hitched:

✓ Confetti Hearts #1

✓ Something Borrowed #2

Buy link

Something Borrowed

Blurb

Stan has never let his blindness hold him back, but he’s beginning to realise his love life is keeping him from moving forward.

He can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with his best friend. Rafferty is everything to him—his partner in crime, his confidante, and the person who understands him best. But Rafferty is incapable of reciprocating Stan’s feelings.

As a successful wedding planner, Rafferty is passionately committed to helping newlyweds begin their happily-ever-afters, but after a rootless childhood he’s equally determined not to seek his own. How can he trust in love and marriage when so many of his brides and grooms are repeat customers?

Stan is the glue that keeps the pieces of Rafferty’s life together, and as such Rafferty has always kept Stan safely in the friend box where he can’t lose him. However, lately that conviction has wavered and now Rafferty is bursting with complicated feelings for his best friend. The timing couldn’t be worse because Rafferty has realised he’s in love with Stan just as Stan is moving on.

Review: A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4.75🌈

A Heart To Revitalize Me is the penultimate book in Michele Notaro’s fantastic dark fantasy series, The Magi Accounts. In between the main novels, Notaro has been writing companion stories, narrative side journeys through different characters lives or scenarios from the series . Each companion piece has been so distinct. One looks back on previous happenings, but seen from another important character’s perspective, giving the reader insights into those horrifying moments from his POV. Others take ongoing events of the current timeline and revolve around developing certain characters relationships further.

That happens here in A Heart To Revitalize Me, where mage Logan and tiger shifter, Haiden, finally get their story and the romance the readers have been waiting for.

In this dark, torturous dystopian world that Notaro has been creating, not even a long awaited journey to first love is going to happen without the harsh realities of that world crashing into the sweetness and light of love discovered.

And that’s both the horror and the beauty of this series (and story). The author has crafted characters we have grown to love, watched them develop and change, moving through the trauma and grief of their lives as they age and became family, some bonded mates.

Logan and Haiden have been two of the younger members of the Ono-Nai tribe, each has been through unbelievably torturous, traumatic and tragic experiences. Especially Logan, as a compound-raised mage.

Notaro frames out their path to a new romantic relationship , giving it all the gestures and scenes that make it utterly sweet, realistically halting and funny, perfect for their age and yet taking into account, their horrifying backgrounds.

However, we can never forget that there’s something larger looming ahead. All around the , Ono-Nai tribe home, and everywhere in the country, the violence against non-humans is escalating. New attacks from the Rift are rising as well. Everyone is under siege, from humans and aliens alike.

Horrors lie just outside the gate or even doorway.

A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro reminds the reader that there is darkness next to the light. For every high, there is a deep lower point awaiting. This is a roller coaster of emotions and a great read.

But the hints the author has left behind are very clear that perhaps the darkest elements are yet to come in the finale.

See you all there.

All the stories, see the lists below, are highly recommended. But they must be read in the order they were written.

The Magi Accounts:

✓ The Scars That Bind Us #1

✓ The Shackles That Hold Us #2

✓ A Purpose That Restores Us #3

✓ A Ruse To Unchain Us #4

◦ Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Series Finale on Sept. 20, 2024

The Magi Accounts Companion stories:

✓ Our Hearts That Tie Us: The Magi Accounts Prequel

✓ A Kiss To Revive Me: The Magi Accounts 1.5

✓ A Date to Impress Him: The Magi Accounts 2.5

✓ A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

✓ An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magi Accounts 3.5

✓ A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5

Buy Link:

A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magic Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories)

Blurb:

Lately my straight best friend has been very… handsy, which is killing me because I’ve been in love with the idiot for years.

I love my best friend, I always have, but I never wanted him to realize just how much. He’s never seemed to notice before, but since he broke up with his girlfriend, he’s been really clingy. Like way more than I’ve ever seen.

I love it. And it’s killing me.

What I really want is all those cuddles and sweet touches to mean more than they do. I have to keep reminding my heart that everything Haiden is doing is platonic, even if it feels like it isn’t. Unfortunately for me, my stupid heart doesn’t stop hoping for more.

A Heart To Revitalize Me is a MM urban fantasy romance companion novel meant to be read AFTER A Ruse To Unchain Us (The Magi Accounts 4). This is Logan and Haiden’s story and takes place between books 4 and 5 of the main series. It’s the last Magi Accounts Companion Stories novel and is meant to be read as part of the series, not by itself, although the love story is resolved in this book.

The Magi Accounts Companion stories:

✓ Our Hearts That Tie Us: The Magi Accounts Prequel

✓ A Kiss To Revive Me: The Magi Accounts 1.5

✓ A Date to Impress Him: The Magi Accounts 2.5

✓ A Holiday to Sustain Us: A Magi Accounts Holiday

✓ An Embrace To Hearten Me: The Magi Accounts 3.5

✓ A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5

The Magi Accounts:

✓ The Scars That Bind Us #1

✓ The Shackles That Hold Us #2

✓ A Purpose That Restores Us #3

✓ A Ruse To Unchain Us #4

◦ Only Unity Will Spare Us #5 – Series Finale on Sept. 20, 2024

• Publisher: (December 27, 2023)

• Publication date: December 27, 2023

• Print length: 308 pages

Trigger Warning:

Violence, gore, mentions of past abuse, mentions of past sexual assault (nothing on-page).

— A Heart To Revitalize Me: The Magi Accounts 4.5 (The Magi Accounts Companion Stories) by Michele Notaro

Review: Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4 🌈

Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert is this author’s annual Christmas story and it’s a heartwarmer!

Albert writes to two of her strengths, the military and gaming community, which are combined in Atlas Orion and Zebediah Seasons. They are the reason to read this book.

The main characters are Atlas, a Navy SEAL support Chief , and Zeb, a gamer who’s a successful streamer and influencer, able to turn his passion into a business.

The location is Kringle’s Crossing, the same town from The Geek Who Saved Christmas, and centers around the Seasons family store and drama. Atlas is the best friend of Zeb’s older brother, Gabe, and was a fixture at the Seasons house growing up due to his parental dysfunction.

It’s a two person perspective, with a bi-awakening and a multiple plot lines about the struggling family and their dynamics . Some of these, like everyone’s love and concern for Gabe’s expectant wife are wonderful. We see everyone function as a loving unit. But other aspects that are just as important got a limited amount of attention to the detriment of the narrative imo. That happens when the story is jam packed with characters with issues and layered with multiple elements.

Atlas is a terrific character. With his family background and current status as in SEAL support, he was realistic. Especially since Albert let us have glimpses into his career, action on the job (great helicopter moments), that grounded him. We got some of that with Zeb, interacting with his fans, but no actual gaming.

Zeb’s complicated. For the character of Zeb, it’s his long time crush on the seemingly straight Atlas. Did Atlas actually know Zeb was gay? And Zeb has decided that this holiday season is the time to see if there’s anything in his crush on a straight Atlas.

One frustrating aspect of Zeb’s character is the disrespect he constantly takes from Gabe over his successful career and passion for gaming. He works at Seasons part time to help out not for the money but to assist his brother and his business. But the same man willing to take a chance on Atlas is a doormat for the verbal abuse his brother constantly gives him until the book is about finished.

The excuses the author writes for this aspect of their relationship, the acknowledgment and somewhat “apology “ from Gabe to Zeb is astonishingly shallow and takes a mere sentence or two. Then it’s a throwaway line about the brother needing to see a therapist about anxiety and it’s done. So two impactful elements dismissed with little real depth or resolution.

Luckily, the remaining storylines are carried out in the narrative to a fully balanced conclusion. The men actually talk about what and how they feel , then act accordingly. Zeb and Atlas work beautifully as a couple, their relationship and romance is the reason to read the book. Also because you enjoy the author and Christmas stories.

There’s also several discussions about grief and loss, as every character here is very much mourning the loss of the parents of Zeb and Gabe, that includes Atlas who saw them as stand-ins for his own neglectful family.

I don’t feel that this was as fabulous as The Geek Who Saved Christmas, it’s still a good holiday story. More due to the main characters and not some of the secondary elements which in this case took away from the story.

Adorable cover as always.

Buy Link:

Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com › Catered-…Catered All the Way: A MM Holiday Christmas Romance by Annabeth Albert

Blurb:

Tis the season for a hopeless crush on my older brother’s best friend…

This year will be different. I’m all grown up, my gaming channel is a huge success, and I finally have the confidence to make my move on Atlas Orion, the hottest chief in the navy.

However, I don’t intend for my smooth move to be covering Atlas in cranberry sauce. Not at all how I want to reintroduce myself to my new roomie and coworker. Atlas is in town to help save Seasons, my family’s historic holiday gift shop and event space. Seasons is booked solid with catered parties, so we need to avoid any more disasters.

Like my malfunctioning air mattress. We’re down to one bed, two dudes, and a whole lot of holiday-fling temptation. Atlas has never been with a guy, but I don’t have to do much persuading. And what better way to explore than a secret romp? No strings, and no one has to know.

The problem? With every passing week, I fall harder for Atlas, who’s far more than his drool-worthy muscles and heroic job. He’s kind, funny, makes me breakfast in bed, and each midnight snowball fight brings us that much closer to heartbreak.

Atlas can’t stay in Kringle’s Crossing forever, and I can’t imagine leaving the only place I’ve called home. Our feelings run deep, but is it a holiday illusion? Can we find our way to a lasting future?

CATERED ALL THE WAY is a brand-new, full-length holiday romance from the beloved author of THE GEEK WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS. Lovers of stand-alone swoon-worthy Christmas stories will fall for this geek + military pairing. Full of spicy first times, bisexual awakening, quirky small-town residents, and guest appearances from some fan-favorite characters, this only one bed, brother’s best friend romance is sure to find a place under many trees! Dual POV and the happiest of endings guaranteed.

• Publisher: (December 4, 2023)

• Publication date: December 4, 2023

• Print length: 250 pages

Review: Tied Over (Marshals Book 6) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.75 🌈

Honestly, a tried and true hero Mary Calmes story was just what I needed at the moment. And that’s what I get in the sixth installment in Calmes’ Marshals series, Tied Over.

I’m a long time fan of this universe which started with another series I no longer rec (publisher issues) and continues into the Marshals series, run by Sam Kage. So many great and familiar characters are staples throughout the storylines that each book feels like a homecoming.

That’s a plus for fans of the series but perhaps a drawback for readers new to the universe and couples. There’s so much built in knowledge and background that accompanies a book in this universe. Even with the details the author provides into their backstory, a reader is still missing out on much of the depth of relationships and past experiences of the Marshals that’s built even into the mere flyaway sentences. Doesn’t mean, don’t read it, that simply means go back and enjoy starting at the beginning.

Why? Because of getting to enjoy the thrill of the journey to love and happiness with the Marshal or usually Marshals that make up the couple of the novel.

That glorious Mary Calmes knight in shining armor character who everyone loves, who in this case is US Deputy Marshal Josiah Redeker, aka Jed. He’s the perfect example of why I read and love this author. He’s a typical Calmes hero. He saves the day every time. He saves small children from bad men, he takes down really evil people, he saves dogs, and most importantly, he saves his partner and love of his life from making a bad decision.

And Calmes has Jed do all this with heart stopping action, poignant scenes, moving moments, children so realistic and fragile is scary, and scenes just plain raw that you know you’re going to be rereading the book as soon as it’s finished.

And it’s not just Jed, it’s his partner US Deputy Marshal Bodhi Callahan, the other half of him. This is not the first time that the reader has met this couple if you’ve been following the series as they’ve appeared in other books.

They’ve been partners for years, in love for years, in a relationship that’s been personally rough for them at times, but always partners, even when assigned babysitting duties to other baby Marshals. Both characters are fully realized, with a deep sense of connection that the author makes the reader feel so invested in.

Calmes pulls us in immediately into various dramatic scenes, giving the readers the details on the law enforcement scenes and the personal lives of the main characters so once we enter, it’s one fast paced read to the emotional satisfying end.

I was thrilled at the way the story went and how the couple had grown back together and gotten the ending they deserved.

Just exactly what I needed as well. This is why I read Mary Calmes and will continue to make her a go to author.

Haven’t read this series? Check out the list below.

Marshals:

✓ All Kinds of Tied Down #1

✓ Fit To Be Tied #2

✓ Tied Up In Knots #3

✓ Twisted and Tied #4

✓ Balanced and Tied #5

✓ Tied Down #6

Buy Link:

Tied Over (Marshals Book 6)

Blurb:

Josiah Redeker has been tied up, tied down, and just plain tied to Bodhi Callahan since the younger marshal was paired with him five years ago. It was an easy slide from partners to best friends, and though Bodhi wanted more, Josiah thought Bodhi could do far better than him. That made for a bumpy ride, and, of course, the moment Josiah realized that trying to live without the man he loved more than anything was not something he could do, that was when Bodhi broke the big news that he was getting married. Adding to that nightmare, they got reassigned as partners because other people needed them more.

It’s a disaster all around, and all Josiah sees ahead of him is pain—and not only from getting shot.

But what he thinks he knows for sure isn’t exactly all there is. Turns out, he’s not the only one who’s missing his touchstone, and Bodhi might be fraying at the edges, coming undone. When two people have been tied together over and over for so long, it’s not so easy to get loose. And maybe neither wants to be free of the other, and that could be their future, as long as no one comes between them… with a gun.

• Publisher: (November 28, 2023)

• Publication date: November 28, 2023

• Print length: 258 pages

Review: Silent Knight (a Christmas Falls novel) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 3🌈

Silent Night by Beth Bolden is a novel written for the Christmas Falls multi-author collaboration about a small town whose inhabitants live and breathe Christmas.

But it’s very much a mashup with her successful football series, the Charleston Condors, as one of the main characters, Jem Knight, is a famous Condor player currently on the injured reserve list.

We know Jem from his best friend relationship with Deacon, another character and teammate. Both men are going through some very difficult times, emotionally, mentally, and in Jem’s case, physically.

Sports (also food) is where Bolden’s writing excels. It’s in the team dynamics, the on-field team chemistry and excitement, and the ability to translate the author’s knowledge and love for each sport into a compelling narrative.

Here Jem is outside of his usual comfort zone and it shows in making him an outsider in his hometown. It absolutely works in his status and his emotional distance from the town’s citizens and events. We feel that outsider status from the minute he arrived back into town. He’s never emotionally home and that’s the issue, no matter what happens, he and Bolden never believably make him a viable choice to come back for us or him. It’s Told To Us. But nope.

The other man, local craftsman made famous, gnome carver , Murphy Clark, is also a terrific creation. He’s vulnerable, fearful of repeating the past, and insecure about his own attributes. Murphy is a very strong character. He belongs to Christmas Falls one hundred percent.

However, it’s the reality and relationship between the men, the parents (especially Jem’s) that just wasn’t there for me. The intrusive aspect where Jem’s parents decided they were the best judge of two grown men’s lives, including leaning against the son over another man, struck me as cold. Instead I found it completely natural for Jem to have stayed away from the town and family for years.

The author made a case, but not in the way she anticipated. And that negated most of the rest of her storyline. I could see a friendship rekindled but didn’t Bolden didn’t make me feel the chemistry that normally comes with one of her stories and couples. And so much of the deeper characters and depth, with the exception of Murphy’s best friend, was missing. Jem never felt a part of this town or family. It all seemed forced, unlike Charleston.

Run, Jem, run. How’s that for Christmas?

See you back at the Charleston Condors.

Christmas Falls:

✓ Get Frosted by Amy Aislin

◦ Grinch Kisses by DJ Jamison

◦ Snowbody Loves Me by Jacki James

✓ Silent Knight by Beth Bolden

◦ Under the Mistle-tome by Sammi Cee

◦ Clausing a Scene by Casey Cox

◦ No Elfing Way by Hayden Hall

◦ Ready, Set, Glow by Rye Cox

◦ Scrooge You! by Brigham Vaughn

Buy Link:

Silent Knight

Blurb:

Of all the things Murphy Clark loves about Christmas Falls, there’s always been one he loves a little more than the rest:

His childhood best friend, Jem Knight.

Doesn’t matter that Jem’s barely been home in years, or that he’s busy conquering football fields instead of hanging out at Jolly Java or admiring Murphy’s carved wooden gnomes. Murphy’s always loved him anyway.

But now Jem’s finally returned to Christmas Falls to be the honorary figurehead of the biggest holiday festival in the Midwest.

Murphy’s hoping to rekindle their friendship but he didn’t count on Jem not recognizing him. Or flirting with him. Or re-igniting the hopeless crush he’s always had for his best friend.

He definitely didn’t expect for his crush to no longer be hopeless at all.

Or for both of them to realize that all they want for Christmas this year is each other.

Christmas Falls is a multi-author M/M romance series set in a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie.

Charleston Condors:

✓ The Star #1

✓ The Game #2

✓ The Score #3

◦ The Play #4 – March 31, 2024