Tag: LGBTGIA contemporary romance

Review: Zero Hour Trilogy by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5 🌈

This is my first time reading a trilogy compilation on Kindle and I’m absolutely sold on the format. It especially suits me as someone who loves to binge read a series.

The trilogy , which consists of Ground Zero, Devil’s Hour, and Zero Divergence , is well suited for this format in that the stories flow almost seamlessly, one into another. Had it not been for the title and brief description inserted between the books, it would read like one huge novel. A fantastic one at that.

I’m not going to rate individual stories. One doesn’t excel or deserve a lesser rating than another. They are all exceptional.

The trilogy tracks the relationship, both professionally and personally, of Detectives Sawyer Key and Royce Locke, starting from the moment Sawyer Key joins the MCU of the Savannah PD and becomes the unwanted partner of Royce Locke.

Locke, is still grieving the loss of

a partner who was his best friend , and who committed suicide. A tragedy that’s still having major ramifications for Locke and his partner’s family.

They meet on the crime scene of a sensational murder with little time to adjust to the new situation or each other.

Walker immediately gives us an intense situation and two incredibly complicated men. And let’s the sparks fly. For three books.

Each man has a realness to him. Sawyer is a widower who is still coming to terms with the loss of a beloved husband to cancer. His grief is visceral. And yet very private. It works so well to pair him with Royce who has not come to terms with his grief and confusion over the death of his friend and partner. That issue will take him three books to work through.

Neither man stands alone. They are surrounded by incredible family members, dynamic characters from their precinct, and people we will come to know and love even more dearly in the series Sinister in Savannah.

Here we see Royce and Sawyer meet and introduce Rocky, Jonah, and Felix to each other. We meet Kendall Blakemore for the first time as well as Avery and see how he was pulled into Jonah’s orbit. Even the Marshals make their appearances here. This trilogy is our roadmap to all the series and single stories that come afterwards.

But the best and heart of the books is the growing relationship between Sawyer and Royce. The developing feelings, the situation about their relationship on the job, Royce’s closeted status, so much that evolves over the course of three complex cases and engrossing storylines.

Walker’s got the police procedural down, the hard work, the questions and paperwork. The long hours and the excitement when it looks like it might pay off. The author had me on the edge so many times here , the suspense was overwhelming!

However the joy of reading all the books right through is that you get your payoffs . You see the characters evolve, the relationship grow and deepen. And then become utterly gratified when at the end, you’re as happy as they are when the author writes The End.

Plus you have the added satisfaction of knowing there’s a second trilogy called Matrimony to come.

Be still my heart.

Are you a binge reader like me? Or just like to have all your books ready to go? This is a must have, must read! I’m definitely recommending this trilogy! And the author if you haven’t found her already!

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesZero Hour Series by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work. Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice. Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock. Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship.

Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Devil’s hour, noun: the hour when the demon or devil who leads hell is at its strongest. Born on the wrong side of the tracks, Royce Locke is no stranger to scrapping and fighting for the things he wants. What he desires most is Sawyer Key—his partner on the force and the man he’s falling in love with. After asking Sawyer to take a chance on him, Royce will need to back up his pretty words with fearless action instead of being his own worst enemy. Someone is harassing the mayor of Savannah, and Locke and Key are tasked with finding out who. The investigation quickly takes a twisted turn, leading them to an enemy who thinks purification by fire is the only way to save the city. Scarier than The Purists’ elusiveness is their ability to turn public opinion in their favor, creating unrest and threatening anarchy by fanning flames and fear. When you play with fire, someone is bound to get burned. When menace becomes murder, the two detectives will race the clock against the devil to save their beloved city from becoming a raging inferno. Royce will need to draw on his grit now more than ever if he hopes to realize the dreams that are finally within reach. The rag is lit, the Molotov cocktail is tossed, and the zero hour is upon them. Challenge received and accepted.

Devil’s Hour is the second book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series that must be read in order.

Devil’s Hour has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older. Trigger warning: Part of the storyline involves coming to terms with a friend’s suicide, which may be difficult for some people to read.

Zero Divergence, noun: no deviation from a course or standard.After a key piece of evidence goes missing, a suspected serial rapist and killer evades prosecution. More than Royce Locke’s reputation is on the line when his investigation into the failed chain of custody suggests Franco Humphries might’ve had inside help. There’s no one Royce trusts more than Sawyer Key to help him right a wrong and uncover the traitor in their midst, but can they do it before the Savannah Strangler strikes again?Relentless plus fearless equals flawless. Sawyer and Royce have come full circle-from hostile strangers to best friends and lovers. Neither a sniper’s bullet nor an arsonist’s fire could keep them apart, but what about a psychopath hell-bent on revenge? The stakes are high, and there’s no turning back now because the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.

Zero Divergence is the conclusion to the best-selling Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. This is a series you MUST read in order. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.

Trigger warning: Part of the storyline involves coming to terms with a friend’s suicide, which may be difficult for some people to read.

Review: Charlie Sunshine (Close Proximity #2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 3.5🌈

Charlie Sunshine is the second in the Close Proximity trilogy and I probably didn’t do it any favors by skipping it and reading the infinitely better story After Felix next. It just plain suffers by comparison.

Several things worked against this I think. The author immediately linked books one and three together by the characters and couples themselves. Felix works in Zeb Evans’ employment agency and turns into a great friend of Jesse Reed, Zeb’s boyfriend. The quartet of men was a natural flow of wit, drama, and romance.

But Misha and Charlie? They are associated with the others but mentioned only briefly prior so where the reader felt a real connection to the couples in books one and three, Charlie Sunshine is already flat on the ground, or a bit behind.

Why that last? Unfortunately I think it has to do with the characters themselves. Charlie is almost too perfect. He’s an adorable , highly intelligent librarian who’s runway gorgeous. People walk into poles because they’re looking at him. That’s not exactly relatable. The author needed do something to make him fallible. The answer? Charlie has epilepsy.

This element is well done and well researched. Morton folded this aspect of the story into Charlie’s character realistically. How it effects Charlie and his life is believable. I think it did make me feel that I understood Charlie more. But I felt that I wish I had more of Charlie’s life pre accident so the fact that he had epilepsy now wasn’t just something to make him and the disease, idk , a way of inserting a vulnerability instead of letting readers see a character function beautifully within his diagnosis.

Let me know how you all feel about this. I’m curious.

Misha , the hedge fund banker, is the best friend who suddenly realizes the man he loves is right beside him. It’s a great trope and I’m not sure why again I didn’t get 100 percent into this romance and couple.

There’s the usual lack of understanding, lack of communication until there isn’t.

The characters around them are superb. Charlie’s family especially are tremendous, both dads and mother. So too are Misha’s family of a terrific mom and twin sisters. Plus his cousin Felix.

Morton’s ability to write characters that grab at your heart are scattered throughout this story, I’m just not sure the biggest is Charlie for me. Or Misha. They are good but I’m not sure they are great.

The end is very satisfying, you’ll be happy for the couple. It’s a great place to end for them.

I’m highly recommending the Close Proximity trilogy. Charlie Sunshine is a good way to fill in your knowledge of this group between the first and fantastic last novels.

Close Proximity series:

✓ Best Man #1

✓ Charlie Sunshine #2

✓ After Felix #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showCharlie Sunshine (Close Proximity, #2) by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Review: After Felix (Close Proximity #3) by Lily Morton

Rating: 5 🌈

After Felix is the third book in Lily Morton’s Close Proximity series. I skipped over Charlie’s story because the characters of Felix and Max so spoke to me in Best Man that I needed their own story and to see how their romance played out.

I’m so happy I did because this is an amazing story. I have just continued to think over all its many storylines and elements, including the trips the characters make to various locations, and it all comes together in such an amazing romance.

We are with Felix Jackson Max Travers from the beginning of their journey when they meet at the bookstore, through their tumultuous romantic history and finally through the process of working their way back towards each other. Every scene , whether it’s funny or heartbreaking, shows such dimension to their personalities. We fall in love with them and their relationship. We’re invested in their happiness.

Then we get more. As the years pass, through excellent descriptions, we watch the characters undergoing change and growth as they figure out who matters to them, or especially if they can trust again.

Morton builds a heartwarming, believable, at times so painful story of two men who find each other, lose, then need to find a path back to each other again.

It’s truly a remarkable romance with incredible characters and a journey that’s staying with me.

I feel like I’ve found a story I’ll reread when I want a romance to curl up with. It’s in that pile of stories.

I’m highly recommending it. Enjoy!

Close Proximity series:

✓ Best Man #1

◦ Charlie Sunshine #2

✓ After Felix #3

After Felix (Close Proximity, #3) by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken.

However, two and a half years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company. Which, of course, is when Max has to come bursting back into his life.

Felix Jackson will always be the one who got away to Max. He’s spent their time apart regretting his actions and hoping for a second chance. When an accident lands him in Felix’s less than tender care, Max is determined to grab this opportunity. The only problem is that Felix is equally determined that he doesn’t.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a story of missed opportunities, second chances, and two very stubborn men.

This is the third book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Review: Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton

Rating: 4 🌈

Fake boyfriend trope is a favorite of mine so when I saw a story written by a must read author, Lily Morton, with that as a factor, I was in.

It also was a age gap, no surprise, with humor, again, a usual hallmark of this author, and a curmudgeon of a fellow in need a of a bit of a change in perspective about himself and his path in life. So yes, I settled in for a Morton romance.

Best Man didn’t let me down. Indeed our first meeting with the irrepressible Jesse Reed walks into the offices of Zeb Evans’ employment agency for an unforgettable interview. It’s funny, full of the sparkling dialogue and warm chemistry that draws me over and over into Morton’s stories.

We then snap forward several years as Jesse ‘s become a mainstay employee at Zeb’s agency, if a bit of a occasionally over exuberant when carrying out his clients wishes. We fall right into a guffaw moment with Jesse and it’s instant love!

We see the type of relationship Zeb and Jesse have grown into, as well as the potential one that waits if Zeb could allow himself a lessening of the restraints that so tightly bind him.

A wedding and a promise to be the best man necessitate the need for a fake boyfriend for Zeb. Who better then Jesse?

Especially when it’s something both men want truthfully anyway.

Their romance starts remarkably full of exploration and joy but Morton shows that the past history that’s been ignored has a way of interfering until it’s dealt with.

I would have thought Zeb a tad more intelligent about his ex given his past experiences with him in this story so it made events here seem less believable.

But Jessie’s father was a wonderful element and the entire last section of the book warm, inviting, and wholly satisfying.

They made a great couple and I look forward to Charlie and Felix’s books. Especially Felix. I adore that man.

I’m recommending Best Man to all lovers of contemporary romance and Lily Morton. Have a wonderful read!

Close Proximity series:

Best Man #1

Charlie Sunshine #2

After Felix #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showBest Man (Close Proximity, #1) by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Zeb Evans doesn’t do messy.


The product of a disorganised and chaotic childhood, Zeb likes order and control, and as the boss of his own employment agency he can give that to himself. Life runs along strict lines and he never mixes business with pleasure. Everything in his life lives in neat, alphabetized boxes. Until Jesse.



Jesse Reed is Zeb’s complete opposite. He’s chaos personified. A whirling cyclone of disorder. He’s also charming and funny and a very unwanted distraction.



Which is why it comes as a complete surprise to Zeb to find himself asking Jesse to pose as his boyfriend for a few days in the country at a wedding.



Zeb doesn’t do impulsive, but as the time away progresses, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the merry and irreverent Jesse. But can he bring himself to break the hard-won lessons he’s learnt in life? And even if he can, how could Jesse be attracted to him anyway? He’s so much older than Jesse, not to mention being his boss.



From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages and Finding Home series comes a warm and funny romance about one man’s fight for control and another man’s determination to circumvent it.



This is the first book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Review: How to Hack a Hacker (Unholy Trifecta #3) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

How to Hack a Hacker , the story where K, aka Kyou, is finally forced into getting his happily ever after.

It’s also the series finale and an excellent one.

Kyou has been somewhat of an enigmatic character. Now his background is exposed, the reasons for his cyber stalking of Brannigan revealed here. The story behind the cyber stalking is as complicated as Kyou. And it takes time to unfold.

Brannigan Genovese, aka the one Kyou has cyber stalked for 12 years, although his friends only know about 6 of them. Bran’s a real estate developer with an uncanny ability to fall into deep trouble at the drop of a hat. And it’s Kyou who’s gotten him out of it, whether Bran’s known it or not.

Brannigan has also been trying to find the person who’s been watching and assisting him online all these years but has always failed.

Only his current crisis brings everyone together.

Yes, the family is all here. Ari, Carter, and Remi. Ivan and Aiden. Even Trixie. All are center stage to support Kyou as he jumps into Bran’s crisis with the Irish Mob. It takes all of them as a family to pull Bran in and pull him out of danger. It’s an exciting and fun filled ride.

This is actually a two part story. Just when one wraps up, a second begins. The last stage brings around an unfinished element that I was very happy to see here. The author was tying up all the loose storylines and making sure that when everyone got their HEA, it’s going to stay that way.

There’s a marriage, a proposal, and a very solid found family thinking about more additions. Such a warm and happy feeling to end the series on.

Sherwood has another marvelous story here and terrific series for me to recommend.

I adore everyone and each couple and family. That includes Remi, naturally.

Unholy Trifecta series:

✓ How to Shield an Assassin #1

✓ How To Steal a Thief #2

✓ How to Hack a Hacker #3

Synopsis:

Staying away is Kyou’s number one rule when it comes to protecting the sexy real-estate developer.

Kyou has a routine. A system. He guards Brannigan Genovese, hacks for his family of choice, and drinks far too much caffeine for any living being. Only a few things can completely disrupt his routine to cause him trouble:

• Brannigan buying up real estate from the Irish Mob

• Kyou’s band of brothers figuring out who Brannigan actually is

• Ivan

• Feelings for one Brannigan Genovese

Oddly enough, it’s the feelings that get Kyou in the most trouble. Because when Brannigan is in danger, Kyou ignores all his brain’s protestations and breaks every rule he has to save the man, including his number one.  

And damn the consequences.

Tags:

It’s not stalking (totally stalking), sleep is for the weak, coffee IS food, running-from-the-mob meet cute, Brannigan does stupid stuff to make Kyou call him, Kyou is utterly done, pansexual character, band of brothers, anxiety, family of choice, emotional growth, so simple a ten-year-old can do it, no really it’s not that hard, Kyou peopled last week, meddling, so much meddling, Irish Mobsters were hurt in the making of this book, Ivan’s actually serious for once, yes the world almost ended

Now Available on Amazon!

Review: Rivals (Harrisburg Railers #11) by R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey

Rating: 4.75🌈

Our favorite hockey players head to China, well not really, but in a well imagined story, Ten, Jared, Stan, Tate, Ryker, Colorado, Bryan, and Vlad all end up heading to Bejing for the Winter 2022 Olympics.

Thanks to Covid, the NHL players and committee ended up pulling out of this year’s Olympics but in Rivals, all the teams went forward!

The authors mention that the hosting nation is not a one where LBGTQIA+ rights are recognized or welcome . That heavy burden is then worked into the stresses the characters here endure among the obvious ones of Olympic level play, world wide telecast, and the even more… playing against family and teammates who are close friends.

It’s all done realistically and without making any political platform within the story. Honestly so many could have, but they avoided it by using beloved characters as examples of what happens under such conditions, and their ability to go forward with love.

It was great having Colorado use his unique perspective to guide Ten through some worrying moments when Jared, as a Canadian teammate couldn’t help.

It also made me aware, as someone who loves her Caps which is made up of nationalities, how it must feel during international competition to face players who are normally your teammates. And friends.

The hockey was intense and exciting, as I expect from both authors. So amazing. The emotional impact high and lasting. What an incredible group of characters these men are that they remain such long standing favorites! Of mine included.

The ending was lovely and extremely satisfying. But I’m always hoping for more of these couples and series. They are just too wonderful for us to ever say a lasting goodbye.

I’m highly recommending Rivals. Read it and enjoy!

Harrisburg Railers: 15 books

http://vllocey.com › category › rj-sc…RJ Scott – VL Locey

http://vllocey.comV.L. Locey Romance Author

https://www.goodreads.com › showRivals by R.J. Scott – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Playing for their country in the Winter Olympics is the highest of all honors, but when family members are pitted as rivals and a dark specter from the past turns up in Beijing, tensions run high, and abruptly, it’s not all about the hockey.

Jared is torn—assistant coach for Team Canada, with Ryker on the team; he bleeds red and white and wears the maple leaf with pride. Only Ten is now a rival, and not only that, but the country they’re all playing in frowns on his marriage and keeps him and Ten apart. Jared wants to win gold for his country and his son, but he’d be so proud if Ten were to win. He’s confused and concerned, but when a face from their past turns up to play, he’s furious.

Being picked for Team USA is one of the things Tennant dreamed of when he was a little boy. All of his other aspirations have come true through hard work, determination, and pure talent. Now he’s about to represent his country in front of the world, and the pressure is starting to build. He’s also just come face-to-face with a hated rival from a dark period in his past. Add in the burden of squaring off against his husband and stepson, and Ten is feeling the pressure to be perfect.

Family becomes rivals—but love always wins.

Review: Ride or Die (Food Truck Warriors #6) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 5 🌈

Ride or Die wraps up Beth Bolden’s Food Truck Warriors series. It’s a outstanding way to say goodbye to a great series and group of men and their partners.

Part of a interconnected universe that includes Kitchen Gods and Star Shadow, it’s hard to say if this is a complete goodbye as Bolden’s characters have a way of popping up in future stories. But if we don’t see everyone again, this is a remarkable sendoff.

Ren Moretti, the gorgeous chef of the one night stands, has met his match in Seth Abramson, security and former soldier, who’s looking for a long term relationship, not a hookup. No matter how hot the chemistry between them.

A two person pov means the reader is in Ren’s increasingly frustrated, and stymied head as he’s confronted with someone he wants who obviously wants him back but won’t have sex with him. It’s never happened before.

As the steam builds within him, so does the hurt and questions. Ren’s entire ability is shaken.

I love Bolden’s writing and characters because she’s able to make us feel that we’re there in their world with them. And when things , their perspective is being given a good toss up, we are there looking over their shoulder, a part of every minute of their growth and baby steps forward.

Seth has his own issues to work through. It’s not just how to reach a man seemingly committed only to not being committed to anything but his cooking but there’s something lurking in Seth’s history too.

How these men work through their individual issues to have a relationship that works and is one we all celebrate is a wonderful story, full of romance, laughter, and some angst.

At the end, Bolden pulls everything and everyone together for one huge anniversary party. All our couples. No loose ends. We get a marvelous and fantastic way to see everyone and say our goodbyes.

What a great run this has been. I’ve loved every story, each couple and romance. Hard to believe it’s over.

Ren and Seth are a great couple and their story makes for a fantastic finale.

I’m highly recommending Ride or Die and this series.

Food Truck Warriors:

✓ Drive Me Crazy #1

✓ Kiss & Tell #1.5

✓ Hit the Brakes #2

✓ On A Roll #3

✓ Full Speed Ahead #4

✓ Wheels Down #5

✓ Ride Or Die #6

https://www.goodreads.com › showRide or Die (Food Truck Warriors, #6) by Beth Bolden – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Can Ren’s bad boy heart be wooed and won?

Ren Moretti likes his life—and his hookups—just the way they are: fast and loose.

He only ever hooks up with someone once, and relationships? Forget it. Never gonna happen. No guy has ever persuaded him to bend, break, or alter his one date and one night rule.

Until Seth Abramson.

Seth has always tempted Ren—but it’s not a secret that Seth won’t settle for just one night. A few dates won’t cut it, and he’s not interested in playing around. He wants it all, and he intends to win Ren’s heart.

But that’s the one thing Ren’s never given up. He guards it closely and fiercely, until one day, when he realizes it’s no longer his to protect, it’s belonged to Seth all along.

Review: Never Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I’ve been so busy with fantasy and contemporary romances that I’ve neglected one really great action suspense author. Tal Bauer.

Tal Bauer writes just amazing stories. Ones that might include such elements as government agencies and military spies, secret missions, and any number of inside sub terrorist organizations to deal with. Along with folding in a wonderful romance to boot.

Never Stay Gone is the author’s first story in his new Big Bend Texas Rangers series and it’s great. Jam-packed with so many of my favorite tropes, it’s a fast paced murder mystery and a second chance at a revived passionate relationship as two men race to find a killer. All throughout the unforgettable location of Big Bend Texas.

It’s starts with a terrifying find of a body dump by Deputy Shane Carson out in the desert wilds of Big Bend country Texas. It’s our initial introduction to the murder victims and one of the main characters.

Shane Carson is a small town’s native son who’s never lived up to its and his family’s huge expectations for him. He carries the years of his “failures” heavily. But Bauer’s created a more damaged man then evidenced on the outside.

Only by flashes of his past and glimpses into bits of his relationships with those outside of work does the reader realize Shane’s floundering there too.

It’s a realistic, painful portrait of a man deeply in trouble.

The reason why appears in the form of Texas Ranger Dakota Jennings, who’s been pulled by the Governor herself to handle the investigation into the multiple murders.

One reason? His history with the region and people. Second? One of the bodies worked for the Governor.

Dakota Jennings is as complex a man, albeit in a completely different way then Shane. Each man was damaged by their past with each other. Neither has ever moved forward.

How Shane and Dakota handle their reunion amidst murder, multiple investigations, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption is a remarkable story.

It’s so compelling from just the personal elements alone as each man grapples with the past and the trauma it’s done to them. Add to that the police work as they track the killer and trace the identities of each victim. So gritty and tough.

This has first/only love, coming out, lovers reunited, second chance at love, hurt/comfort…all set in the dry open spaces of Big Bend country in Texas as a murderer tries to escape justice. It’s thrilling, heartbreaking, and an amazing suspenseful read!

I can’t wait to see where the series takes us!

If you’re not familiar with Tal Bauer, this is a wonderful place to start. I’m highly recommending this!

Big Bend Texas Rangers series:

Never Stay Gone #1

https://www.goodreads.com › showNever Stay Gone (Big Bend Texas Rangers #1) by Tal Bauer – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Six bodies in a single grave… in the same West Texas country where Dakota left everything behind.

Every beat of my heart belongs to you.

Thirteen years ago, Dakota Jennings thought he’d found his forever when he fell in love with Shane Carson. But one afternoon shattered their love story, and both Dakota and Shane left Rustler, Texas, with broken hearts. Even now, Dakota is still feeling the agony of losing Shane. Sure, he’s a Texas Ranger, but that’s not how he wanted to live his life. All he ever wanted was to love Shane.

Loving you is the only time I feel alive.

Shane’s life was supposed to be different than this. There’d been a plan, ever since he was knee-high to his father. But falling for Dakota spun Shane’s world upside down, and for years, Shane has had nothing but the memories of all that he lost: Dakota’s gentle touch, and the sweetness of his lips, and the star-strewn nights they spent wrapped in each other’s arms.

West of the Pecos, there is no law.

When the Rangers get the call about six bodies being pulled out of a mass grave in West Texas, the governor sends Dakota to run the investigation. Dakota heads back to his hometown and comes face-to-face with the last man he ever expected to see again: only now, he’s Deputy Shane Carson… Dakota’s local partner assigned to the case.

There’s nothing Dakota wants more than a second chance with Shane, but so much is stacked against them: six corpses, a murderer on the loose, and history that refuses to stay buried. And the bodies keep piling up as Dakota and Shane try to run the killer down across the West Texas plains.

In a moment, everything changes: the hunters become the hunted, the past fractures, and all Dakota thought he knew comes tumbling down. Secrets break wide open as Dakota remembers–

This is West Texas, and out here, nothing is as it seems.


Big Bend County is a place of beauty and desolation, of secrets and small towns. Where the past and the present collide, and where nothing stays hidden forever.

This MM romantic suspense is the first in the new Big Bend Texas Rangers series. Come along for the West Texas sunsets, the heart-pounding thrills, and the hard-won Happy Ever Afters.

Review: O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters

Rating: 3.5🌈⛄️

A slightly revamped edition of a short story Louisa Masters released in 2017, O Hell, All Ye Shoppers is a meet cute, sexy holiday romance.

Everything happens quickly, from the “meet cute” to the idea that they are ideal for each other to the ending.

A holiday Bonbon you partake of before settling in with a more fulfilling meal of a novel.

If a cute holiday contemporary Is on your menu, this might just be your choice.

See how Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday….

http://mmgoodbookreviews.com › o…O Hell, All Ye Shoppers by Louisa Masters – MM Good Book Reviews

Ethan Hall plans to fill Saturday, December 23, with junk food and bad TV, a day just for him amid the holiday chaos… until his baby sister calls and begs him to go collect a present for her. At the biggest shopping center in Australia. On the busiest shopping day of the year. Hell no. Right?
Ethan’s soft heart gets the best of him. He battles through the parking lot, and in the main shopping concourse, he’s trampled, elbowed, and bombarded with terrible holiday music. Then he enters hell itself, a specialty store aimed at women… where he meets Ty. They bond in a sea of estrogen and manic shoppers, fighting together to attain freedom, only to find they’re not quite ready go their separate ways.

This novella was originally published in 2017. Some scenes have been revamped and an epilogue has been added.

Review: Dreidels & Do -Overs by Kim Fielding

Rating: 5 🌈⛄️

The wonderful Kim Fielding is at it again this holiday season with the absolutely wonderful new story Dreidels & Do Overs. It’s a true heartwarminer of a holiday contemporary romance that landed itself in my top ten books this year with its unconventional characters and lovely, gentle love story.

It’s not as often that we get a romance that is focused around Jewish men and their religion, and does so authentically. Then encapsulates so many potentially problematic issues as we might expect a angst filled story.

Instead, Fielding proceeds to deliver a realistic, believable, moving story of reconnection,redemption belief in oneself, self discovery, and love.

The heart of every Fielding story remains her characters. It’s the same here. Caleb Stern, a janitor working a holiday craft fair, is a man we slowly we get know. His history and current living situation will reveal itself in bits and pieces, through conversations with his boss and with Jasper Adams, a man who knew him years ago in high school. Caleb is such an amazing person, a bit worn, hesitant, and yet courageous in a quiet way. I loved him.

Jasper Adams also is in many ways a quintessential Fielding personality. He’s someone who’s reevaluated his life choices and struck out on what most people would call a different, even lesser path. Jasper’s not got a ripped body, he feels a bit self conscious about that, but he loves what he does and is content that he’s happy in his new choice of careers. And when a chance to connect with a person he had a crush on years ago appears, he takes a chance on that too. And the man.

Fold two lovely lonely men together at Hanukkah and you have a beautiful story for the holidays.

It’s perfect Fielding and one I’m highly recommending.

Happy Holidays!

https://www.goodreads.com › showDreidels & Do-Overs by Kim Fielding – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Caleb Stern was the high school hotshot, but a bad attitude and poor decisions led to years of misery. Now he’s trying to do better, and a job on the cleaning crew at a holiday craft fair could be a new beginning. What he didn’t expect was that his new start might be tangled up with ties from long ago.

Jasper Adams left an unfulfilling career and unsupportive boyfriend to follow his dreams. His handmade journals are a big success at the craft fair, which is great, but the real holiday miracle turns out to be a blast from his past.

Hanukkah nears, and both men yearn for holiday happiness. But moving forward often means first making peace with where you’ve been.