Tag: LGBTGIA contemporary romance

Review:  Flake It Til You Make It (Christmas Falls 2 ) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 5🌈

How I live for the Morettis! Doesn’t matter what series or circumstances Bolden is putting them in on their way to a HEA, it’s a culinary Italian fabulous journey. 

Christmas Falls that imaginary small town that’s all things Christmas is now getting the Bolden touch again in it’s second season as a Moretti has moved to town!

This story was everything. I’m a huge fan of Bolden’s, her ability to create real life stories and relatable characters, pulling the reader into their relationships and circumstances.   But here? It’s a holiday story, where we get familiar characters, heartwarming themes, a wonderful romance,mouthwatering food (wanted that lasagna so bad), and the fabulous Moretti clan.  Be still my heart!

Rocco Moretti has moved to Christmas Falls to carve out his own niche in the Moretti family of chefs and restaurateurs.  He’s bought out a longtime favorite coffee shop, Jolly Java, to make his own and settle down. But things go wrong almost immediately.

Bolden sets up a faked boyfriend story during the holidays but with a twist when the Deputy Mayor Taylor Hall, needs a boyfriend for his interview and Rocco needs helps winning the town back after a goat cheese fiasco.  Let a lovely heartwarming romance and relationship between these wonderful men begin. With the town fully invested.

This romance and the development of the men’s relationship made my night. It’s a holiday hug and a cosy evening reading with the drink of choice. 

Highly recommended any time of the year but especially at Christmas.Don’t miss out on the recipe at the end. 

Christmas Falls, Season 2:

The Snuggle is Real by DJ Jamison Flake It til You Make It by Beth Bolden ❤️

12 Dates of Christmas by Brigham Vaughn Here Comes Santa Paws by Lee Blair Under the Mistle-Foe by Rye Cox Christmas Beau by Amy Aislin No Business Like Snow Business by J.A. Rock & Lisa Henry Frost Impressions by Kelly Fox

Promise Yule Be Mine by Rhys Everly Mingle All The Way by Hayden Hall

Christmas Falls, Season 1:

Grinch Kisses by DJ Jamison Snowbody Loves You by Jacki James Get Frosted by Amy Aislin 

Silent Knight by Beth Bolden 

Under the Mistle-Tome by Sammi Cee 

Clausing a Scene by Casey Cox 

No Elf-ing Way by Hayden Hall 

Ready, Set, Glow! by Rye Cox 

Scrooge You! By Brigham Vaughn

Buy link

        Flake It Til You Make It

    

Blurb 

It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas . . .

When Rocco Moretti gets the chance to buy a coffee shop in a small Illinois town, it feels like a miracle. And in true Christmas Falls tradition, Jolly Java is a holiday-flavored one.

He sets up shop and starts experimenting with recipes. The only problem? His changes go over like a piece of coal on Christmas morning. Instead of serving up cups of holiday cheer, he’s getting a solid “bah humbug” vibe from the town.

He needs another miracle, stat.

Enter Deputy Mayor Taylor Hall.

With the town’s city manager retiring, Taylor is looking to make a leadership move, but his dream is melting because the city council still sees him as an outsider. He needs to prove he’s in Christmas Falls to stay, and what better way than by getting a boyfriend?

Even a fake one.

Rocco needs the town’s acceptance, so why not date the deputy mayor? Faking it till they make it will be a means to an end. That’s all.

But sharing the holiday season wins over more than the town’s hearts. With each date, each mistletoe kiss, and every steamy night in front of the fire, it wins over theirs as well.

Come Christmas morning, there’s really only one miracle Rocco wants under his tree.

For the love they’ve been faking to become real.

Christmas Falls: Season 2 revisits a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie. It’s a multi-author M/M romance series.

  • Publication date: November 15, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 307 pages

Review:  Ice Around the Edges by Mary Calmes

Rating: 3🌈

Ice Around the Edges by Mary Calmes is a perfect example of how a story written years ago (December 2010) and re-released just doesn’t hold up in present times.  At least not without making some major changes and narrative length. 

I’m a fan of Calmes and her characters but this storyline is full of elements that demonstrate how certain aspects of a relationship has changed over time.  Things now that raise flags and are considered warning signs for a person weren’t really well known fourteen years ago. Or elements that would have factored into contemporary romances.

The basic story is that this couple broke up because one of them, the one who had the most money and wealthiest family heard his father and grandfather arguing over his “friend” saying he wasn’t good enough.  So without further information or arguments on their behalf, the rich son , Dixon Bain, immediately broke up with the other man Evan Kano, and never saw him again. Years pass. 

Evan goes on to live a full and eventful life. Gets shot, ends up hospitalized. He’s handling it well and responsibly. But out of nowhere comes Dixon, steamrolling Evan with plans for Evan to immediately leave Chicago, his apartment, go to NYC, etc. After no contact with Dixon in years. What follows is a prime example of what’s now termed “love bombing “.

Doesn’t leave when asked. Hides in a room. Brings his mother with him to make excuses while the person is fragile in a hospital bed.  Honestly, more flags. 

There’s some honesty here but very little. The story itself is only 62 pages.

Had Calmes rewritten it, extended the narrative to include time for these men to explore who they had become  after all this time? Give the men and readers a chance to see and relate with the story and men as they reconnect as adults with new experiences and maturity.  That would have given this the missing depth and relevance that it’s lacking. 

Instead the story we or they got here is the one from 2010.  There was a lot of potential to update this but it didn’t happen. 

Read it because it’s by Calmes and you just read everything of hers. 

Buy Link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › …Ice Around the Edges – Kindle edition by Calmes, Mary. Romance …

Blurb 

Evan Kano’s life is on an even keel until the night he’s shot at the homeless shelter where he works. The resulting turmoil is not caused by a bullet but by a blast from the past: Evan’s first lover has returned to visit him in the hospital and deliver some big news.

Ten years ago, Dixon Bain walked out of Evan’s life because he thought his family didn’t approve of him having a male lover. But Dixon has discovered that what he thought he knew could not be further from the truth, and now he’s returned to claim the only man he’s ever loved… if he can melt the ice around the edges of Evan’s still-wounded heart.

2nd edition, previously published December 2010.

  • Publication date: October 25, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 62 pages

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:  Winnie Takes Paris (Love and Travels #2) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 5🌈

I just love this and fell deeply under the spell of Winnie Rodriquez as he conquered not only Paris but his wonderful, brilliant professor, Dr. Alistair Creighton.

One of the many things I appreciate about this novel is the absolute joy I can see the author took in writing this. It’s everywhere, in every aspect of the book. The places that Winnie and Alistair travel to and visit while in Paris are all museums, shops, and special spaces that Hayes herself has been and the affection and love shines in her descriptions.  Her views of Paris and the surrounding areas mirror Winnie’s in so many ways in the wonderful outlook and appreciation.  

I can also see the creativity and passion for this story in the outright hilarity of the conversations, dialogue’s between Winnie and Alistair as they learn about each other, that joyful and deeply rooted in how special each is. 

These characters are beautifully real, aware, vividly written, gorgeous characters. I couldn’t look away from the pages and their journey into a relationship and love. And Paris was a stunning background for them to discover that they were perfect for each other and fit together. 

I could see both Winnie and Alistair so clearly, their personalities and clothes were as finely detailed as everything else. 

My one quibble is I wanted more. One book isn’t nearly enough for this couple who’s spread across multiple countries. I would love to see them together again in books to come. 

Highly recommended, along with Raine’s story. 

Love and Travels :

Falling for Raine #1

Winnie Takes Paris #2

Buy link

Winnie Takes Paris

Blurb

The fabulous stylist, the absentminded professor, and a Parisian adventure…

Winnie

Someone once said, when life gets you down and you’re feeling blue, brush yourself off and go to Paris!

Okay, maybe that was me. 

Hey, I don’t regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own. 

Not acceptable. I’m here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friend’s boss.

No, I don’t know nothing about history, but I’m nothing if not resourceful. What could go wrong?

Alistair

I’ve been called an absent-minded professor more than once. I don’t mind at all. My work is important and living on a diet of biscuits and tea while delving into ancient civilizations doesn’t seem so terrible. But Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.  

Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. He’s brash and ridiculous and…funny, warm, lovely, and—

Oh no. This can’t be happening. I swore I’d never fall for anyone again. 

Winnie can take Paris, but he can’t take my heart. 

Or can he?

Lane Hayes

November 7, 2024

220

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:  Composed at Randy’s (a Diner Days story) by Zile Elliven 

Rating:4.5🌈

Zile Elliven is one of those terrific authors who I so admire their writing. I was really happy to see a new release from Elliven that also came with a new multi-author series to explore as well. 

Composed at Randy’s by Zile Elliven is among the eleven books of the new Diner Days series, centered around a LGBTQIA friendly diner.  The covers are colorful and an absolute delight as are the stories and characters if this one is an indication of what I’ll find here.

I’ve read other reviews where these wonderfully crafted, so engaging characters were called “himbos” and the reviewers meant that in the best sense. But, imo, Wren, an artist, and Bael, the rock singer, come across as having brain synapses that just fire differently than any one else’s.  Wren is unlike any other character I’ve read recently. He understands that he’s unable to self care and needs the support system that’s been established for him (Marty, Shelly and Kai).  We get glimpses of Wren’s past, the journey taken to become his true self, and his understanding that being trans is a situation that requires extra awareness.  Wren feels so real in depth of personality that reducing him to a “himbo” seems unfair.  To Wren , the author’s work, and this book.

Same goes for Bael.  His glimmering of deeper awareness of what might be possible in various situations is a developing element.  Part of revealing more about him, their journey, and the formation of a larger group of found family and friends.

Bael, his friends (and band members) which are the equal counterparts to Wren’s support group, are marvelous. Big in personality, interesting in a multitude of ways, they cry out for their own stories.  How I love Mel!

In fact, my biggest issue is that there’s so much great work here, fabulous characters with backgrounds we need, additional stories going forward, just more, that it’s almost more than this book can convey or indeed cover.

I’m highly recommending Composed at Randy’s (a Diner Days story) by Zile Elliven and looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings.

Cover Art by Cormar Covers. Love it!

Diner Days series -11 books:

🔷Written at Randy’s by Katherine McIntyre

🔷Final Boy at Randy’s by Loren Leigh

🔷Cramming at Randy’s by Alex Silver 

🔷Temptation at Randy’s by Emily Alter

🔷Hitched at Randy’s by A. E. Madsen 11/14

🔷Gaming at Randy’s by Duckie Mack

🔷Striking a Chord at Randy’s by K. C. Carmine 

🔷Composed at Randy’s by Zile Elliven❤️ 

🔷Roleplay at Randy’s by Rikki Leighton 11/7

🔷Finding Home at Randy’s by Abrianna Denae 10/24

🔷Aftercare at Randy’s by R.A. Frick 10/31

Buy link

        Composed at Randy’s

    

Blurb

How do I tell the guy I like that I’m not homeless, just a dumbass?

Wren:

Help! I accidentally got kidnapped by a hot rock star who thinks he’s doing the right thing by housing and feeding me. He thinks I’m homeless because my absent manager is the one who remembers petty details like my home address, and my broken phone is the one who knows the numbers of anyone who can prove I am who I say I am. What do I do?


Bael:

Help! My impulse control issues made me kidnap an adorable homeless guy who’s too proud to accept my help. He keeps trying to get away, but I’m pretty sure he’ll starve to death if I let him go. He’s tiny, so I don’t think he’ll take up too much space on the tour bus. I just need to convince him to stay. What do I do?



Love beyond the binary, serving up low angst trans romances at Randy’s Diner.

Composed at Randy’s is a ‘dumbasses in love’, cis male/trans male pairing with a smooth-brained (not remotely smart) genius, a goth himbo, and all the help they can get to achieve their happily ever after.

  • Publication date: October 10, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 179 pages

Review:  Playing the Man (Watkins Glen Gladiators Book 6) by V. L. Locey

Rating: 4.5🌈

V. L. Locey’s Watkins Glen Gladiators series is such a special warmhearted group of stories and characters.  Locey’s gift of being able to bring a fully immersive universe such as the Watkins Glen Gladiators AHL team to life, then fill it up with characters that a reader will find endlessly fascinating, entertaining (looking at you,Greck),amazingly diverse, and always endearing,that’s what makes it so lovely.

Her stories are humorous, realistic, and filled with people stumbling through life as best they can, a HFN on their way to a HEA.  Filled with cats, and as here, a pack of rescue dogs as real as their owner, and locations we’ve come to know as well.

The slow paced romantic relationship between 38 year old Tanner “Fossie” LaBrie of the Watkins Glen Gladiators and Keyshaun Williams, successful gym owner, is low angst, supported by both their families in a way we get to really enjoy the family dynamics and interactions, and understand the true nature of the men themselves.

There’s no real drama.  Between them that is.  It’s on the ice as the Gladiator’s go for the Cup in exciting scenes and memorable plays.  Without the recuperating Fossie who has to watch from the sidelines. That’s the reality too. 

Locey doesn’t make a mistake here. Not on or off the ice. It’s a relationship that’s still very much in play but going forward in the right direction.  I love this. Realistic expectations and grounded.

Plus we get a very special wedding and vows.  That’s the ice on the Cup!

A highly anticipated story in a lovely series hit the goals and more.

Watkins Glen Gladiators:

  • Between The Pipes #1
  • Defending The House #2
  • Dump and Chase #3
  • Taking The Body #4
  • Reading The Play #5
  • Playing The Man #6 

Buy

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Playin…Playing the Man (Watkins Glen Gladiators #6)

Blurb

If only getting back into playing shape were as easy as falling in love…

Tanner LaBrie—aka Fossie to his teammates—is feeling every bit of his thirty-eight years. His shoulder aches when it’s cold, his arms need to be longer to see the crossword puzzle app on his phone, and his knees are incredibly unhappy about the abuse they’ve taken. During one of the final games of the regular season, one of his weary joints decides to give way. The need for surgery is not a surprising one for Tanner. He’s been putting it off for years, but escaping the knife is not an option now. Post-surgery rehab is a son-of-a-gun, but if Tanner is anything, it’s stubborn. Just ask any of his ex-boyfriends. So when his therapist suggests finding a local yoga group, he scoffs at first. Unsure of how he would fit in with the gals in leotards, he nonetheless signs up for a class at his local gym where the teacher is not at all the person listed on the signup form. Not that Fossie is complaining when Keyshaun Williams, the enigmatic and sexy gym owner, shows up with a floral exercise mat, some whale song CDs, and a smile that nearly erases how out of place the defenseman feels.

Keyshaun Williams is living the life he has always dreamed of…for the most part. His new business is a huge success, his family is happy and healthy, and his sister—the only somewhat straight triplet—is a few weeks away from giving birth to twins while his brother is about to open a franchise of Williams Wellness in Buffalo. Yep, life is looking pretty darn great for the former Army dietician/Golden Gloves boxer. Great aside from the quiet house he goes home to every night. Being a few years on the other side of thirty has him seeking someone to settle down with, raise a family, maybe adopt some dogs or raise some goats. Heck, maybe dogs and goats. A man could dream, right? And yes, dreamy would describe the towering, mature, stunningly attractive D-man for the local hockey team who has, it seems, signed up for a senior yoga class that Keyshaun is leading as his sister nests and eats far too many chocolate-covered jalapenos. Tanner LaBrie ticks all his boxes as well as a few he didn’t even know he had. Maybe those long looks the hockey player has been shooting his way for months means Tanner is interested in more than achieving the perfect camel pose?

Playing the Man is a low-angst, small-town, queer hockey romance starring a rehabbing hockey player, a personable gym owner, a fitness center filled with snoopy seniors, meddling but well-meaning siblings, rescue dogs, tons of namaste, and one barktastic happy ever after.

  • Publication date: September 21, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 192 pages

Review:  The Blame Game (Relationship Goals Book 5) by Brigham Vaughn

 

Rating: 4🌈

The Blame Game is the finale story in 

Brigham Vaughn’s wonderful Relationship Goals series.  

Vaughn ends the series with line center Dominic Olson, who came out to two of his teammates in the last story. The Blame Game picks up with those events,  giving the reader insight into exactly how secretive Dom is about his private life, his sexuality and how shut off he’s become from his those around him.

Determined to keep his interactions with others at a superficial level, dramatic moments at the beginning of The Blame Game start to implode this mentality of his.  It begins with his relationship with Sawyer Barnett aka Shea, the man he’s been paying to be his stylist as well as his escort.  

Only Shea has his own secrets, plus a new sports physiotherapist day job. He’s got his own decisions to make.

I admit I found this relationship and story a bit frustrating and long.  As a finale book I’m sure the author wanted to bring in all the other couples (and did), tie up loose arc plot threads, and give this team a rousing send off. Yes to that ending, absolutely. That takes a certain amount of length to execute the plot and characters.

But that long slog to an acknowledged relationship, outside of the fake boyfriend scenario, just wasn’t as satisfying as the other couples that came before. It’s a 2 person POV so we get that it’s a lopsided affair from the start. Shea has always loved him, even when it’s been a transactional relationship. 

Maybe it’s that Dom is just written as spectacularly closed off and damaged but the reasons behind it are so to be revealed and his own actions in the narrative make it hard to connect with him. 

Bright spots will always be Dustin and Charlie from The Husband Game, my favorite of the series.  I love seeing them together and the important roles they play here. Actually it fantastic seeing all of the couples come together to share their experiences to support Dom and Shea through this process of finding a HEA.

For me, all of them were the best and that last game was everything!

This maybe leaving this team but another is set to arrive!  I’m definitely looking forward for this series and that relationship which is set up here. Should be drama on the ice!

Great series, good story. A definite winner.

Buy link

        The Blame Game: An M/M Hockey Romance (Relationship Goals Book 5)

    

Blurb 

Fiery Rescue: Fisher Cats Player Heating Up the Sheets with Handsome Stranger?

Fourth line center, Dominic Olson, was spotted with an unidentified man following a fire at the High Park Towers building in Liberty Village late last night.

The fire was contained to the fifth floor where—according to firefighters from Toronto Fire Station 346—it began in one of the condo’s kitchens. Thankfully, only minor injuries were reported.

After being treated by paramedics, Olson escorted the mystery man to a black SUV and helped him inside. Although they left together, their destination is also unknown.

Traded to Toronto from the Los Angeles Suns, Olson was a major player in the team’s 2013 Stanley Cup win.

However, it’s become obvious in recent years that the aging forward is no longer the superstar he once was.

But what exactly was Olson doing at High Park Towers in the wee hours of the morning with a strange man? “Just friends,” or something more?

Though Olson has been notoriously tight-lipped about his personal life, rarely choosing to attend events with a plus one, we all know the old adage: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS:

The Blame Game contains scenes with an apartment fire, parental neglect/estrangement, mild internalized homophobia, accidental mixing of medication leading to a health scare, and two short scenes with sexual harassment from a side character.

This romance also includes found family, fake relationship, out for you, and he falls first/he falls harder tropes, along with a positive attitude toward escort work as a career (MCs are only with each other in the book).

  • Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press (August 30, 2024)
  • Publication date: August 30, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 649 pages

Review:  Best Laid Plans by E M Leya

Rating: 3🌈

I know this author by her wonderful paranormal Ghostly series so when I saw this story I picked it up.  

Unfortunately it had lost the many elements that make the series so special and its characters so engaging.  Best Laid Plans is a contemporary romance that’s sweet and predictable.  

Uncle gets custody of his niece by tragic circumstances. Finds out his sister never told the father of his niece about her. Contacts that man, who immediately loves the kid, huge family loves her, they fall into an instant rushed relationship, events happen, they move in together. The end. All so quickly that you blink and the timeline has them getting engaged. 

While this isn’t unusual in contemporary romance, these characters have little depth and less chemistry.  We don’t get much history that adds to the plot or understanding of the sister.  So it doesn’t really encourage the reader to connect with the story or characters in an emotional way. 

Except that as a dog lover, I found myself disagreeing with many aspects of the narrative that concerns the puppy and the dynamics of the family/character interactions.  Honestly, having a father threatening to put a puppy outside unless a two year old eats her vegetables? Just no. 

If you’re a fan of this author or contemporary stories, there’s other books out there that I find I would recommend reading instead of this one.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Best-L…Best Laid Plans – Kindle edition by Leya, E.M. . Romance Kindle eBooks …

Blurb

Conner never thought much about being a father, at least not until a stranger showed up in his office and tells him he is one. It had been years since he dated the guy’s sister, but he won’t deny the possibility that Kayla is his child.

Dave just wants to right the wrong his sister made and give Conner a chance to be the father he never knew he was. While mourning the loss of his sister, he’s also angry she never told Conner about the baby.

As the two try to figure out how to handle the mess his sister left them, the men form a friendship and a bond as they try to make the transition as easy on Kayla as they can. What they didn’t expect was the feelings that spending so much time together might cause. Working through the maze of emotions, they struggle to not only keep Kayla’s heart safe, but also their own.

  • Publication date: July 14, 2023
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 205 pages

Review:  Get A Fix (Torus Intercession Book 6) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 4.5🌈

Every reader has comfort reads and comfort authors. Mary Calmes is one of mine. She’s happily ever after. I know her heroes without even looking at her name on the cover. They’re highly competent in their abilities, gorgeous (whether they acknowledge it or not), full of warmth and kindness, especially for a certain inner circle of people.  They shine. 

And fall in love, usually deeply ,  quickly and forever. And Calmes makes a great story for their romantic journey to the point we believe in them. 

They are fixers in a highly specialized agency, Torus Intercession, which has a  unique and often powerful clientele.  But the fixers themselves often have need of fixing as much as the people they are hired to work with. And the romance between them is quick, combustible, and as memorable as the men themselves.

I definitely have my favorites in the series.  And while Get A Fix might not be quite at that level, I definitely enjoyed this story and the couple. It’s very close. 

 

That’s due to Cooper Davis, the Torus fixer.  I fell in love with him as he helped Ainsley Cushing, mom to big brood and having airport meltdown along with Gemma, 2, at the Bangor International Airport.  Its there we got to know him, watch him interact with Gemma,2, fill a overwhelmed Ainsley about himself as he helps her get her stroller and get back together before meeting up with her husband coming in on the next flight.

There’s sequence after sequence of heartwarming moments, real and genuine in their ability to ground us in this character and the family we will get to know better.  

Ashford Lennox appears at the wedding location, an Inn that’s not exactly what the bride or anyone else expects.  Under construction, ghostly fog instead of photographic backdrop worthy snow covers the Bay and surrounding landscape, and the wedding party is a stressful affair.  As you’d imagine.  All beautifully written and executed. 

I enjoyed Ash. This relationship, as new as it is, is understandable. They both realize it is a hard like and lust with amazing potential.  They want to see where it goes.  I think that’s a great foundation here.  The chemistry is sizzling and they are a terrific team.

There’s other smaller elements I appreciated.  I’m not sure if everyone will agree with me on this.  The ex and how he was handled is one of those.  I think he was very well done. Yes, he’s an appalling man. But even those people have a right not to be outed. For me, Calmes made calm thoughtful choices about him. I’m sure others wanted a more dramatic comeuppance.

The ending was a bit abrupt but I’m hopeful that we see more of them in the upcoming wedding.  

For me, this was another winner in a series I really enjoy.

Torus Intercession:

No Quick Fix #1❤️

In A Fix #2 ❤️

Fix It Up #3 ❤️

The Fix Is In #4

The Big Fix #5

Get A Fix #6❤️

Buy link

Blurb

Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesn’t mean that’s a sign, does it?

Cooper Davis has a nice life he’s quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, he’s entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when he’s asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, he’s not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.

Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything he’s ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. He’s learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, it’s like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.

Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shot…

Book Details

  • Release Date: August, 20 2024
  • Word Count: 278
  • Cover Artist: Reese Dante