Truth or Dare finishes the Dare To Try trilogy and it’s a wonderful book. Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine have our couple, Kieran and Bash, take a realistic look at their jobs, evaluate what’s truly important to each of them, take into consideration the opportunities for each of them to make the move to each other’s state, and then make a decision that’s right for them both.
How I love an adult story with adult perspectives! No huge drama, just real life issues (even though one here is fabulously wealthy), and typical ways (pro and cons list) to help solve them.
It’s beautifully written, great characters, has a road trip I wish we’d gotten more of and a sexy red hot costume party … fans self.
I love these men and this trilogy will have me seeking out the series from each author that some of the other characters came from. I’m now a big fan of both.
Yes to recommending this trilogy, and yes to the authors!
Truth or Dare is the final book in the Dare to Try trilogy and should only be read after Dare You and Dare Me.
Lieutenant Kieran Bailey never saw his life anywhere but the bustling streets of Chicago—but then again, he never saw his life with a boyfriend, either. That all changed when he fell in love with bombshell CEO Sebastian “Bash” Vogel.
But it’s one thing to fall in love. It’s another to try to build a life together when you live hundreds of miles apart.
How do you choose between everything you’ve ever known and everything you’ve ever dreamed of?
This series must be read in the following order: Dare You (book one) Dare Me (book two) Truth or Dare (book three)
Dare Me , the second book in the Dare To Try trilogy by
Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine picks up a few weeks after the tumultuous events in the first story, Dare To.
That ended with a miscommunication or perhaps a misunderstanding between Kieran and Bash that sent Bash flying back to his home on South Haven Island, a bridge away from Savannah, Georgia.
Dare Me picks up with Kieran alone in Chicago, devastated by Bash’s departure and unsure of his next step. And with Bash miserable in Georgia, doubting his decisions to leave and missing Kieran like crazy.
Kieran takes the necessary time here to unpack his complicated emotions over everything that’s happened recently. His awakening sexuality in his feelings in all ways for Bash, the misconceptions over a scene in the firehouse, and the fears each is facing over the future.
Then he’s off to confront his man in a wonderful scene in South Haven.
This story is high on love, communication, searing hot sexy scenes, and reconciliation!
There’s not much angst or drama. Instead you get a couple working through very relatable issues in a new relationship, trying to see how how they can mesh their work and romance when they live in two different places.
It all feels real and while they come to a conclusion at the end of the book, the how of it all will spill over to the last novel in the trilogy for a great HEA.
Kieran and Bash are a fantastic engaging couple, sexy and romantic. And the people around them are just as strong as their support.
Security Detail is one of Tortuga’s Cozy Romances and a side story to her last book, Trial By Fire.
That was a romance between a Texas rodeo cowboy and an Australian one, both from rich families with a stake in a child left a orphan when the parents, siblings of the main characters, died.
This book involves two men from the security team from the now married couple, who divide their time between the two countries and their two large holdings. Again one’s a Texan and one’s an Aussie.
The romance isn’t bad, in fact it’s sweet and hot. However, there’s other issues here that carry over from that first novel.
If you’re writing about characters from another country, especially one like Australian, then those characters need to behave and sound like they come from Australia. Even the certain part of Australia.
However, here there’s absolutely nothing to distinguish Ryan (Texan) from Dez (Aussie). Not Dez’s dialog, nothing in his casual chatter, or even the way a Aussie shortens certain words. There’s pages and pages, then a “Oi” gets thrown in the beginning of a sentence. And that’s it .
From a author who’s unbelievable talent lies in establishing the very heart and soul of a character as well as the culture of the land they walk on by just a regional throw away line, the lack of any color to the people here via the verbiage is disappointing.
Nothing especially says Texas either.
Could be anywhere West.
Then there’s the drama which is just , if I’m being kind, uncomplicated. It’s almost exactly the same as before. These are supposed to be extremely smart security professionals. Nothing here says that. So it’s very hard for a reader to engage in the storylines and main characters. Plus there’s no real resolution to the mystery behind the kidnapping. That’s left forgotten, and the reader unsatisfied with this aspect of the story. At least this reader.
Still, people like the intriguing Chrissie the tech guy make the book. You want more of him. And his background.
The conclusion is just odd. They basically decide to start a side office in Costa Rica because Ryan likes a beach and they needed a vacation. While that’s understandable, given past events, they hit their bosses and best friends with this out of the blue with no notice and with everything new , such as untried security just starting.
So again, no. A big SMH for this ending and really the entire story.
I like the cover .
To understand this book, you might want to read Trial By Fire beforehand.
Security experts Dez and Ryan teamed up to form a business after they worked together on the kidnapping of a friend’s daughter. Australian Dez and former Marine Ryan have amazing chemistry together, and for one amazing night they acted on it. But then Des got cold feet, and the two of them have never connected again in that way.
Ryan thinks Dez just isn’t that into him. Dez doesn’t want to mess up his friendship with Ryan over something that may or may not ever come to pass. In the midst of all this frustration, they also have to deal with a security crisis with their respective best friends, Holden and Lachlan. When they have to band together to get their friends back, Ryan and Dez are reminded why they work so well together. But can they solve their own problems, and find their way back to each other, as well as save the day?
I was so sry when I finished the absolutely marvelous Sinister in Savannah series by Aimee Nicole Walker. That stunner of a trio of storylines pulled together complicated, well defined characters, with equally complex romances, a murder mystery or three, a magnificent Drag Queen to center everyone as well as to bring greater emotional realness. The location of Savannah, Georgia adds a richness of culture and history unlike anything outside of New Orlean’s.
Yes, indeed. This author does dwell most emphatically so well down south in Savannah.
The only reason I didn’t completely lose it after the last story was the author’s promise to visit this universe again. With certain secondary characters everyone adored getting their story.
And here we go! First up with my favorite too!
Bad at Love is Kendall Blakemore’s story. He’s Jonah’s roommate, often seen tossing some gorgeous man out the door in the morning , often his stepbrother, Trevor, after a late late night at The Cockpit, a club he works at. Kendall is beautiful, sassy, and in so many ways you can’t even name, heartbreaking. And this was before he even got his own book. But he was definitely memorable.
Walker brings Kendall even more into focus here as he decides that it’s more than time for him to give the new loving couple, Jonah and Avery, their space and home, and move out on his own.
That’s when it becomes apparent just how scary such a move might be and how dark Kendall’s history has contributed to making this a fragile step. There’s a discussion of Kendall’s eating disorder. It’s well done but should be noted if that’s a trigger for anyone.
As we meet and are diving into the emotional maze that’s Kendall, the author gives us US Deputy Marshal Kurt Dandridge. We’ve tentatively met him before, when he was trying to deny his need for Asher’s chili. Here we see the consequences of that battle and the rest of the Marshals from that night.
It’s a great time for a new group of criminals, a regrouping of some terrific secondary characters, and a wonderful romance between two men who aren’t even looking for love.
Walker is amazing at writing people who feel so believable. Their vulnerabilities, their walls they raise to shield themselves, and even the lies they tell themselves. The author layers them all into the characters personalities and actions as they work their way through the barriers that separates them from each other.
Let us not forget the high action sequences, and humor! That’s all here too! It makes the story. I’m sure the different law enforcement agencies all have their favorites to tell.
But in the end, this is a love story and a outstanding one. I adore this couple, and i needed to see them happy. I absolutely got that. Sigh.
I’m highly recommending this and the connecting series listed below. Read them all.
Note. Not sure of that cover though. Looks a bit like a demented Siamese kittie…hmmmm.
Bad at making decisions or bad at love? Either way, Kendall Blakemore doesn’t trust his judgment. He falls too hard, too fast, and always for the wrong guy. Needing a major shakeup, Kendall moves into his own place for the first time and seizes a new career opportunity. But everything he thought he wanted turns out to be the last thing he needs. When loneliness threatens to derail Kendall’s good behavior, he decides to rent out his spare bedroom. What could go wrong? Try a tenant who’s temptation incarnate.
Bad at commitment or born to roam? Either way, US Deputy Marshal Kurt Dandridge feels trapped. Maybe staying in one place for too long is the source of his unhappiness, or maybe it’s because he’s engaged to the wrong person. Finding his fiancé in bed with another man takes care of one problem but creates another. Ridge needs a place to live. He’d leave Savannah altogether if not for his vow to apprehend an elusive fugitive. Renting a room from Kendall Blakemore seems like the perfect solution until Ridge finds himself falling for the alluring man. Would one kiss derail his course? And could he stop at just one?
Hurts so good. Chemistry burns between them—hot, consuming, and impossible to ignore. And why should they? Kendall and Ridge are consenting adults who know the score. Being bad has never felt so good, but it’s a slippery slope to navigate. One misstep could have disastrous consequences for both men.
Bad at Love is a standalone novel within the Sinister in Savannah universe where both characters first appeared. It is not necessary to read that series first. Bad at Love is a romantic suspense that’s heavier on the romance than the suspense.
I’ll confess, I’ve never read either author’s series before or even either author before this book. That’s going to be quickly fixed once this trilogy is done because I’m sold on both this universe and characters the authors have created together and separately.
But first Dare You, the beginning of the Dare To Try trilogy by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine. It’s a fantastic story. From the moment we’re dropped into plot, which is a fire in progress and a Engine group racing to the call, it’s all in! The authors have our complete attention, making us totally invested in the events unfolding before us.
The fireman is Kieran Bailey, hardworking lieutenant at Station 73, who’s just rescued a gorgeous woman dressed in red from a penthouse suite in Chicago. Or so he thinks.
Until the ambulance arrives and the she is Sebastian “Bash” Vogel, the extremely wealthy, and magnetic, cross-dressing CEO of AnaVoge, a tech company.
Those aren’t spoilers but facts found in the descriptions. Oh but what follows is beyond words fabulous and downright wonderful.
Because the authors take these men on an emotional journey. For Kieran, he’s always thought of himself as straight. He’s from a family with two gay brothers in committed relationships but for himself? Not really. Until Bash comes into his life and makes him question everything.
Kieran’s emotional and sexual journey is realistic, complete with his doubts about his feelings, flashes of guilt and anger, everything he’s unable to communicate or understand when faced with his attraction for Bash.
It’s not just Kieran, however, who is feeling vulnerable. Bash is also having issues with being attracted to a man who’s always identified as being “straight “. Also the fact that they live in separate states . So many potential barriers.
Dare To sees the men beginning to acknowledge not only the attraction but the fact that there’s something else behind the physical attraction. Something that’s emotionally connecting them.
The writing here is so well done, the characters layered and relatable ( even the bazillionaire) because we see them at their most vulnerable.
The end of the novel finds our men at a crossroads of sorts. A crisis that continues into Dare Me, the second story in the trilogy.
All three books are complete so do what I did. Get them all. Set aside a night. Get yourself settled and enjoy a fabulous time.
I’m highly recommending all three, starting with Dare You (Dare To Try #1) by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine .
From Ella Frank’s Prime Time series and Brooke Blaine’s South Haven series comes an explosive spin-off of both worlds.
Sebastian “Bash” Vogel, the magnetic, cross-dressing CEO of AnaVoge, has long been a lone island when it comes to his personal life. Self-assured and playful, he’s never left wanting for suitors—but Bash isn’t looking for something permanent. He’s more than fulfilled with his company and his closest friends, and no one is going to shake up the status quo.
That is, until he’s thrown over the shoulder of one of Chicago’s finest and hauled out of a burning building. Kieran Bailey, a sexy, hardworking lieutenant at Station 73, has been reaping the rewards of being crowned the city’s hottest fireman, which his crew never lets him forget. So many ladies, so little time. So when he rescues the latest damsel in distress, no one is more shocked than him to realize he’s played prince charming to another…prince.
But Bash isn’t like anyone Kieran has ever met, and soon his world is turned upside down as he becomes more intrigued by the enigmatic man that he can’t stay away from.
They’re from two different worlds. This could never work. But what if…they dared to try?
Dare You is book one of the Dare to Try trilogy, which must be read in order. Prior reading is not required, but is always a fantastic idea for maximum enjoyment.
How to Steal a Thief switches the spotlight to the thief of our found family, now that our assassin has his HEA, that’s Carter aka Smiley the merc, and daughter Remi happily in hand.
It’s now time for Ivan Azarov, aka Eidolon which means specter or phantom, a perfect code name for a expert thief. He’s on the hunt for a one of the rarest items known, the yellow 1855 Swedish Stamp, The Treskilling Yellow. Worth approximately $3 million.
Ivan’s a big exuberant man. Easily bored, highly intelligent, bisexual, though he tends more towards men, and he’s one to rush first, plan later. Although it’s does seem to work out for him. His background? That’s been missing until now.
Unlike Ari and Carter who were both within the same “working community “, here Sherwood pairs the Russian thief with someone on the outside, a physician trying to complete his residency. In other words, a naive soul.
That’s Aiden Stalworth. He’s actually a victim here. And that infuriates Ivan, especially as Aiden’s awful abusive family is so reminiscent of his own.
While their romance comes together relatively fast, they feel so compatible on the page that as a reader I got it and was invested in their relationship.
I wish Sherwood had explored a little more of Aiden’s relationship with his Grandmother, especially the fact that he kept from her that he was gay. Only afterwards, and until he’s in a relationship with Ivan, does he feel comfortable saying those words.
So Aiden’s coming out, here emotionally, growing… in so many ways. A fact he mentions as well.
He’s also being folded into the found family too.
Other aspects of the story include Ivan’s doubts about pulling Aiden into his world, a critical element which will come up again and again. These people are, after all, criminals.
Plus there’s the terrific mystery of where that Treskilling Yellow stamp is hidden! Plus you get more of Trixie, a secondary character I adore.
Not being a stamp collector, I had to look up the Swedish Treskilling. Yes it actually exists and yes, it’s one of the world’s rarest of items. I love that Sherwood uses it here.
At the end, Eidolon has his HEA and new love. What’s Aiden’s code name?
Find out in the next story.
It’s a great time and all things are tied up , and happily Evers are made for everyone!
This is another wonderfully written, fast paced, humorous romance. Love it and recommend it.
Since when is playing Robin Hood part of the plan?
Pop into the unguarded apartment, find the multi-million dollar Treskilling stamp, pop back out. That’s it, that’s the entirety of Ivan’s plan.
What’s not part of the plan?
• Meeting the cute Aiden Stalworth
• Feeling guilty about trying to steal from the cute Aiden Stalworth
• Becoming Aiden’s “Robin Hood” and buying him all the things
• Playing bodyguard while searching for the stamp
• Being trusted completely by Aiden
Ivan very quickly realizes he needs a new plan:
• Seduce Aiden
• Protect him
• Find the stamp
Oh, and lick him. Licking Aiden needs to be part of the plan too. However, Ivan’s not sure how having his heart get stolen made it onto his list.
Tags:
Aiden does not appreciate being in peril, but Ivan likes protecting him, band of brothers, bisexual character, family of choice, experienced/inexperienced couple, strangest meetcute you’ve ever seen, don’t try and apply logic to this okay, just enjoy it, heist, Kyou is so done, Ivan is a walking disaster, crush at first sight, Ivan is one scary MoFo, be glad he’s on our side, assassinations as romantic gestures, stealing therapy, emotional growth, combat ballet, Carter and Ari are good wingmen, Ivan continues licking everything, including things he really shouldn’t, Remi’s the only sane one to be honest, no bedsheets were harmed in the making of this book, degrees of morality, healer acquired—quests can now be taken
The first in a series about a the people who are a found family in a drag club , The Viking and the Drag Queen by V. L. Locey is a wonderful read.
It has several things I look forward to seeing in a romance from this author. Starting with a hockey player with issues. In this case a huge Danish hockey player named after a god, Tyr Hemmingsen.
His issues stem from dark childhood, parental expectations that leave deep emotional damage, and their early deaths. Now he’s left with the childhood vows his father made him make about a future that’s here, and his own wants that’s he’s buried his entire life. Yes, this is a deeply conflicted, wounded man in need of a change.
Love those!
Next is a character I adore. Drag queens. This one is perfection.
It’s the change Tyr needs that comes in the tiny form of one Gigi Patel LeBay, a Drag Queen who performs to packed crowds at the Campo Royale. Singing songs from the 40’s, sassy and glorious, she lights up the stage and overturns Tyr’s life.
She’s also Elijah McBride, a young man who’s parents all but disowned him for being not just gay but a man who dresses up. He’s had a lot of pain in a short period of time.
Naturally, Locey has great secondary characters who act as support for both men. It’s wonderful to see and having such a enjoyable family around each man when they struggle with the relationship and Tyr’s fears.
I wish we’d been more a part of Tyr’s thoughts and processes as he determined what finally became priority for him. Still that scene was heartwarming and so adorable.
I also wonder if this is the last we’ve seen of Ben…hmmmm. I even want more Morty! Surely we can find someone for Morty? Go, Warthogs!
Anyway, I adore Tyr and Eli, love the house of Patel, need more which is coming in The Batchelor and The Cherry. For the list of novels planned, see below. I’ll be there for each and every one!
I’m highly recommending this!
Campo Royale series:
✓ The Viking and the Drag Queen #1
◦ The Batchelor and the Cherry #2 – coming April 20, 2022
◦ The Barkeep and the Bookseller #3 – coming August 5, 2022
◦ The Financier and the Sweetheart #4 – coming 2023
Tyr Hemmingsen had his life mapped out at a young age. The only son of the late Danish hockey great, Elias Hemmingsen, Tyr has always done his best to follow the plans his father had laid out for him. Finish school, make it into the pros, become team captain, find a biddable young lady to marry, and win a championship so the Hemmingsen name lived on eternally on the side of a massive silver cup. Like the good son he is, Tyr has done as his father wished, no matter how it peeled away layers of his true self. Then, all the neatly placed supports that hold up his so-called life come crashing down during a night on the town. Tyr might be known as the “War God of Wilmington” on the ice, but there’s no battling the effect Gigi Patel LeBay has on him.
Elijah McBride lives for the spotlight. As Gigi, he bewitches and bedazzles the crowds at the Campo Royale Club. His vibrant stage persona is the face he presents to the world. Underneath the rouge, eyeliner, and lipstick is a young man who still feels the sting of his parents’ disapproval and rejection of the son who wears wigs and dates other men. With his drag family and older brother in his corner, he’s finally found peace in his life. Until the fateful night a massive hockey player shows up at the club. There’s a world of hurt in Tyr’s soft brown eyes, and Eli finds himself falling for the big man, despite all the barriers he’s built around his tender heart.
The Viking and the Drag Queen is an opposites attract gay romance with heavy checking, lipstick worship, an out and proud queen, a closeted athlete, family lost and found, twink/jock, a new beginning, and a well-cinched happy ending.
The Stopping Place by Lily Morton is such a lovely short story. Originally written for Heart2Heart charity anthology, the author edited it and enlarged it to incorporate a epilogue here.
Many of my favorite Lily Morton elements are at play here. There’s age gap, past trauma to overcome, and men who will find themselves in the midst of a sea change, unknowingly so.
And it starts , as do all her chapters and books, with a memorable quote.
“I am no traveler; you are my world.”
Daphne du Maurier
My Cousin Rachel
Yes, I’m sunk immediately.
So opens the tale of Simeon Frith and Ziggy Tuesday.
We see that’s Simeon had an injury and his friend has placed an ad for a companion to help with things and walk his dog.
Yes dogs or a cat are another element with Morton.
We see that. Then Simeon and Ziggy having sex. From there , time folds in and around as we see what brought Ziggy into Simeon’s life, their life together…. And the decisions when it gets closer to the cast coming off and time for Ziggy’s departure.
These are layered, real people. The scenes emotional if quiet. And the air filled with the sounds of the sea .
Such a beautiful journey, such lovely men…. And dogs.
Even a brief story like The Stopping Place by Lily Morton will fill you with a quiet joy.
Simeon Frith is recovering from a car accident at his house in Cornwall. He’s a successful man and usually very self-sufficient, but after attempting to open a can of baked beans with a brick, he realises that he needs help. However, he never imagined that putting an advert in the paper for an assistant would result in the gorgeous Ziggy Tuesday sauntering into his life.
The much younger Ziggy is fun and free-spirited, and an attraction quickly grows between them. When they finally sleep together and Ziggy insists that it be completely strings-free, Simeon can’t believe his luck. However, to his horror, he develops unforeseen feelings for the laidback surfer, and he can’t stop them, despite knowing that Ziggy will always leave. It’s what he’s done all his life.
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a short story about a summer fling that is going to change two men’s lives forever.
This story originally appeared in the third Heart2Heart charity anthology. It has had a new scene and an epilogue added to it.
I’ve always found Aimee Nicole Walker to be an excellent author so I was happy to find a series of hers I hadn’t read yet. From just the first book I’m in for an outstanding , exciting journey!
Ride the Lightning is the first novel in Walker’s Sinister in Savannah series and it’s amazing. Located in the historic southern city of Savjannah, Georgia, the author makes full use of Savannah’s well known haunts and southern charm as a solid foundation for her characters and their lives which are as deeply seated within that community.
Sinister in Savannah is a crime podcast run by three friends, one of which is Jonas St Johns , a criminal analyst for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
Jonas is truly a mesmerizing character. Tall, scarred , highly intelligent, and haunted by his past, Jonas is half the heart of this story. The other half? That belongs, not to the romantic interest, although he’s quite wonderful, but to Jonas’ neighbor, Marla.
Marla, the magnificent drag queen, who let Jonas into her life and now has some decidedly serious favors to ask of him.
Marla and her pug, Betty (named after the fabulous Betty White of course) are everything! She’s captivating, poignant, flamboyant, and magnificent. It’s her touching, intimate, close relationship with Jonas that immediately connects the reader to them and this story. Within that duo , and then within Jonas’ house, we see a odd but wonderful found family start establishing itself.
There’s Kendall, Jonas’s roommate, Avery, the love interest and Jonas’ intern, Felix and Rocky, the other two men who run the podcast with him. By the time the story has ended , the found family and community has swelled around him, due in part to the murder mystery he was asked to investigate.
The old murder mystery touches off all types of revelations and reverberations. Including ones that bring up old memories that have traumatized Jonas for years.
This story is about growth and healing as it is about leaving and letting go.
And found families and forgiveness.
I’m so happy to have found this novel, new characters and series. It’s such a joy to have been on this first journey with Marla . How I love her.
I can’t wait for you all to meet her and everyone else here. I’m highly recommending this story.
By day, Jonah St. John is a criminal analyst for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, an investigative podcast, with his two best friends. Jonah’s life revolves around three principles: a man’s word is his oath, friendships are priceless gifts, and love is for other people.
When the Sinister in Savannah team delves into the thirty-eight-year-old murder of a drag queen, they quickly discover that the story doesn’t end with the alleged killer’s confession in 1995. Continuing the investigation could have fatal consequences for Jonah and everyone he holds dear, including his irresistible intern.
To love is to lose: a lesson Jonah has learned the hard way. For a decade, he has embraced solitude as his penance for a past mistake. Then came Avery Bradford, a man whose warmth and sunshine infuses Jonah’s battered soul and challenges his resistance. Over the past eight months, Jonah has soared closer and closer to Avery’s flame until the thing he’s feared the most becomes the one he can’t live without.
The chill of danger merges with the heat of desire, forming a deadly superstorm. Will Jonah seek shelter or ride the lightning?
Sinister in Savannah series is a fictional podcast exploring the city’s most nefarious crimes with Southern-fried snark. The books explore friendship, love, loss, and the irrepressible human spirit. Ride the Lightning is book one of three. While each book is written about a different couple, the series should be read in order. Sinister in Savannah is an LGBT romantic suspense series with mature language and sexual content intended for adults eighteen and older.
Tangled in Clouds is a heartwarming, sweet romance from the same universe as Locey’s The According to Liam series. Both Jamie Parker and Pittsburgh Ravens D-man Heikki Keto are from that series and now get their own love story.
It’s a romance that’s barely a mention there but here it gets the author’s full attention. Jamie Parker is one of Mike’s good friends and a trans man who’s had awful luck with relationships. The readers have gotten to know and care about Jamie (enough to ask for this story) so it’s wonderful to be able to have such a direct connection to him now.
Heikki Keto is plain out adorable. That Finnish D-man who ran home after finding himself attracted to Jamie is now ready to admit he’s bisexual. Finding that pushing his attraction to Jamie away doesn’t make it less so, he’s back in Pittsburgh to play hockey and figure out exactly where his future lies.
Locey packs a lot into this small novella. I often wished for a longer book because Jamie and Heikki are a great couple that I enjoyed seeing together. Having them go from 60’s rom com movie night to declarations of love seems fast. Although Locey is good at it.
Morton the hamster was a hilarious addition. As was Grandpa.
Jamie communicating his insecurities about their relationship and the expectations for sex was realistic and believable. It made what they had feel grounded.
I just wish we had some of that same detail given towards Heikki coming out to his team and teammates, still a big deal in the NHL. That was passed over a bit quickly.
I’m recommending this as a terrific sweet romance and the entire According to Liam series.
According to Liam series:
✓ Life According to Liam #1
✓ Christmas According to Liam #1.5
✓ Love According to Liam #2
✓ The World According to Liam #3
✓ Family According to Liam #4
✓ Tangled in Clouds (an According to Liam novella)
Will it be too late to find love or are they destined to be “just friends” forever?
Jamie Palmer has been waiting for Mr. Right for a long time. Heck, he’s been waiting forever for a decent man just to date! Given the shy looks of appreciation he’d been getting from a certain Finnish defenseman for the Pittsburgh Ravens he thought perhaps he had found him. But it’s been months since Heikki has returned to the States, and they’re still trapped in the friend zone. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on Jamie’s part to imagine a rough-and-rowdy hockey player could fall for a trans man who has a deep affection for 60s movies and well-crafted sneakers.
Heikki Keto is having a rough time of it as his team starts the painful process of a rebuild. The Ravens are having trouble finding the back of the net, and his new defensive partner is a joker who never knows when to stop fooling around. His personal life isn’t much better. For months, he’s been flailing around mentally trying to work out just who he is. As he battles with himself, the man who has captured his heart is talking about dating apps and having dinner with a new client. Can Heikki find the courage to admit to the world—and to Jamie—that he’s tired of living on the edge of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime romance?
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 