Tag: LGBTQIA Contemporary Romance

Review: Revenge is Sweet by Felice Stevens

Rating: 2.75🌈

It’s not a good thing when you finish a book and instead of feeling happy, you’re dissatisfied, and slightly ill at the outcome. That how it was at Revenge is Sweet by Felice Stevens .

I hadn’t read anything by her in a while so her style of writing didn’t immediately come to mind. But my issues with this story are plentiful.

The plot is already one that has numerous toxic elements to make one wonder. It’s a revenge plot that’s even worse the deeper into the storyline you go.

The MC, Lyon Elliot, finds out on his wedding day that he’s been left at the altar, as his bride (and new business partner) has eloped with his best friend and best man, Dan, making the betrayal even more devastating .

Immediately he decides to hurt his formerly best friend by dating Dan’s younger vulnerable brother , Miles. Miles, who has a crush on Lyon, would be a easy target. Lyon would get Miles involved with him emotionally, then cruelly dump him to hurt Dan. That “Miles the Mouse” would be collateral damage isn’t much of a concern here.

Stevens then has to work to demonstrate that cold, withdrawn Lyon isn’t the toxic character she’s portraying him to be by backtracking on that scenario a bit and making it a joint venture by Lyon and Miles when the author brings both Dan, the best friend/brother and Lyndsey , the newly married wife/ex fiancée firmly into view.

This couple shines with self absorption, a lack of understanding how their actions affects others, and a inability to care if they did. Toxic and narcissistic, and in Dan’s case, controlling and a bit stupid. And we spend too much time with them here listening to their specious opinions and arguments as to why no one should be upset or continue to be angry over the way they’ve handled the situation. It’s chapters of these individuals.

Honestly, I have no patience for people like this in real life and less in my books. Not impressed with Stevens creation of Lyon either.

For Stevens to have her main characters either choose to give in to the behaviors of those personalities or constantly not deal with them in an adult manner is highly frustrating to read. Grown people physically fighting, not being able to choose between the other methods we know just because it’s adding to the drama doesn’t make this a emotionally satisfying story for me.

Miles traumatic back history and awful dating life that lead to his overbearing brother’s control is understandable. So is Lyon’s history of loss and parental neglect and abandonment. But what they do with that throughout their storylines varies from something that feels adult and thoughtful to a wildly one dimensional approach.

In the end, after Miles has decided to choose himself and a future he wants with Lyon over a controlling brother with jealousy issues and a self-involved wife, Lyon makes a decision to get Dan reinstated into Miles life without asking.

It’s negates all the hard work Miles did , and frankly, Dan feels insincere in the scenes that follow. It’s as though he’s giving mouth service to everything Lyon wants. The ending didn’t ring true.

I was left feeling uncomfortable with the conclusion, the storylines came across as unbelievable and ill suited to the characters as framed out by the author.

I liked Uncle Harry though. He was my favorite of the group.

So read it if you’re a fan of Felice Stevens or a collector of the fake boyfriend trope . But for the rest, I’ll not be leaving you any further recommendations.

https://www.amazon.com › Reveng…Revenge is Sweet: A Fake-Dating, MM Romance

Descriptions:

Falling in Love is the Sweetest Revenge
What do you do when your best friend runs off with your fiancée on your wedding day?
If you’re me, Lyon Elliot, you don’t get mad.
You get even.
Which means seducing my ex–best friend’s younger brother, Miles Halloran.
The quiet one.
The man I’ve known all my life but never paid attention to.
The one I was told to stay away from because he’s way too nice for someone like me. Maybe they’re right.
But see, this is where it gets a little more complicated.
Because the more time I spend with Miles, the more I like him.
Want him.
Now I need him and his sweet smiles in my life.
If this is still a game I’m playing…who’s fooling whom?

Review: Rental (Boston Rebels Book 6) by R. J. Scott and V.L. Locey

Rating: 4.75 🌈

R. J. Scott and V.L. Locey take their Boston Rebels series out on a grand story, one that’s my favorite of the group. In a fitting way, they do it by giving us two perspectives we as hockey’s fans and LGBTGIA hockey romance readers don’t often get, one of the professional NHL referee and the other of a type of player called a “Rental”. A rental is a really good player who’s brought in just to fill a spot for a part of a season or maybe a year. But not great enough , young enough, whatever, to sign permanently. They play for many teams over the course of their careers.

In Rental, Scott and Locey give us the gift of getting to get a feel for what it’s like working as a professional Ref, and as a Rental. As a Rental, walking into a locker room , having that lack of commitment to any team or not feeling of being a part of a team dynamic. Something so instrumental in a team’s development and success. For a NHL ref it’s the constant movement and commitment to the sport as fans ideas on the refs themselves. It’s their personalities and perspectives on the sport, and how they are put together as Referees teams on the rink.

I felt like I had such a strong connection to both men , Webber and Logan, and a real understanding of their emotional state when they met at that bar.

That Scott and Locey love and understand the sport of hockey as they do shows in every beautifully crafted character, on all the fast paced scenes on ice, the emotionally demanding nature of the game as delivered through heartfelt moments of pain , loss, and passion of winning. It’s those of physical beauty of the players and the crushing bruising of the brutality of the game too.

Both authors deliver that so seamlessly. Here we get all that threaded through a heated forbidden romance between Webber Kelty, NHL Ref, 40’s closeted from Georgetown, Ontario, and Logan Mackie, out gay , a rental replacement for the beloved hurt Dunny Dunkirk , as the Rebels are making a run for the playoffs .

It’s a story that’s got all the right elements and depth. Great characters, passion, hidden romance, secrets, and everything on the line.

Plus it has so many fantastic characters from other series that pop up during the playoffs to create extra fun.

My tiny quibble is that there’s a small storyline that comes in towards the end that feels unnecessary. There’s so many great aspects to this book that are grounded in reality or things that have a firm foundation that the authors laid down, that this other element feels flimsy by comparison.

It’s a fabulous book and fast engaging read without it. It adds extra drama. But that’s like saying, ok we had 47 cherries on top, not enough. Let’s add 3 more. Ok Done.

Either way, this is a marvelous book and a fantastic way to see the Boston Rebels out. Now onto the next series.

I’m highly recommending Rental (Boston Rebels Book 6) by R. J. Scott and V.L. Locey.

Boston Rebels series:

✓ Top Shelf #1

✓ Back Check #2

✓ Snowed #3

✓ Royal Lines #4

✓ Blade #5

✓ Rental #6

Buy Link:

Rental (Boston Rebels Book 6)

Description:

A steamy romance between a player and a referee breaks all the rules but will it destroy their careers?

Five different cities in eight years — Logan’s never had the chance to settle in one place. He’s the guy who fills in gaps on teams as a temporary fix and is traded at year’s end because no one wants to keep a thirty-year-old rental after he’s outlived his usefulness. When he’s called up to the Rebels, he knows it’s his last run in the NHL. Now, he must decide if it’s worth carrying on with the weight of his secrets around his neck for one more year. He’s never had a love that mattered, his career is nearly done, his ex-wife is remarrying, his sex life is drier than a desert, and abruptly, Logan’s had enough. He craves one night to ease the frustration, and hooks up with someone tall, dark, and dangerous in the bathroom of a club. The sex is off the charts, but it’s one and done, until Logan realizes exactly who he slept with and understands how dangerous it is to play games with secrets.

Being a referee is in Webber’s blood, and it’s a job he loves. Sure, sometimes he’s called dirty names—by fans, coaches, and players—or must insert himself between two massive men trying to pummel each other. Some nights, he’s knocked on his ass. Other times, he might take a puck to a tender spot. But despite all the hazards and name calling, there is no place he wants to be than on the ice. If only his love life was as settled. It’s hard to find someone willing to put up with his travel schedule, and even if he found Mr. Right, how would he juggle a romance when he’s never home? A chance hookup while officiating a game in Boston should be a simple matter of scratching that itch, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

Unfortunately, that one-night stand—while memorable—turns his sedate life upside down in ways he could’ve never foreseen. When the penalty for love is losing everything he’s worked hard for, is it a price he’s willing to pay?

Review: Confetti Hearts (Confetti Hitched, #1) by Lily Morton

Rating:3🌈

I have been anticipating this book since I encountered Joe Bagshaw in Vow Maker, where he acted as the wedding planner to Gabe and Dylan. It was a hilarious and memorable introduction. And made all the readers want more, especially his painful romantic history.

Morton reveals Joe’s love life and tale of marriage woe between scenes of weddings that Joe’s firm is handling, past and present. This format works in some respects to help the story and not in others.

By breaking down the story into different timelines, a wedding here that begins the relationship, a wedding that sees the men meet up again, and so on to weddings three and four, the reader gets a wonderful feel for the strong amazing personality that is Joe Bagshaw. Quick witted, kind, thoughtful, well organized, and extremely intelligent. He’s exactly who you’d want to plan your wedding. Or anything else for that matter. We connect with Joe immediately.

The other man in this unusual relationship that they aren’t calling a relationship? That would be forensic accountant Lachlan Moore. Older, self possessed, and assured of himself and his status quo, personally and professionally , he’s not the immediate choice we’d expect for Joe. He’s not a bad person but from the early stages, Morton doesn’t give the reader (or Joe) enough reason to believe he is the best person for that amazing being we love.

In my opinion, this is where the issues with the format overlap into character and relationship development. And not for the first time in a Lily Morton story.

Lachlan falls into that category of main protagonists that are emotionally unavailable to the other more engaging and lovable men in their lives. For the majority of the story, it’s Joe who’s the narrator. Through Joe’s thoughts and feelings, we watch as Lachlan creates a “on my terms only “ scenario for them where not even the term date can be used. When they marry, he then leaves Joe to be abused by a housekeeper, his friends, and his PA. Even a house. We, Joe’s audience , along with Joe’s friends , find this situation naturally appalling.

Morton has created a one-sided emotional connection with the couple through Joe with her readers. Only later does Lachlan get his perspective voiced. By then it’s almost too late.

The author’s plan to right this one sidedness starts at a wedding in Scotland. There it’s a strictly 2 person POV. So Lachlan becomes the fully fleshed out character he should have been all along. However, I’m not sure he’s still a great person.

Communication, or it’s lack of, is key here between the two people. Neither was able to talk to the other person about their feelings or the fact they were upset until now. That’s not addressed either. A secret from Lachlan’s end doesn’t help on the open communication front.

There’s another smaller issue for me. I don’t know why but it’s stuck with me because it held such promise for being such a tiny narrative gem.

Frances is the mother of Erica, the bride whose wedding is being held in Scotland. Frances is a veritable harridan. Nasty, demanding, arrogant, Frances has made Joe’s job difficult and her name is synonymous with the worst that bridezilla mothers can deliver. But just when she’s fallen into a stereotype, Morton elevates this controlling one dimensional woman into someone human. It happens during a snowed in game night.

“ I’d thought Frances would steer the ship, but unexpectedly she defers to her husband, and there’s even a smile on her lips as they look at each other. I narrow my eyes.”

It goes further with Frances emerging as a defender of another member of her family. And Frances goes from harridan to family matriarch with a inner life of her own. What a transformation in a few sentences!

But such a subtle , and appreciated detail wasn’t to last. Morton throws away this lovely narrative gem by reducing Frances once more to a comic flat horror of a woman because Joe needed a one-liner towards the end of the romance.

It’s choices like those, where the easy narrative path was taken, rather than the one where the author must build up the storyline further with heft and a sense of fullness, that leaves this lacking.

Morton’s booklist has so many novels where such care was taken. It pains me to say that Joe Bagshaw – Moore’s isn’t one of them. I so hoped it was.

So read this because we fell in love with Joe and want to know what happened to him. Because Lily Morton is a must read for you. For all the others, you decide if it’s the age gap, second chance at love story next on your TBR pile.

First in a new series.

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Confetti…Confetti Hearts – Kindle edition by Morton, Lily. Romance Kindle eBooks …

Description:

Joe Bagshaw doesn’t believe in love or marriage anymore, which is rather a hindrance for a wedding planner.

His own marriage was a whirlwind affair that ended before the ink could dry on the wedding certificate. Nevertheless, even with his divorce pending, he’s getting by. Or at least he was until he finds himself snowed in at a remote Scottish hotel with the wedding party from hell, a terrible ABBA tribute band, and his soon-to-be ex-husband.

Lachlan has missed Joe from the second his husband walked away. He wants Joe back and is prepared to do anything to get him. Being snowed in together seems to offer the chance Lachlan needs, but does he have what it takes to get Joe to trust in love and their marriage again?

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about love, matrimony, and the best of second chances.

This is the first book in the Confetti Hitched series.

Review: Heart Unbroken by Casey Cox

Rating: 4.25🌈

“I didn’t want to kiss you goodbye—that was the trouble—I wanted to kiss you goodnight—and there’s a lot of difference. “ – Ernest Hemingway”

— Heart Unbroken by Casey Cox

I love a romance that is introduced with a remarkable quote that ties into the story and characters as this one does here.

Second chance at love, lovers reunited. Yes, please.

Casey Cox gives us two wonderful characters in actor Rove Sullivan, and hotelier Leo Carter, ok three with Leo ‘ best friend, Tal.

From a quick awkward meeting at Leo’s resort earlier in Rove’s career before he’s a big star, to the present where events bring them together again, Cox makes us believe that the men actually do make a deep impression on each other in the early moments. When events happen to cause each to reach out to each other, again Cox has supplied the groundwork emotionally for the reader to understand the context and connect with them.

I so enjoy Cox as a writer. The author’s romances are interesting, the characters are human beings with faults and strengths that are relatable, no matter the circumstances because they can be understood across many different levels. Job failures because of things outside of their control? Loss of dreams? Perhaps the hardest of them all. Learning when to let go of something that keeps you from moving on.

Heart Unbroken is another heartwarming contemporary romance from Casey Cox that I’m recommending. I only hope that we get a chance to see a sequel for Tal’s romance sometime soon.

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Heart-U…Heart Unbroken – Cox, Casey: Books

Description:

ROVE

Five years ago, we had a fleeting connection. Instant attraction, sizzling chemistry, and scorching-hot sex.

It was only brief, but it was…everything.

Then my career takes off. I become one of the biggest openly out Hollywood A-listers. I’m on top of the world—rich, famous, and successful.

Until a cruel red carpet gotcha stunt blows my life apart. In the blink of an eye, I lose everything I’ve spent two decades working and sacrificing for.

I’ve got no one to turn to and nowhere to go… Except back to the man I met five years ago.

LEO

Five years ago, I met someone unforgettable.

He made me feel something I thought I’d lost forever. Something that died with my beloved Dante a decade earlier.

I never expected to see Rove again. When he returns, the spark, the chemistry, the connection, is right where we left it five years ago. Actually, it’s only intensified.

The more time we spend together, the clearer it becomes—there’s no way I can let him go again. Can we find a way to make it this time?

HEART UNBROKEN is a second chance at love MM romance with two men in their 40s, a naked meet-cute, an only-one-bed situation, found family, 90s pop culture references, and a ‘sail into the sunset’ happily ever after (literally).

Review: Survival Is An Art (an Angus Green Book 3) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4🌈

Nothing more chilling than the phrase “Until the Nazis came.” Evocative, haunting, instantly terrifying and filling a person’s mind with images and emotions.

That’s how Angus becomes involved in a labyrinthine case with its roots in WW2, Italy, and the confiscation of personal property, including artwork of European Jews by the Nazis.

It’s begins with Tom Laughlin, the retired lawyer who helped with the last case, inviting Angus to dine with his book club of older gay men who live in Ft. Lauderdale. One of the men, Frank Sena, needs Angus’ assistance.

Plakcy builds historical layers within his stories by elements such as the book club members and the topics under discussion among them. The need for discretion or complete secrecy, those among the group that married as “straight” men, the barriers the homosexual community has overcome and those obstacles that still exist. As well as those that got so many killed if they were not only openly homosexual but Jewish and living in Europe before the war.

That’s the group Frank’s uncle fell into. Italian, gay and Jewish. He owned a wonderful art collection that was stolen by the Nazis when he was taken into custody and sent to Auschwitz where he died.

Frank’s been contacted about one of the paintings and he wants to know if the seller is legit.

From this base of questioning, the story expands into a cornucopia of history and knowledge on a mass of topics. Through the mind and eyes of Angus, we learn about the influx of illegal imitation merchandise of high end brands and how and where they originate, ties to the illegal refugees, The Macchiaioli movement of Italian painters, and so much more. It’s a feast of information, lovingly gifted to the reader in bits and pieces, through scenes and nicely written conversations that bring all of this to life memorably.

I can remember every single detail, as it’s threaded through the mystery and , several murders, here, to wonderful impact.

Angus is still that straight forward, ambitious young agent. I don’t see much of a connection still with his boyfriend, Lester. No sparks or chemistry. There’s more with the older book group than with Lester. His brother Danny looks to figure more in his life and Danny is a lively presence in the story.

At times, Angus seems a bit too “stereotypical “ or less layered than some of the characters he meets. Maybe the next story resolves some of that.

Survival Is An Art (an Angus Green Book 3) by Neil S. Plakcy was a fantastic read. Full of mystery, historical references, and a whopping great time.

I’m looking forward to the next, and recommending this!

Angus Green series:

✓ The Next One Will Kill You #1

✓ Nobody Rides For Free #2

✓ Survival Is A Dying Art #3

◦ Brackish Water #4

Buy Link:

Survival is a Dying Art: An Angus Green Novel

Description:

Special Agent Angus Green is still in his twenties, and his red hair and good looks often make people underestimate him, but he’s a smart, fearless cop who believes in the FBI motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. Fort Lauderdale retiree Frank Sena is working with pawn shop owner Jesse Venable to retrieve a painting stolen from Frank’s uncle, a gay Venetian killed during the Holocaust. Angus volunteers to help Frank, and discovers Venable is the subject of a task force looking into smuggling immigrants out of war-torn countries in the Middle East. Angus, who knows nothing about art and speaks no Italian, may be in over his head as he is assigned to befriend, and ultimately betray, Venable. But with the help of his Italian-speaking brother and his art-loving boyfriend, he may be able not only to retrieve the painting, but solve a smuggling case and potentially save thousands of lives. The investigation will take him from the sun-drenched rooftops of Venice to a private yacht speeding down Fort Lauderdale’s New River. Along the way, he’ll learn the true meaning of survival.

Review: Nobody Rides For Free (An Angus Green Novel Book 2) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 4.25🌈

Nobody Rides For Free picks up after the events in The Next One Will Kill You, where rookie FBI agent helped close a big investigation, shot a perpetrator, and got shot during the final climactic moments.

Even though he was wearing a vest, he’s still recovering emotionally and physically from the effects of that incident. It takes a call from his mentor, Agent Roly Gutierrez, asking him for assistance in a new case that brings Angus back into active duty.

It starts with a series of overdoses that soon lead to several startling revelations. And soon, Angus is sifting through the data and evidence of multiple cases to find out what is happening and how all the people and cases connect with a growing number of gay men Angus thinks might be in danger.

In detective or police procedural novel (or tv show), you will hear the phrase that investigations are mostly boring, endlessly pouring over pages, numbers, data, and countless other information for evidence to solidify the case they are working on.

Here, as in the first novel, Plakcy does such a excellent job illustrating the hard and often tedious process of compiling the data legally to build the case against the criminal(s). And does it while making it suspenseful and compelling.

And real. Because not every lead pans out. Not every warrant goes as planned. Not everything works as you wanted or hoped.

And not every main character is a golden boy, without fault or failure or the ability to succeed in one area without losing in another. I think that is what makes Angus Green so interesting to me.

I’m not sure I always like him even as I understand him. He has a tendency to play loose with his roommate, be a user there instead of a friend when a case is involved. Even with others, unless it’s his brother (and that’s not been tested), it’s the FBI case loyalty first, then the others are staggered accordingly to their current position in his life. A precarious situation at times, as Lester, his on and off and now on again boyfriend has discovered. Very hard to be involved with them as a couple as it feels very superficial. I get the impression Lester might not last long.

There’s a few weak spots here. Other than the obvious romantic interest. Especially in the Russian community and mob section. The villain and his ex girlfriend needed more exposition at the end of the investigation to make sense. That includes the Dorje episode too.

Still Nobody Rides For Free (An Angus Green Novel Book 2) by Neil S. Plakcy is a strong read with a very complicated main character. I was totally invested in all the investigations and outcomes. So I’m onto the next. Can’t wait.

I’m definitely recommending this! Read the books in the order that they are written.

Angus Green series:

✓ The Next One Will Kill You #1

✓ Nobody Rides For Free #2

◦ Survival Is A Dying Art #3

◦ Brackish Water #4

Buy Link:

Nobody Rides for Free: An Angus Green Novel

Description:

With less than a year of experience under his belt and only one big case behind him, FBI Special Agent Angus Green has joined the rarefied group of agents who have been wounded in the line of duty. Now, assigned to a desk job while he recovers, Angus wonders if he’s chosen the right career. He’s been following his late father’s dream for a life of adventure and travel—and instead encountered danger, pain and heartbreak. But when he discovers that gay teens are being sexually abused by a pornographer in the same neighborhood where he lives, he has to step up and bring his intelligence, his determination and his unique insights to save these young men. The case takes him from Fort Lauderdale’s seamy underbelly to boisterous beachfront bars where big-fish Russian émigrés launder illegal cash. He’ll befriend a beautiful Russian-American undercover agent and rekindle a romance with a man who makes him feel protected. In the end, he’ll learn the truth of a saying he learned as a boy – there is a price to pay for every decision we make. Nobody rides for free.

Review: Maniac (Necessary Evils Book 7) by Onley James

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Maniac brings Onley James’ Necessary Evils to a close as you’d expect from a series about a family of psychopaths and their partners. It’s ends on an assassin’s revenge, death, and a bang on conclusion that brings the entire Mulvaney clan, extended family and friends together for one last murderous investigation and romance.

The Mulvaney storyline and romantic drama features the head of the family, Thomas Mulvaney with an emphasis on his past, and the odd adopted “child” of the Mulvaney brood. That’s Aiden, who came into the family as a young teenager from a well connected family who pressured Thomas to take him.

Here we learn the details of Aiden’s adolescent, the events that led him to Thomas and the Mulvaney family. And what’s been behind the bitterness and sadness that’s kept Aiden and Thomas apart for years.

Unsurprisingly, we’re dealing with a tragic and traumatic childhood. One rife with parental abuse , intentional cruelty, and malicious neglect. All of which have had consequences in the past as well as present a variety of ways.

James brings in several new characters like Lola who works with Aiden as well as familiar ones like Calliope, her son and his partner, Atticus and Jericho’s adopted “kids”, who soon will get their own series.

If there’s one issue, and it can’t be helped, it’s a surfeit of characters. You have all the original Mulvaney children, and now their partners/ fiancées/husbands, plus children/grandchildren, the nanny/baby mother, computer genius Calliope, her son and his lover, and any extra cast we’ve had thrown in along the way. It’s a lot to ask of the reader to remember each couple’s relationship dynamics, their stories, and even how the unique personalities and special groups play out within the family structure.

All that on top of a messy emotional connection that’s in need of resolution and balance between Aiden and Thomas.

I haven’t even begun to touch on the blackmail that the launching point for all the events and emotions (from those that are capable of them) within the family business and structure.

Basically a family of psychopaths go to war! It’s that simple and it’s extremely complicated.

Did I enjoy it and appreciate the nuances that James brought to Thomas and the various perspectives on his upbringing? Absolutely. From Thomas’ viewpoint of himself as the one responsible for certain events, to , even though he was a child without support, his own family’s clear vision of Thomas and his role within the past.

Reminder that this is dark fiction and it’s subject matter, although not necessarily with elements that “happen on page” are full of issues that might be considered triggers for some people. Rape, torture, manipulation, child abuse and neglect are key topics. So be aware.

So as a finale , things are pretty well sorted and done for each couple by book’s end. We know where each couple is as a family and within the Mulvaney’s as a whole unit. It feels complete.

And James assures us that we haven’t seen the last of them as they will continue their secret life as assassins. It won’t surprise anyone to see them appear in the upcoming spinoff series that starts with Jericho’s Boys. They are a group already adopted into the inner circle of The Mulvaney family.

For more information, see below. Until then, for lovers of dark contemporary fiction, I’m recommending this. Read the series in the order that it is written.

Necessary Evils series:

✓ Unhinged #1

✓ Psycho #2

✓ Moonstruck #3

✓ Headcase #4

✓ Mad Man #5

✓ Lunatic #6

✓ Maniac #7 – finale

Two upcoming spinoff series, The Watch and Jericho’s Boys, the first of which Paladin #1, is coming April 30, 2023

Buy Link:

Maniac (Necessary Evils Book 7)

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Description:

Thomas Mulvaney was just a child when an error in judgment cost him everything. He vowed then that he would do anything to atone for his mistake. And he did. He never strayed from the right path. Until Aiden.

Aiden Mulvaney doesn’t exist. He’s a lie created by the father who disowned him and by Thomas Mulvaney, the only man Aiden had ever begged to love him. But that was years ago, when he’d still believed in fairytales. Before Thomas rejected him.

Thomas has spent years trying to have Aiden in his life while keeping him at arm’s length, but Aiden’s done with half-measures. He’s done with Thomas the martyr. He’s just done. So, he’s kept his distance. Trouble is, now, someone is threatening to expose a secret that affects them all.

No, not that one. A secret so shameful, Thomas won’t even utter it out loud. Can he and Aiden revisit the past and keep the family name intact, or will they both be buried beneath the weight of their memories as their old feelings resurface?

Review: Aisle Be There (Runaway Grooms Book 1) by Charlie Cochet

Rating: 4.75🌈

I know I’m in for a fabulous time when I’m cackling at the very beginning of the story! Just pages in and my sides are hurting from laughing over the outfit and situation Gage Kingston finds himself in. It’s hilarious, realistically anxiety producing, and so well written that we’re drawn into Gage’s story and comedy/drama elements of his love life instantly.

So as we start, this is how we continue on! A breakneck rumble of a romantic contemporary love story that encapsulates the best elements of second chances at love, lovers reunited, and best friends who became lovers all into one singular book. One I adore.

I didn’t realize until later this was part of the Four Kings Security Universe. I don’t think you have to have read one or all of those to get with the characters and setting here. It’s narratively well laid out and Cochet’s foundation for the Runaway Grooms is very solid.

Each main character has a different but similar feel to them in that they’re both multidimensional and have depth in their respective histories. Gage with his large family, including cousins and their partners and Jett with his found family of his father’s band members.

Each person has been given aspects of their history to blend with their personalities to make them feel believable. As Jett still grieves and works through the loss of his father, we understand those emotions and actions. When Gage panics and flees when faced with a reality he’s just recognizing? We get that too. The mixture of sadness and humor, loss and love, all so human, endearing, and real.

If I had a quibble, it was that the bad guy/villain of the piece felt a little one dimensional next to all the other characters. But honestly, that was it.

Ok more more quibble. We have to wait almost an entire year for the next book in this series. Sigh. January to be exact. Oh well.

This was such a fantastic read that I’m highly recommending it. For those that like a complete read list, Cochet has a Four Kings Security Universe one at the beginning of the book and on her website. But anti don’t feel it required. I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Runaway Grooms series:

✓ Aisle Be There #1

◦ To Have and Withhold #2 – Jan 9, 2024

Aisle Be There (Runaway Grooms Book 1)

Description:

They say your wedding day is the beginning of your happily ever after.

But I’m pretty sure they never stood on a sweltering Florida beach getting ready to promise forever… only to change their mind at the last minute and be assaulted by a crustacean while fleeing the scene.

Once upon a time, I was a respected Navy officer. A guy who made a career out of managing chaos.

Now, I am the chaos, a groom on the run from my ex-fiance and his dad’s goons. Oh, and the guy driving the getaway car? That would be my ex-boyfriend, Jett.

Gorgeous. Brilliant. A guy I couldn’t help falling in love with twelve years ago.

The guy I realize I’ve always loved.

Did I mention he’s also a famous rock star on a sold-out summer tour?

This situation has disaster written all over it. But if I can manage the chaos, maybe I’ll get my happy ending after all.

———-

Four Kings Security Universe

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

Love in Spades, Four Kings Security Book 1

Be Still my Heart, Four Kings Security Book 2

Ante Up – A Four Kings Security Short

Join the Club, Four Kings Security Book 3

Diamond in the Rough, Four Kings Security Book 4

Kept in the Dark, Black Ops: Operation Orion’s Belt Book 1
(This series is standalone and can be read on its own.)

In the Cards – A Four Kings Security Short

Stacking the Deck, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 1

Raising the Ante, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 2

Sleight of Hand, The Kings: Wild Cards Book 3

Aisle Be There, Runaway Grooms Book 1
(This series is standalone and can be read on its own.)

Review: Edison’s Professor (Shadow Elite #3) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4🌈

Edison’s Professor is the penultimate book in this series as the members of the Shadow Elite fall in love and find their HEA.

As the group was departing Greece after the events in Kairo’s Billionaire, where Kairo was kidnapped, and found love with billionaire Isidore, we end with what will be the beginning pages from this story. It’s a great teaser and sets the scene and introduces the main characters for book 3, Edison’s Professor.

Not that we have any idea who that person is at the time.

Each novel flows seamlessly into the next, as that ending repeats itself perfectly as this story begins.

It has the feel of a romantic Indiana Jones tale (right down to the last name). There’s adventure, multiple villains, all the Shadow Elite team members and their partners are here. It’s great to see them all involved, especially Izzie and Alexei. They play a big part in Max Sutton’s integration into the found family that’s their group.

I liked the characters chemistry and relationship dynamics between Max and Ed. As usual for this series, with the exception of Will and Charlie, this relationship develops quickly into one of love in a short amount of time.

I liked the relationship, I feel it had the same similarities to Kairo and Izzie’s fast-love romance that had a natural grounding in the severity of pain, damage and danger of their shared situation. It felt believable and understandable.

There’s Egyptology, tombs, fast action, races through the streets, so much crazy entertainment to enjoy.

And a feel good ending.

Next and last is one of the toughest members of the squad and the most quiet. That’s the sniper West.

I can’t wait to see how he finishes up the series.

Until then, I’m recommending this and all the teams romantic journeys to HEA.

Shadow Elite series:

✓ Stephen’s Translator #0.5

✓ Charlie’s Doctor #1

✓ Kairo’s Billionaire #2

✓ Edison’s Professor #3

◦ Westin’s Prince – April 7, 2023 finale

Buy Link:

Edison’s Professor (Shadow Elite Book 3)

Description:

The stranger chose him.

Edison Walker had never seen the man with the wide green eyes before. He only knew that he was in trouble.

And that he took one look at Ed and decided he was his haven. His protector.

Ed would not let him down.

With the jeweled scarab the stranger pressed into his hand and the strange note written in ancient Egyptian, the Shadow Elite mercenaries are off to Cairo to find the stolen professor.

Edison’s Professor is the third full-length novel in the Shadow Elite series and features mercenaries, ancient treasure, danger, explosions, a short grumpy Egyptologist who can be very overprotective of his mercenary, cuddly couples, and love on the run in Egypt.

Review: Forbidden Lover (Exit Strategy #4) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 3.5🌈

Forbidden Lover has its beginnings in Final Lover, Justin Mallory and Gabriel Prescott’s “put a ring on it”storyline. That’s the book that solidified their romance into a HEA by slipping them into a mission that sees them protecting a man and his young son from a mistaken hit contract.

The assassin who took the bad contract was Kai , an old acquaintance of Gabriel’s, and someone Gabe knew would never kill a child. It stopped Kai once he knew the information was bad and then he helped them protect the man and son. Yes, there was definitely chemistry involved but it was just a wisp and gone.

Here all the dropped parts from that book that pertained to the father ,Devlin Relic and son , get picked up and woven into a new adventure and romance.

This time between Devlin and Kai.

As much as I liked the character of Kai, what makes the series work is the development of the relationship between the two characters of Justin and Gabriel over a period of time, especially with the differences in personalities. Here Kai is lacking all that history and groundwork, even with his introduction in the last book, to give him a larger dimension to his character.

It makes the drama with the villain just a bit confusing, even coming off as a forced storyline because we have nothing to frame it around.

I liked Devlin and his son, the father/son dynamics feeling more realistic than the fact that Devlin might be any sort of brilliant scientist. No one is that naive anymore, especially about other members of their scientific community. Nice character, not realistic enough for the field.

So I was entertained. It’s not my favorite in the series. Feels like more of a filler story than a actual part. Maybe people were asking for it because of Kai from Final Lover.

Read it to finish the series, or because you’re curious about that character. It’s a fun book but not necessarily a great one.

The series should be read in the order that they were written to understand the character development and events that happened.

Exit Strategy series:

✓ Deadly Lover: Special Edition #1

✓ Vengeful Lover #2

✓ Final Lover #3

✓ Forbidden Lover #4

✓ Accidental Lover #5

Buy Link :

Forbidden Lover (Exit Strategy Book 4)

Description:

Devlin Relic was off limits.

The sweet man had already lost a husband and nearly lost his life when someone put a contract on his head last year.

He needed to focus on raising his adopted son and finding a nice, normal man.

Kai was anything but nice and normal.

He was an assassin, and that did not fit into Dev’s neat and tidy life.

But when a dead body mysteriously appears in Dev’s bathtub, it looks like an assassin is exactly what he needs.

Maybe this time Kai will be brave enough to fight for Devlin and finally put his exit strategy to use.