Tag: opposites attract

Review: Kestrel & Kee (Paranormal Investigators) The Siren of Lake Killikee by V.L. Locey

Rating: 4🌈

Author V.L. Locey is off to a terrific start on her new paranormal romance series with Kestrel & Kee (Paranormal Investigators) The Siren of Lake Killikee.  

It begins with Archimedes Kee ‘Archie’ Kee , Asian American, who helps run his grandfather’s failing family business, Kee’s Book Store in Liverswell, MA. Archie can interact with ghosts, a family gift passes down through generations that’s now especially relevant as Archie’s current location has several resident ghosts to converse with.  

There’s Reggie, who died in 1778, he haunts the bookstore, reads the latest books, and considers himself part of the establishment and family. Also the ghosts in the streets,along with a spectral cat that comes and goes, as cats do.   

 But it’s the living that have issues to contend with, bills to pay, and Archie’s fluency in Mandarin brings him a handsome college football player,  Phil Kestrel ,seeking help and a tutor for his Asian studies class.

Archie and Phil’s developing relationship is wonderful, especially when Phil is let in on the truth about Archie’s gift and the bookstore’s resident ghosts.  As the plot switches over into a investigation into the mysterious presence in the lake, and what it means for the town’s inhabitants (living and non-corporeal), it picks up speed but starts to lose some depth in the background and plot.

I liked how Locey created and then wove in the various ethnic languages and historical references from the town to make the paranormal stories and investigations the deepest, and saddest part of the story.  It could have been even more detailed, but perhaps that is going to be part of the next book. It’s certainly got my attention. And it introduces certain families of the town who might have a part to play in future stories as well.

Most of my quibbles have to do with the relationship between Archie and Phil, and Archie’s gift. Archie and Phil are just getting to know each other, they admit that they really like each other, which seems reasonable and , actually quite adorable.

But, as in too many stories I’ve read, they jump immediately into the “I love you “ conversation and confessions stage which hadn’t, imo, had a the same amount of narrative time or believable aspect to their relationship that other elements had. Really like on the way to something else? Yes, absolutely. Instant love? No. That case wasn’t made.  Especially when there’s so much else going on around them.  

And we really know very little about Phil here. What’s the background on him?

So in Kestrel & Kee (Paranormal Investigators) The Siren of Lake Killikee I feel that V.L. Locey is setting up a terrific location, characters and themes for a new adventure and series.  There’s so much she wants to lay down that not all got fully developed or explained, just put in place for future adventures and books to make use of.  I absolutely adore Archie , his grandfather, Reggie, and look forward to learning more about Phil and the rest of the town.  

This is a definite recommend for lovers of paranormal romance.

Cover by Meredith Russell. Love the cover.

Buy Link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Kestrel…Kestrel & Kee (Paranormal Investigators) The Siren of Lake Killikee

Blurb:

Kestrel & Kee (Paranormal Investigators) :

One speaks to the dead, the other talks to everyone else. Both have hearts that are whispering to each other’s.

Archimedes Kee has always had the gift. From his youngest days, he has been able to communicate with the dearly departed. Most of the time, they seek him as a way to correct wrongs or for help moving over to the next plane. Some just want to complain about badly written books. Generally, he does his best to aid the stranded spirits as he juggles working part-time at his grandfather’s bookstore, a job he adores, with attending a local college. Stuck in the grind of the day-to-day, he is totally unprepared for the arrival of Phil Kestrel, who blows into the shop like a hurricane with his blond hair, blue eyes, and unparalleled exuberance.

For the first time in forever, Archie can’t pull back into the protective shell he has learned to keep up. Phil is not only a charmingly sweet and sexy man, but he’s also slowly winning Archie’s heart one 80’s song at a time. After witnessing an unearthly book club meeting late one night the football star slash film major discovers Archie’s secret and proposes a plan. They make a ghost hunter show for extra credit and to bring much-needed foot traffic to the old bookstore. The plan has merit, so they seek out a local legend and face off against an anguished soul who puts their new bond to the test.

Kestrel and Kee – The Siren of Lake Killikee is an opposites attract queer paranormal romance starring a shy medium, a gregarious footballer, a resident bookstore specter with a decidedly wicked mind, one otherworldly feline, a small town filled with ghostly goings on, an elderly family member eager to play matchmaker, a haunted lake, and a spirited happy ending.

  • Publication date: October 17, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 211 pages

Review:  What Could Go Wrong? (A Subpar Superhero story) By Toshi Drake

Rating: 3.25🌈

What Could Go Wrong? By Toshi Drake is another in the multi-author series about a group of people labeled subpar superheroes who work for the secret agency SPAM. 

Most of them have abilities that are considered less essential or powerful to society or the agency, hence the label.  

In Drake’s book, What Could Go Wrong?, the best elements of this story are the two main characters and their new developing relationship.   It starts with Ezra, an awkward records clerk for SPAM. Enthusiastic about his unseen employer, April, naive about exactly SPAM does, and sort of unaware about his own weird powers, Ezra’s attempts to prove himself to himself and his boss powers the events. 

And it’s how he accidentally but not really meets Chauncey “Chaz” Adams, retired subpar agent with a weird power of his own. 

It’s a case of goofy, enthusiastic , out of his depth employee meets grumpy, bitter retired agent, they have a instant attraction, get ensnared in a  muddled investigation involving Big Foot, that further develops into just a narrative plot line quagmire.

What does work here is the dynamic between Ezra and Chaz. It’s built slowly as they get to know each other under adverse conditions, further adjusting to each other’s expectations and differences in sexualities.  It’s developed around respect and mutual understanding. They treat each other as responsible adults and with support for each other’s issues, whatever they feel they might be. 

It’s a lovely romance and Ezra and Chaz make the story entertaining and sweet.

But the investigation and case they fall into is a narrative bungle.  It makes little sense, it’s choppy in execution, and its overall plot is muddled. Even their powers aren’t clearly defined.

So read this if you’re a fan of the author, the series, and for the relationship, which is lovely.

Subpar Heroes series- 15 books:

🔷The Accidental Necromancer by Liv Rancourt 

🔷Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp

🔷Transparent Is a Color by Kaje Harper❤️

🔷Impossible Things by Alexa Land 

🔷My Not-So-Super Blind Date by Allison Temple ❤️❤️

🔷An Ex-Hero’s Guide to Axe Handling by Jenn Burke ❤️❤️

🔷In The Nick of Time by Elle Keaton 

🔷Static/Cling by Jaimie Samms

🔷Spiritual Guidance Not Required by Jacy Braegan   8/1/2024

🔷What Could Go Wrong? By Toshi Drake

🔷License to Chill by Chantal Mer 8/8/2024

🔷Code Name Dolittle by Lynn Michaels. 8/22/2024

🔷Signed, I’m Yours! By Rhys Lawless 8/29/2024

🔷A Taste of Danger by Morgan Brice. 9/5/2024

Buy link:

        What Could Go Wrong?

    

Blurb

All Ezra has to do is deliver a message to retired clean-up agent, Chauncey Adams, and he’ll become the go-to person for SPAM’s Canadian office. Drive to Chauncey’s, hand off the papers. That’s the mission.

What could go wrong?

Everything. Everything could go wrong. A random phone call, unexpected magic words and a grumpy retired agent are just the beginning. The end? Finding Bigfoot on the Bruce Peninsula.

Between dead bodies popping up and being kidnapped by incompetent bad guys, Ezra and Chaz have to solve the mystery of what happened before they get stomped out for good. These secret agents are more laughable than lethal, but they’ll have to rely on each other–and the growing spark between them–if they want to survive.

What Could Go Wrong? is a part of the multi-author Subparheroes MM romance series.

  • Publication date: August 6, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 194 pages

Review: Off the Clock (Mount Hope Book 2) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 4🌈

“What happens when a group of forty-something first responders come together to support their recently widowed best friend? The result is the MOUNT HOPE series”

That’s the overall theme for the stories grouped under this Mount Hope series and it’s an emotional, heartwarming concept. It hits home on so many levels, especially when Albert adds in her own familiar, well written elements. Readers of her many series aren’t surprised by returning military or veterans characters that carry their own issues, foster care children with special histories, or just threads that are layered with mental health, commitment issues and recognition of bi-sexuality. In other words, a lot of subjects areas are part of character’s development and histories.

Albert writes all that with amazing sensitivity and awareness. Especially veterans who have served overseas and returned home with internalized trauma, PTSD, or other mental health issues.

In Off the Clock, the veteran is freshly retired Army Ranger Tony Capo, 42, recovering from his injuries, returning home to Mount Hope to figure out his next step forward. In his case, he’s opted to hire on as a firefighter for the Mount Hope Fire Department. It’s a job he has wanted since he was a child and where he has old friends. But he’s also starting over as a much older man with younger colleagues, with all that encompasses mentally and emotionally.

One of those is Caleb, a young firefighter who appeared in the first book. Congenial, somewhat clumsy, he’s recently been named guardian of his troubled teenage brother. That brother has brought him an entire set of new issues to face as well as the new hire, Tony, he’s training.

Albert’s book is an age gap, mental health, multiple issues storyline. There’s much I admire about this book. It’s begins with the characters. Each are well written, beautifully defined, by their respective histories, their life experiences, and their personalities. They are believable and flawed.

The relationship dynamics between Tony and Caleb are among my favorite and least favorite things about the story. Their ability to communicate about each other’s feelings, their experiences with emotionally charged situations that have left each traumatized, whether it’s fires, missions, or childhood damage brought about by parental loss. Loss by death in Caleb’s family or in Tony’s case by his parents drug addiction and abandonment. As Albert powerfully describes it, “matching wounded kid emotions “ bonds them but is also keeping them from being together.

Tony and Caleb’s friendship and the surrounding support from friends and community is the best part about the narrative for me. My issues are with the romance. That part where Albert has two grown men hiding a sexual/romantic connection (one the town easily guesses at and is gossiping about) but that causes Caleb great emotional distress. Tony’s fears about being openly bisexual which directly pushes any relationship between them back into the closet does harm in multiple ways. Yes, the author repairs this to a degree when Tony works through his own personal issues, but it’s striking that even when they are in a committed relationship, it’s Caleb who has insecurities about where he stands with Tony. That shows an inequality that should have been understood by Tony given their backgrounds.

It’s a miss by the author and an unsatisfactory note for the romance and storyline.

The next novel in this series is yet another age gap, mental health issues storyline and I wish that Albert had used the promise found in the series arc to at least give us some more depth and variety among this interesting group of older men. A romantic story between men of the same age would be a great addition.

Off the Clock (Mount Hope Book 2) by Annabeth Albert is a good book, a nice addition to the series with some heartfelt moments and lovely characters.

Mount Hope series:

✓ Up All Night #1

✓ Off The Clock #2

◦ On The Edge #3 – Oct 31, 2024

Buy link

Off the Clock (Mount Hope Book 2)

Blurb:

Starting over after retiring as an Army Ranger shouldn’t be this hard…

For twenty years, I traveled the world as a special operations warrior. Newly retired at forty-two, I’m back in my hometown of Mount Hope, pursuing a second career as a small-town firefighter. My meddling sisters and best friends all have opinions about my life, but the only person who seems to truly understand me is Caleb, the younger firefighter tasked with my training.

After a lifetime of denying my attraction to other men, Caleb reminds me of everything I’ve missed out on. I’ve never even kissed a guy.

Until now.

Until Caleb.

Until I push our growing friendship to the next level. While sneaking around like a pair of teens, trying not to get caught by our coworkers, friends, and family, our sexy connection leads us to some…interesting places.

And it turns out that I like taking risks. I’ve never wanted a relationship, and neither of us should be fooling around with a coworker, but we keep courting danger.

The more time I spend with Caleb off and on the clock, the more I like him and the less certain I am about everything else in my life. The one thing I know for sure is that I can’t afford to lose this intense bond we share. Can we find our way from super secret to super real before the clock runs down on this fling?

OFF THE CLOCK features two coworkers with an age gap finding out that opposites really do attract and that first impressions aren’t always accurate. All the big emotions, small-town feels, and hot romance readers expect from this acclaimed author. While certain subplot threads continue throughout the series, each guaranteed happily ever after stands alone!

• Publisher: (July 25, 2024)

• Publication date: July 25, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 266 pages

Review: Deadly Little Sparrow (Mafia Bound Book 1) by K. M. Neuhold

Rating: 4.5🌈

Deadly Little Sparrow is K. M. Neuhold first book in the new Mafia Bound series and it’s one wild, sexy dark ride. It’s a great combination of revenge, romance, and a combustible red hot D/s relationship set in a crime family environment and potential territory fights.

All that and some well crafted, delicious characters made for a strong story that I didn’t put down until it was over.

The basis is the Italian crime family headed by Lorenzo Moretti. I suspect each member will have their own story but we start with their enforcer/assassin, the Angel of Death, Xaviaro Saviano. Deadly, calm, bespoke suits and Italian loafers. He’s extremely efficient and considered a member of the family. Everything in his life is just rote until he runs into trouble in the form of a revenge seeking Sparrow.

I enjoy the dichotomy between them. It’s the vibrating, smaller rage-filled Sparrow who fills the void and energy here, up against the almost rock like calm of the huge assassin. Until they actually clash, and the upheaval begins.

Their relationship is one of extraordinary chemistry, D/s, and it absolutely works. Neuhold weaves together their growing desire for each other, along with Sparrow’s hunt for revenge as well as how it’s impacting Xav’s job and professional dynamics. It’s multilayered and well executed.

The author introduces the readers to the rest of the family, exploring the Moretti universe and encroaching crime families, while also revealing more about Sparrow and Xaviaro’s own histories.

For readers who might be anticipating scenes of extreme violence, read the trigger warnings. However, I will say I believe that this is on the less extreme side of the dark spectrum when it comes to these kinds of fiction. That’s my opinion at any rate.

If I had a small quibble, it was that the end was tied up too tightly and quickly. After all that build up, it felt like the revenge aspect was rushed and reduced to a few moments. Did parts of it ring true? Yes, those responsible probably didn’t know what Sparrow was referring to. Too many crimes had passed. So maybe it did make sense to have it happen that way. You decide what you think.

I’m definitely recommending Deadly Little Sparrow and can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released. A absolute winner.

Great cover too. Definitely drew my attention!

Mafia Bound:

✓ Deadly Little Sparrow #1

◦ Beautifully Savage Butterfly #2 – Sept 6,2024

Buy link

Deadly Little Sparrow (Mafia Bound Book 1)

Blurb

Is there such thing as love at first bar fight?

I may be small and pretty, but what I lack in intimidation factor, I make up for in violence.

I made a vow five years ago that the motorcycle club responsible for my brother’s death would pay the price, and I’m finally ready to collect. May God have mercy on the men who hurt my brother, because I don’t plan to.

Accidentally breaking the nose of the deadliest man in the city wasn’t my best move. Xaviaro Saviano, trigger man for the Moretti Crime Family… and now my own personal stalker. But if I have to go through him to deliver well-deserved justice, so be it.

As strange as it sounds, Xaviaro seems to want to help me more than he wants to hurt me. I can’t shake the man no matter what I do. Threatening him feels like foreplay, tying him up only turns him on… I could play nice, but that’s never been my strong suit.

I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t starting to grow on me, especially when he calls me his Deadly Little Sparrow from his knees. I’ve never met a man who could handle me, let alone one who can’t stop begging me for more.

Can love and revenge live in the same heart? I guess there’s only one way to find out…

• Publication date: June 7, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 293 pages

Review: Sanctuary (On The Wind Book 1) by Sam Burns and W. M. Fawkes

Rating: 4.5🌈

It took a short time for me to find my way to really connecting with both of these characters in Sanctuary, Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes’ new book and series.

At first, Paris comes across as a cosseted, naive young nobleman who’s just lost his father, a man who is the hidden lover of the heir to the throne. But quickly, through the means of a political mission, the authors start him towards a journey of astonishing personal growth.

Paris travels to the land of Nemeda, where he’s to make a peace treaty with the unknown southern tribes, who are said to be bird worshippers. This is absolutely where the narrative pulls the reader into this amazing universe, giving us a window into his development as he opens up himself to new cultures, uses his ingenuity and knowledge to create opportunities for himself and to help others.

We get to watch him grow and fall in love with the person he’s becoming.

The same goes for head of the Hawk clan, Brett. Brett was a harder character for me to invest in to start. Part of this is the disconnect between the clan bird/Avatar and what this clan is known for. It also ties into Brett’s personality. They are the Hawk clan. However, instead of being known for their warrior spirit or their fierce nature, this clan is one of farmers and land oriented talents. It absolutely doesn’t match up with the Hawk as a species.

Other clans do match better with their namesake. Cranes, Ducks, Eagles and especially the Crows, all beautifully suited to their clan’s needs and abilities. So why stray so far off from the Hawk’s? As a someone in the field (wildlife biologist) this is an irritating factor, but not the only one. More on this at the end.

Anyway, Brett comes off as clueless or hapless as a clan leader when he first starts making his appearance in the novel. The worst of it involves how he’s handled the wife he was dealt with. This is a important storyline that will thread throughout the novel, especially how it’s handled by him at the beginning of the story. Does Brett improve in character development as the novel continues? Yes, but for me, this is a very weak beginning point.

Burns and Fawkes have just begun with their world building, as the various clans are introduced, along with their histories and the territorial/clan wars reveal themselves. So to the geographical and climate changes that are typical of each region that impacts each clan and kingdom. It’s fascinating, detailed, and gives depth to the characters in ways that makes them relatable.

I enjoyed and was very engaged with many of the other characters here, definitely wanting more of the Crow Clan and their fierce leader. There is so much more of the magical side to be explored. And that’s the spoilers side too that I won’t be going into. Fantastic if not wholly unexpected.

The relationship, slowly growing, the respect for each other’s privacy and culture is something I enjoyed watching unfold and look forward to seeing more of in future stories.

Finally, my last words to the authors (other writers too), please rethink wise owl usage. I can tell you that is absolutely not the case. A alpha predator? Positively. Fierce? Beyond measure. But wise? Nope, I blame Disney and that face! SMH. Let’s try to keep the owl more in tune with its natural behaviors, same as you do with the other birds here. With the exception of that pesky Hawk.

Otherwise, a terrific read and wonderful adventure.

On The Wind:

✓ Sanctuary #1

◦ Guardian #2 – TBD

Buy link

Sanctuary (On the Wind Book 1)

Blurb:

Paris’s path is clear, his future settled. He’s trained his whole life in politics and the running of a kingdom. He’s going to be an adviser to the future king, his beloved prince. But when his father dies unexpectedly, the current king takes the opportunity to get rid of him, sending him to the barbaric southern tribe lands of Nemeda as a diplomat.

No one has ever returned from the tribes alive.

But he won’t give up on true love. If it costs him everything, he’ll bargain his way back to the arms of Prince Tybalt. Only what he finds when he arrives in Nemeda is not what he expected. The tribes aren’t barbaric at all, and their chief is . . . well, Paris can’t be distracted by the man’s rugged beauty that easily. Can he?

• Publication date: June 13, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 340 pages

Review: Darkness by Eden Winters

Rating: 4.75🌈

Eden Winters new release, Darkness, is a superb supernatural thriller. Winters’ beautifully written narrative combines elements of horror, murder mystery, political conspiracy, as well as a deeply intriguing romance to create a dark, suspenseful, and gripping story.

It starts with Atlanta PD Det. Morrisey James. He’s a wounded, broken man, with a disturbing talent that allows him to sense what the newly deceased felt, a gift he keeps hidden in his job investigating violent crimes.

That’s where Winters drops the reader into the narrative. James and his partner have just arrived at the scene of a truly horrific crime, one that will have ramifications for the rest of the story. We immediately get a feel for Morrisey’s battered emotional state, the close dynamic between himself and his deeply depressed partner. And the author is able to portray, just from the remarks of the other crime scene officers, a city under siege as waves of high crime just overwhelm the police and all departments.

When tragedy strikes again and loss hits Morrisey, its help from Farren Austin that turns his life upside down.

The characters of Morrisey and Farren, the darkness and the light, are so thoughtfully and beautifully crafted. Winters builds believable people who we have real empathy for , but leaves them with so much more room to expand their characters into increasingly larger and complex roles.

I couldn’t stop reading. I was so caught up in Morrisey’s story, Farren’s role in it, each new revelation about all the various travelers and their tumultuous journeys from a dying world. Winters has enough elements for a series should she want to continue exploring the world and characters she has created and set in motion.

I wasn’t really ready for Darkness to be over as I felt the characters were just getting started with their own new beginning. There were also other characters I had grown fond of and needed to see more of them.

Whether this is a standalone or the beginning of an extraordinary series, it’s a great story and one I’m excited to share.

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY9ZJR45

Blurb

Darkness follows Lieutenant Morrisey James.

As an Atlanta PD detective, Morrisey understands the worst atrocities the city has to offer—or believes he does. His recent cases present something new: a killer who unleashes unbridled terror in victims before moving in for the kill. Morrisey has an edge, though, the terrifying ability to gain flashes of insight from each victim.

Most people assume Farren Austin is a shallow, pretty boy, but he’s so much more. Agent Austin keeps secrets as part of the FBI’s Alternate Entities Task Force, a unit created to monitor travelers from another realm. Although they might look human, they’re anything but.

And they’ve taken a special interest in Morrisey.

Partnered with Farren, Morrisey finds himself in the middle of demons trying to possess his body, a succubus sidekick who wants to cook him breakfast, accusations of being a powerful destructive force, and a growing number of people calling him “Darkness.” Not to mention a sudden overwhelming attraction to his new partner.

It’s going to take the mysterious Farren’s help to keep the latest case from being Morrisey’s last.

• Publication date: June 1, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 442 pages

Review: Fanboy (Hot Off the Ice Book 8) by A. E. Wasp

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I love the Hot Off the Ice series by A. E. Wasp and the latest novel, Fan Boy, is just a reminder why it’s so fun and well written.

Wasp’s storylines never forgets that these characters as well as the series are grounded firmly in the sport of professional ice hockey. The team dynamics, the sheer physicality of the players and what it takes to maintain their peak performance levels while also being able to have a personal life. That last part is as important to the team and players stability as their physical conditioning.

Over and over, it’s the players who lack a support system outside of the team that fumbles their respective lives, professional and personal. Wasp has been able to explore different personalities, team dynamics and positions, and couples so far. It’s been a fascinating journey for so many different players.

Now it’s Thunder forward Alex Huberdeau, a sweet, immensely gifted hockey player. He’s just been dumped by his longtime fiancée, someone he’s known since his high school days. He’s lonely in the enormous house he bought for them after they were married, and drifting in the aftermath of this rejection.

In typical, wonderful Wasp fashion, Alex has been crafted as a character we not only can care about immediately but as he reveals more of the depth of his personality and inner voice, we fall even more deeply in love with him.

The same goes for Sunny Gonzales, a nonbinary fashion designer who’s working for their friend’s Phoebe’s cafe as a barista. Sunny is a character who is beautifully fluid, vibrantly articulate who transforms their appearance through their incredible fashion designs. Sunny’s relationship with Alex is one that incorporates humor, wonder, surprise, and growth, especially as they help Alex adjust to a new sense of awareness about his own sexuality.

It’s beautiful romance and such a great storyline. It’s got personal exploration, splendid communication between not just the two main characters but their friends who are just as much a part of them and their relationship.

There’s also laugh out loud scenes, courtesy of Alex’s best friend and fellow teammate, Devin and another couple from a previous story. Just hilarious.

We actually get two couples here. Plus plus!

Would I have been happy for an additional chapter or two? Why, yes. I wasn’t ready for this to be over. But I was satisfied with the outcome and the ending.

Fanboy (Hot Off the Ice Book 8) by A. E. Wasp is a fantastic story and source of reading happiness. A definite recommendation.

Hot Off the Ice:

✓ City Boy #1

✓ Country Boy #2

✓ Skater Boy #3

✓ Boy Toys #4

✓ Boy Next Door #5

✓ Boys of Summer #6

✓ Bad Boys #7

✓ Fanboy #8

Buy link

Fanboy (Hot Off the Ice Book 8)

Blurb:

Fashion, fake dates, and real stakes. Sometimes the only way to win is to break all the rules.

After being dumped by his fiance, Thunder forward Alex Huberdeau finds himself questioning the game of love entirely. Clueless about dating, disinterested in flings, and unable to have a normal conversation with women, Alex is convinced something’s broken inside him.

Enter Sunny Gonzales—a nonbinary, proudly polyamorous, fashion designer desperately searching for a big break. While their creativity blooms, love seems a luxury that’s eluded them, shaded by their fears of a world quick to shun people who color outside the lines.

When Alex learns that Sunny needs a partner for a game show that could be the answer to their prayers, he leaps at the chance to help. In return, Sunny will teach him all they know about love and romance.

With only three weeks to learn all they can about each other, Sunny and Alex embark on a crash course that blurs the lines between friendship and romance. As feelings grow and the game show’s climax looms, Alex and Sunny must decide if they’re playing to win or playing for keeps.

Fanboy is a story about breaking binaries and subverting expectations. It contains questionable coffee drinks, zoot suits, a talking car, and unauthorized use of a hot tub.

• Publication date: April 15, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 200 pages

Review: Up All Night (Mount Hope Book 1) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 3.5🌈

Up All Night begins a new series called Mount Hope by Annabeth Albert about a small town near Portland, Oregon and a close knit group of longtime friends who have recently come back together.

Up All Night is described as a low-angst, small town romance, and it does work on that level. The small town community is nicely represented, especially through the diner’s various clientele and hospital staff.

I like the newly divorced older former fire captain, Sean Murphy, that Albert has created as a main character. He’s a very familiar figure, the sort of guy who’s recognizable around in a community. The divorced dad of now adult offspring, who is trying to make his way into a future he didn’t expect and isn’t ready for. He’s returning home to help out a recently widowed friend and father deal with the aftermath of his husband’s death. That’s a wonderfully sweet, compelling storyline.

Everything about Sean feels very real. Except for the fact that his wife, a scientist, late in their marriage, both discovers she’s asexual, and, also has a shot at a dream job in Antartica. So she ends the marriage, making Sean give up his dream of his job, sell his beloved Craftsman home, and leave the area. That’s a lot. All that fallout from the divorce and he’s not mad or even mildly irritated. He’s sad and confused. That feels like a problem.

That’s just one of the issues I’m having with the story and characters here. It’s that Albert can’t stop with the complications and drama but the story itself is supposed to be low angst and sort of low drama, sweet small town romance. The author’s words.

It’s pulls in separate directions narratively because of the consistent heavy loads the author writes onto her characters and plots. This makes several of the storylines feel under explored and understandably cut short in important elements. Not just in certain aspects of Sean’s personality.

There’s considerably more along these exact same lines.

Denver Rucker, the ex foster kid with huge abandonment issues, who is now one of the short order cooks at Honey’s Hotcake Hut. He’s the other main character and his problems with commitment run deep. There’s a small Dom/sub element here within the developing relationship between Denver and Sean’s as Sean enjoys exploring his sexuality as a gay man for the first time.

Yes, it’s also a sexual coming out, first times, sexual experience storyline. So much is packed into this book.

Foster care, foster children, giving children up for adoption, all those delicate topics are major themes here. The well defined family of their widower friend,Eric, all his four children (each one with their own well defined personality from jock to “neurospicy”) came from the foster care system. But that’s not gone into detail here.

Then there is Denver himself, whose background is painful and left him emotionally vulnerable. And there is another , lesser established thread of substance abuse, that flows through several characters as too. Sometimes it’s just a sentence about no longer using/drinking something.

But again, in a low angst story, to introduce such emotional, and potentially triggering topics in a way that’s underwhelming or not thoroughly explored, doesn’t make sense. For me as a reader, either commit fully to a more complex story and well developed narrative. Or realize that, for a contemporary low angst, low drama romance, a little less complexity/issues in the characters history and relationships journey is just fine.

I like many aspects of the story, like the characters and relationships , whether it’s romantic or the friendship between the group of men. But for each of the pluses, I get a scene that will raise a question about the character or a relationship. Such as a feeling of homophobia that comes from Sean’s son but left unanswered.

Or, smh, that Albert has the younger offspring Wren, in the story, find and put a turtle in a small tank for observation purposes, possibly adding another. That’s my button being pushed.

If you can’t write animals in a manner that is satisfying (continuity in letting main animal characters exist right up to the end of the story) or in a way that’s realistic and respectful, please don’t. It might be a small thing, but reptiles ,especially native turtles, are increasingly endangered and it’s discouraged to take them for pets or any reason. PSA over

Up All Night (Mount Hope Book 1) by Annabeth Albert was on some levels, a nice romantic story, a good start on a new series . In the other hand, it was overpacked with too many sensitive issues, potentially triggering themes and emotionally charged scenes that were, imo, not fully explored or developed for this book and it’s overall low angst storyline.

Read it because you are a fan of the author, love a new series by, or any of the many themes here.

Mount Hope:

✓ Up All Night #1

◦ Off The Clock #2

Buy link:

Up All Night (Mount Hope Book 1)

Blurb:

What happened to my predictable life?

I had a stable life as a fire captain in Seattle, married to one of my best friends and raising two awesome kids. Now, my kids are grown, and my marriage is toast. I’m solidly past forty and back in my tiny hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, filling in as a firefighter. My future is one big question mark keeping me up at night.

Also keeping me up? The short-order cook at Honey’s Hotcake Hut.

Denver might be close to my age, but we’re total opposites. The former rock roadie runs from stability, never puts down roots, and lives for the moment. Point in case, we barely speak before he invites me into his shower.

I’ve never been with a man, but my fresh start has me trying all sorts of new things—including Denver’s shower.

Our future? Hopeless.

Denver doesn’t do repeats, but I convince him to have a fling since we’re both in Mount Hope short-term. The more time we spend together, the deeper our friendship and bond grows. Our time together outside of the bedroom, reveals a caring side to the grumpy cook. Even better, my sunshine-y optimism softens him like butter.

Should a fling give me these deep feelings? Nope.

Worse, the feelings are mutual. Big decisions loom for both our futures, and our time together grows short. I might have Denver’s heart, but his trust is far harder to win. He’s the answer to all my question marks, and I need him to believe in us. Can I convince him to give our love a chance?

UP ALL NIGHT features a grumpy/sunshine pairing for a forty-something firefighter on a path of self-discovery with an UP ALL NIGHT short-order cook. It contains loads of first-time feels with sexual awakening and exploration with a heaping helping of personal growth and deep connection for this opposites-attract couple.

• Publisher: (March 28, 2024)

• Publication date: March 28, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 282 pages

Review: The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil: Diabolic Romance Book One by MN Bennet

Rating: 4.5🌈

I love it when I hit a literary trifecta. A new author, new book, and a new series in one swoop. That’s what I’ve done with the wonderfully devilish romance, The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil: Diabolic Romance Book One by MN Bennet.

MN Bennet, an author new to me, weaves an imaginative story about an awkward young mage whose magnificent mind works much better than his ability to actually master any magical spells . Wally is instantly someone who a reader can relate to and invest in emotionally. He’s spends his days categorizing, cataloging, analyzing, and in some cases, working on the magical artifacts of an enormous collection of a University’s archives. A collection that happens to include an orb containing the Devil Beelzebub or Bez, who was captured by the mage who owns the archive.

Wally and Bez have an interesting history and the storyline that follows is a fast-paced, high action mystery that includes several plot twist and turns. What an absolute treasure!

It’s all enemies, then frenemies, and then as circumstances and personal revelations pull them closer, Wally and Bez become, realistically by this time, something much more.

The author does a great job in building the story and the characters relationship, giving them and us slow reveals about each other’s own journey to their current situations. Both get to show growth and continued depth of development in their respective personalities and their relationship.

It ends , as it should, in a HFN. There’s another story coming and I can’t wait.

I’m putting this out there as a definitive recommendation! It is a great ride!

Diabolic Romance:

✓ The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil #1

◦ The Misfit Mage and His Darling Demon #2 – June 10,2024

Buy link

The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil: Diabolic Romance Book One

Blurb

Apprentice mage Wally spends his days cataloging rare artifacts and dreaming about finally mastering his magics and living the adventures he’s always desired. Bez, a once mighty devil who craves the freedom of the outside world again, despises his confinement inside a powerful object. His only company now comes from the mages working within the archives he’s stored. Among them, the most annoying of them all, an anxious and considerate Walter.

When the archive is attacked, Wally and Bez each seize the opportunity to achieve their dreams—and inadvertently create a magical link between them. With so many lives lost in this assault on the mage headquarters, Wally’s connection to a dangerous devil makes him a threat and a target, forcing the pair on the run. Wally sees Bez as a sadistic devil, and Bez finds every word out of the mage’s mouth grating. Even so, they’ll have to work together to unravel the true threat in the city or they won’t live long enough to enjoy the lives they’ve both desperately wanted.

• Publisher: (October 9, 2023)

• Publication date: October 9, 2023

• Language: English

• Print length: 348 pages

Review: The Earl and the Executive: An Imperial Space Regency Novel by Kai Butler

Rating: 4🌈

As a long time fan of the novels of Georgette Heyer, I’ve loved to see the trope of regency romance given various interpretations by other writers, whether it’s keeping the stories within the same genre‘s era but in a LGBTQIA framework. Or, as Butler and a few others have , taken Regency Romance right into Space and beyond!

The Earl and the Executive is the first of three released Imperial Space Regency novels by Butler, a must read author for me. And I wasn’t aware that these books were available.

The story of Tiral Oican , newly poor, newly made heir to the family’s title, lands and much indebtedness, and his desperate attempt to save his family is a lovely classic Regency tale. It’s got all the expected appeal, twists, and elements we hope to see out of our Regency romances.

Tiral is a brilliant engineer who’s having to give up his career as a professional aeromech designer/engineer/professor at a university to become the head of his family, the Earl of Gret , albeit an extremely poor one once they discover the dead brother has mortgaged the estate to the hilt.

Like many a regency romance, Tiral finds there’s nought to do but offer yourself up to a rich family for marriage. Let the games begin!

Butler’s space tale plays by the rules of romance by bringing in a self made, handsome billionaire in disguise, Zev. Zev has a complex history and background. I wish he had been more fully explored than he came across. At least as far as family and the people around him. Tiral is a fully developed person and that extends to his family and friends.

Outside of the romance, the world building is fascinating in how Butler combines a variety of tropes , pulling together a diverse range of ideas and sciences to create the foundation this exists within.

There’s several types of investigations. Business, law enforcement, or just nosy! Butler has thrown in Steampunk inspired inventions, Regency dress (of course), as well as people with augmented features. And it all comes together smoothly.

Zev’s pursuit of Tiral towards the end was a bit frustrating but more in keeping with the tradition of this particular style of romance.

I absolutely enjoyed The Earl and the Executive: An Imperial Space Regency Novel by Kai Butler and am going through to the next in the series.

It’s a definite yes as a recommendation!

Imperial Space Regency series:

✓ The Earl and the Executive #1

◦ The Barony Bet #2

◦ The Inconvenient Count #3

Buy link

The Earl and the Executive: An Imperial Space Regency Novel

Blurb

An impoverished earl…

Tiral Oican has inherited his brother’s title, estate, and the tremendous debt his brother took out before his unexpected death. There is only one option to save the estate and all the people who are now depending on him: marry a rich heir who is willing to pay off the debt in exchange for Tiral’s title.

Now, scholarly Tiral must transform himself into a seductive fortune hunter. The only way he can see through the mess is by hiring a tutor in love. It’s too bad that Zev is so good at his job that Tiral is falling for him.

And a rich entrepreneur…

To protect his heart, Zev Laft has spent years fooling the ton into believing he’s no more than an entertaining flirtation. He just didn’t expect the ruse to work so well that the newest penniless earl to arrive on Lus for the season would assume him a demimonde and try to hire him to be his instructor in courtship.

Now one of richest men in the empire finds himself struggling to keep up the façade, when his own heart is being taken by a man he has no intention of marrying.

The Earl and the Executive is a slow burn stand alone 90,000 word MM Regency Romance Novel set in space with a HEA.

• Publisher: Kai Butler (April 6, 2020)

• Publication date: April 6, 2020

• Language: English

• Print length: 288 pages

Science Fiction Romance

Regency Historical Romance