Tag: Scattered Thoughts Highly Recommended

Review: A Gilded Iron Blade ( San Amara Investigations #3) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

A Gilded Iron Blade is a gripping story where you absolutely must have read all the preceding books in the series. There’s just no way Kai Butler can bring a new reader up to date within this ever expanding, utterly complicated universe and series arc in a story and still carry out their vision for the book.

I’m a total fan of this series and sometimes it’s a task, albeit a very happy one, for me to remember all the various characters, the politics (on Earth and in the other Realms), the amazingly labyrinthine character histories and relationship dynamics. Plus , thanks to a author with a flexible and imaginative mind, each story is a dramatic and emotionally exciting journey to a higher new stage of development for everyone involved.

It’s normally a more frightening one as well.

In A Gilded Iron Blade, Parker Ferro, has assumed , unwillingly, the all important title and role of the Windrose, high judge and arbitrator for the Other Realms, one’s that now include the Dark one. As well as the one tasked with making sure nothing happens to new The World Tree which is still reestablishing itself with its portals and enemies.

Parker Ferro is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve read. His history is tortured and still much as mystery to himself and others. His dysfunctional childhood impacts all his relationships and decisions, often for the worst. And yet just when you may want to throttle him (Butler’s characters feel totally alive that you believe in them), then he sees in something or someone a greater pain , or makes a step forward in his growth that shows such utter emotional depth you’ve confounded and committed even greater to his journey. Wherever that’s taking him, you, and those around him.

And it’s quite a group of found family he’s gathering up there as well. Not just his conflicted Detective boyfriend, Nick, an alchemist who’s family has a way of negatively impacting their lives as well as Nick’s career.

A Gilded Iron Blade follows the events from the battle for the World Tree , new and old enemies, new storylines and characters.

Layers upon layers. No things aren’t getting any easier for anyone. In fact, there’s a character death here. It’s logical but it’s not any less devastating.

Kai Butler is ramping up the excitement, the suspense, and the heart stopping events as new mysteries are just about to appear.

This was an awesome, wildly entertaining, imaginative, and gripping story. It was emotional and I was invested in Parker’s growth, as well as his many relationships with Nick, and his family.

I can’t wait for the next book to be released.

Until then, I’m highly recommending this series and story. Read them in the order they are written to understand the events and characters histories and relationships.

San Amara Investigations Series:

◦ A Haunting at Midnight #0.5

◦ A Debt Unpaid #0.75

✓ Wormwood Summer #1

✓ A Belated Burial #1.5

✓ The Oak Wood Throne #2

✓ A Gilded Iron Blade #3

◦ A Shattered Silver Crown #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Gilded Iron Blade (San Amaro Investigations #3) by Kai Butler – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Saving the city was supposed to be the hard part…

Parker Ferro can’t catch a break. After saving San Amaro from destruction for the second time and reconciling with his boyfriend, his current plans are to relax on his couch until his ears stop ringing.

Unfortunately, the thousand realms he just saved have a way of yanking him back into service and the dead have come back to haunt him. When he’s called in by the SAPD to consult on the murder of an anti-paranormals protestor killed with fae magic, Parker is caught up in an intricate political web that was spun long before he was ever born.

Now Parker has to unravel the mystery behind the murder and untangle old family secrets before irreversible damage is done to his new friends and alliances. At least this time, he’ll hopefully have some help…

A Gilded Iron Blade is a 100k MM urban fantasy with a HFN and an ongoing storyline.

Review: How to Shield an Assassin (Unholy Trifecta #1) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

When I find a author I love , I’m like someone who’s been given a wonderful gift! So it’s with an unbridled enthusiasm that I attack everything in their catalog!

That’s the manner in which I came upon A.J. Sherwood’s Unholy Trifecta series! Honestly I wish I had more control because I binge read them all in one night.

Sigh.

But what a great night that was!

Each book gives a very memorable team member their happy ever after.

It sort of reads like a off bar joke..

There was an assassin, a thief, and a hacker…..

But in this case they form a found family….of criminals.

First up is Malvagio . Italian for Wicked. Also known as Ari Benelli, expert assassin.

When we meet him, he’s completing a job in Memphis and being followed. But the surprise is who is following him. It’s a 8-year old girl. One who’s been badly beaten.

The child abuse in the story has already occurred. We see the results scattered across the child’s face and body. Our imaginations fill in the rest.

This is also our first meeting with the girl who will become the glue to pull together the found family that’s to come. She’s Remi. Or will become Remi.

Events escalate quickly as Ari acquires a daughter and Remi a dad. I’ll let the reader find out how.

One aspect of this story is that the emotional damage Remi has experienced is never made light of. Throughout the story, her actions and words , which indicate to others that she’s still deeply traumatized , are taken notice of. And it’s mentioned that she’s in need of more help then they are giving her. I think that such a responsibility to show that the damage inflicted by child abuse doesn’t just vanish because they’ve been given a better living situation.

Kudos to the author here for that aspect of the story and her character.

The other members of the found family are folded in, Eidolon or Ivan the thief, and K or Kyou the Hacker. We get a great feeling and read on all of them through their interactions with the new family of Ari and Remi.

As all that is happening, so is the overall story arc of of art theft and new character intro of mercenary, Carter Harrison. That’s Ari’s love interest and he’s a wonderful one.

Carter’s a grand character who’s chemistry with the walled up Ari is perfect. This couple is so able to pull you into their world it’s hard to remember, one’s a mercenary and the other an assassin, with a daughter.

The crime is complicated, well thought out, and intelligent. I loved reading it and could see it acted out on screen. It’s a white knuckle hold your breath deal!

The ending was a little soft as I kept thinking something else was going to happen. But it’s just as well. Because the author has plans for it later on.

Suspense, humor, pathos, relationship dynamics that resonates…Sherwood put it all out there… in a criminal found family.

What a great suspenseful story and fantastic romance! Love the couple and found family, especially Remi.

Add this book and series to your TBR list. I’m highly recommending them.

Oh, make sure to read the short after the ending. It’s Remi’s POV on that night. Stunning.

Unholy Trifecta series:

✓ How to Shield an Assassin #1

✓ How To Steal a Thief #2

✓ How to Hack a Hacker #3

Now live on Amazon!

Synopsis;

It’s not stealing if you’re stealing it back….

Ari had a game plan for life. Shoot people. Get money. Hang out with fellow criminal friends. He saw absolutely no reason to change that plan until one dark night in Memphis, when a little girl reached out to him with pocket change and a desperate plea for him to help her.

Adopting an abused little girl off the streets was, needless to say, not part of the plan.

Ari has no idea what to do with an eight year old. Things get more complicated when a mercenary, Carter Harrison, approaches him with a job. He needs Ari’s expertise to get into the very high-security museum and steal back Monet’s “Water Lily Pond.”

The job isn’t an easy one. It will take more than the two of them to make it happen. The situation is further complicated because Ari’s not sure what to do with his new daughter while working this job. And for that matter, how’s he supposed to handle the sexy mercenary?

Tags:

Not child safe but child approved, children know best, Remi approves this book, idiots in love, but Remi loves them anyway, criminals make the best uncles, family of choice, Ari acknowledges Remi as the smarter one, Carter admits his own insanity, nothing blows up, Ivan is very disappointed by this, Kyou has PLANS for Remi, licking solves all problems, bedsheets, lifeskills, children should come with warning labels, it’s not stealing if you’re stealing it BACK, right?, the author once again regrets nothing

Review: The Viking and the Drag Queen (Campo Royale #1) by V. L. Locey

Rating: 4.5 🌈

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

◦ The Chanteuse and the Soldier #5 – coming 2023

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Viking and the Drag Queen (Campo Royale, #1) by V.L. Locey – Goodreads

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.

Review: The Stopping Place by Lily Morton

Rating: 4.5🌈

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.

I’m highly recommending it.

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Stopping Place by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

Review: Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum (Jon’s Mysteries #3) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.75🌈

Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum is the penultimate novel in this series and one that brings the emotional elements that have kept Jon’s deep insecurities about himself and his ability to have a person willing to commit themselves to him, given his gifts, at play. Yes, it’s all about Jon’s past history and his family.

That element is neatly woven into a complicated case about a historic house and a missing corpse.

Sherwood takes a long look at multiple relationships here. Doesn’t matter whether they be in the past, in the present, or one’s looking towards their future together. All get inspected under the author’s narrative lens, to see how each one , each decision made with regard towards a making or breaking a relationship impacted those now.

It’s an emotionally painful for everyone, cathartic for some, devastating for others. For Jon it lead him forward, letting him move into another stage of his relationship with Donovan and his own family.

I love where Sherwood is leading us with this story and it’s elements. The growth in the main characters and new depth to their relationships just makes the book. Along with a great mystery of course!

This is one novel where too much detail in the review gives away too many revelations coming in the story. Even one spoiler is one too many.

This is a tremendously gratifying journey and series. We have another to go.

See you at the series finale. Until then, I’m highly recommending Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum (Jon’s Mysteries #3) by A.J. Sherwood .

Love the author! Read the series in the order they are written!

Jon’s Mysteries series:

✓ Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case #1

✓ Jon’s Crazy Head-Boppon’ Mystery #2

✓ Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum #3

◦ Jon’s Boom Shaka Laka Problem #4

✓ Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas

Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

Synopsis:

I’ve investigated some pretty strange cases in my life, but I have to say this is a first. A corpse—a murder victim—has gone missing during the middle of an investigation, and no one has any clue where it went. Psy is called in to clear the investigative team, make sure they’re not an accomplice. It’s a four hour drive outside of Nashville, to a place famous for being haunted, so none of us are particularly eager to go.

And then we arrive on scene and I see who we’re dealing with and I want nothing more than to turn around and go right back to Nashville.

This case is complicated and strange, and absolutely nothing is as it seems at first glance. Even with my eyes, it’s going to take some digging to get to the truth.




Tags:

haunted house, disappearing corpses, not in a zombie way, Donovan doesn’t do ghosts, family drama, because families are complicated, muuuuurder, bareback sex, terrible parenting, Donovan puts up with a lot to say the least, developing relationship, Garrett’s a good bro, sometimes, yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, FINALLY, healthy life choices, possibly wrong forensics, I don’t even know, I tried, no ghosts were harmed in the making of this story, supernatural elements, the author regrets nothing

Review: Pretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5🌈

I’ll start my review much the same as the author did. With trigger warnings.

Pretty Poison deals with some very traumatic issues. The main character of Rocky continues to suffer from PTSD, the emotional damage he carries deep from the trauma inflicted from a murder-suicide that occurred while he was on a case. That case and all that occurs happens in the Prologue. And while it’s not overly graphic, it’s emotionally disturbing enough to cause distress or harm for those people for whom it’s a trigger and anyone that might feel anxiety. That is something Rocky is also dealing with.

Pretty Poison is full of serious elements that get a extremely thorough examination without it feeling like a scientific lecture. In Mr Perfect, we learned of Rocky’s husband and a mention of Vegas wedding. But now we get to see the events that brought Rocky and his husband together but also devastated their marriage and his career.

It’s the detritus of a broken marriage that’s strewn across chapters as we learn , bit by bit, everything that tore them apart, just as the current case is bringing them back together.

Just a masterful job of characterization and writing.

In between we also have the ongoing heartbreak of knowing that Miss Marla is dying and the community is doing everything they can not to mourn as she’s asked. She’s still the fabulous heart of this series and the one the men turn to for hugs, love, irreverent advice,and an amazing casserole.

The case of Tess Hamilton that the men are investigating is as fascinating and labyrinthine as the others. It’s full of implications for each man’s past, reflections on redemption and forgiveness, and the ability to recover and heal to move forward.

Pretty Poison is an emotional journey and an extraordinary story. It’s an incredibly gratifying way to wrap up the Sinister in Savannah trilogy. Even more so since the author has promised to revisit this universe with stories for characters we met in each of the three novels who also deserve further attention.

I can’t wait. But I’m so happy to leave the men, their partners and Miss Marla here, in Savannah at this point in time.

This is a truly amazing series and shouldn’t be missed. Read them in the order they were written for the character, and series arc development.

I’m highly recommending all three.

Sinister in Savannah series:

✓ Ride the Lightning #1

✓ Mr. Perfect #2

✓ Pretty Poison #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showPretty Poison (Sinister in Savannah, #3) by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Redemption seeker. Chameleon. Damaged heart.

By day, Rocky Jacobs is a private investigator. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, a true-crime podcast, with his two best friends. Rocky’s life revolves around three principles: possessing skill is better than having luck, a man’s reputation is everything, and there’s no sacrifice too great for those you love.

Is Tess Hamilton pretty poison or just unlucky in love?

That’s the question the trio of trouble will try to uncover. This investigation strikes a little too close to home for one of them. Tess, a woman accused of killing her three husbands, has been tried and convicted in the media, something Rocky knows all too well. When their investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, Rocky will keep digging. Is it because he believes in her innocence? Or does Rocky hope to find redemption for himself by achieving it for Tess?

A stagnant case turns out to be the least of his problems.

What happens in Vegas never truly stays stay there. For fifteen months, Rocky has been running from a tragedy that shattered his life and countless others. The most painful casualty was the destruction of his marriage to Asher Dunleavy. When the sexy federal marshal turns up in Savannah, Rocky is reminded of his greatest love and deepest regret. Every minute spent in Asher’s presence makes him yearn for the life they lost. Will Rocky drown in the sorrows of what might’ve been or fight for what could be?

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. Pretty Poison is book three of three. While each novel is written about a different couple, the series should be read in order due to continuing storylines. Sinister in Savannah is an LGBT romantic suspense series with mature language and sexual content intended for adults eighteen and older.

Trigger warning: the main character struggles with PTSD resulting from an investigation involving a murder-suicide. While the content is not overly graphic, it could still cause emotional harm to some readers. One of Rocky’s side effects is anxiety, which may trigger similar reactions in those battling the disorder. As with the murder-suicide scene, I avoided being too graphic with his attacks.

Review: Hell and Gone by Tal Bauer

Rating: 5 🌈

I’m thrilled to see Tal Bauer branching out into the western genre. Hell and Gone is the second western novel I’ve read of his. The first being the terrific Never Stay Gone, the beginning of his new Texas Rangers series.

Prior to these stories, it was Bauer’s excellent espionage or political thrillers I knew him by.

But extending his world of law enforcement characters to include those branches of western police such as Stock Detectives, Range Detectives, and Brand Inspectors is not only exciting but in an age where cattle rustling is close to a multi million dollar business, a section of criminal activity rarely covered outside of historic novels. As the author himself tells us these officers can be called upon to assist federal, state and local agencies investigations or arrests. No matter what they may be for.

And the American west covers a lot of territory.

Here it’s a section of Montana and a mountain range known as the Crazies. Bauer’s writing has never been finer or emotionally deep when describing the wildness of this land and the soul deep hold it has on the men here. The gritty harshness of ranch life high in the Crazies that runs along side the Incredible wild beauty of the mountains speaks to the reader on every page.

The men are tough, hard, filled with pain. Torn by life, damaged, filled with rage , and yet still capable of great sweetness.

Everett Dawson is one shut down man until he arrives at his new assignment, his first as a Stock Detective. His background, his damage, come through in trickles, pulled from him by his case and the one man demanding Everett look beyond the easy answers everyone else is giving him.

That’s the amazing character of Lawrence Jackson. All fire, rage, competence, and sheer belief in himself and his knowledge of the land, Law burns off the page, igniting the story and Everett’s case.

It’s a matter of conflagration!

The investigation is scary, tumultuous and one long white knuckle horse back ride. It’s so suspenseful that you literally find yourself holding your breath.

There’s violence, high action, murder , and a fantastic resolution.

Law and Everett make an outstanding, fascinating couple. One I’d love to see made into a series with Stock Detective as the focus agency.

Hope Bauer is listening.

In the meantime, what a marvelous exciting new tale, full of rarely explored sectors of law enforcement and amazing descriptions of a pristine area of Montana.

I’m highly recommending Hell and Gone by Tal Bauer. Don’t miss it or the author!

https://www.goodreads.com › showHell and Gone by Tal Bauer – Goodreads

Synopsis:

One hanged man.
Two vanished cowboys.
Three hundred missing cattle.
The Crazy Mountains are devouring everything they see.


Everett Dawson, Montana’s newest Stock Detective, has been sent from Helena down to the Crazy Mountains. Cattle are going missing in the Crazies and Everett is charged with finding these modern-day rustlers and bringing them in.

When he arrives, he finds a hanged cowboy and a heap of questions. Was it suicide or was it murder? Why are cowboys fleeing the Crazies? Far from a simple investigation, Everett’s case plunges deep into the mountains’ dark past.

Lawrence Jackson, the bad boy who runs the Lazy Twenty Two, was the last man to see the dead cowboy alive. There’s a whole forest fire of smoke swirling around Lawrence, and where there’s smoke, there’s flame… and maybe even murder.

But Everett is drawn to Lawrence, and if he takes the risk Lawrence offers, will Everett find what he craves, or will the Crazies claim their next victim?

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

Rating: 4.75🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harrisburg Railers: 15 books

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

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

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

Synopsis:

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

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

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

Family becomes rivals—but love always wins.

Review: Mr. Perfect (Sinister in Savannah #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker

Rating: 5🌈

I wasn’t aware when I started the Sinister in Savannah series that each novel would feature one of the three men and close friends who run the podcast of the same title as this series.

All three books have Savannah as their atmospheric and historic heart. The series also has the formidable and magnificent Miss Marla as its heart, for the men and the community.

After that first book belongs to Jonas St John and his romance with Avery, along with an outstanding murder mystery.

The reverberations from that case carries over into Mr Perfect and Felix Franklin. Felix, an Investigative reporter, is and has been, due to their past history, at fierce odds with news anchor, Jude Arrow.

Another case brings Felix and the Sinister in Savannah team investigating local businesses, including one that brings Felix back into association with Jude.

Walker always points a microscopic lens towards whatever major character is involved in the story, peeling back layers to reveal the heart of the person beneath the facade or walls they’ve established. For Felix , it’s getting to see the damage done growing up extremely destitute with an unstable mother dealing with issues of addiction. A target for bullying, it left him , with no friends or idea of a home life. How he grew into the man he became is told over as their shared history is remembered.

The complicated mysteries, yes more than one, Felix and Jude’s emotionally fraught reunion, … it’s all folded into a tapestry of warm community stories, the main one being Miss Marla.

We are always aware that the clock is ticking down for that glorious person and every time Miss Marla is with us on the page is something to be savored.

That’s how real everyone feels here.

Aimee Nicole Walker doesn’t paint her narratives in black and white but in tones of greys and washes of color throughout the spectrum of the rainbow. It takes into account both life’s fragility and strengths, where people fail and where they struggle to pick themselves back up again.

There’s another connecting series to this so once finished here I’m onto that one.

But I’m not done here yet and neither is the author.

What a wonderful thing.

I’m highly recommending Mr. Perfect and Sinister in Savannah.

Read them in the order they are written.

Sinister in Savannah series:

✓ Ride the Lightning #1

✓ Mr. Perfect #2

◦ Pretty Poison #3

https://www.goodreads.com › showMr. Perfect (Sinister in Savannah, #2) by Aimee Nicole Walker – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Word-slinger. Purveyor of truth. Jaded heart.

By day, Felix Franklin is an investigative journalist. By night, he produces Sinister in Savannah, an investigative podcast, with his two best friends. Felix’s life revolves around three principles: fortune favors the bold, honesty is everything, and love is for schmucks.

The podcast is back to investigate allegations that a local businessman is dabbling in money laundering. On the surface, everything about Cameron Spencer, aka The Auto King, appears to be perfect. The trio of trouble quickly learns all that glitters is not gold. Seeking the truth will challenge Felix’s convictions and put his life in grave danger. The biggest threat to his well-being isn’t an unknown villain; it’s the reappearance of his first and only love.

Jude Arrow had it all: great looks, charming personality, and a lucrative career as Atlanta’s hottest news anchor. So, why had he recently relocated to Savannah? When the two reporters are forced to work together, Felix will get a chance to ask him. The answer will stun Felix until he remembers not to believe anything that comes out of the heartbreaker’s pretty mouth.

Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and just as conflicting as the battle of wills that ensues. Will the chip on Felix’s shoulder save him from trusting Mr. Wrong or ruin his chances with Mr. Perfect?

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. Mr. Perfect is book two of three. While each book is written about a different couple, the series should be read in order due to continuing storylines. Sinister in Savannah is an LGBT romantic suspense series with mature language and sexual content intended for adults eighteen and older.

Review: Jon’s Crazy Head-Boppon’ Mystery (Jon’s Mysteries #2) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

What I appreciate about Sherwood’s mysteries is the layers she writes into them. We get Jon’s team exhibiting their unique talents, not just Jon.

Then we do get another of Jon’s abilities, and the physical and emotional aftermath of its use.

Which then plays into the furthering growth of Jon’s and Donovan’s relationship and dynamic. A growth and change that always triggers bouts of self doubt and insecurities within Jon.

All this while the overlying mystery plays out around them.

There’s also the multiple secondary relationships charging in and out of their lives. Garrett and Sho, to be exact, another couple slowly working things out as well as the complex Bane family dynamics.

By the end of the story, Sherwood has tied up her many storylines beautifully. The mystery has a nicely complicated ending. Jon and Donovan are taking their relationship to another major stage.

And the reader? Happy and extremely satisfied.

And ready for the next story to come.

I’m highly recommending this book and series.

What a reading pleasure!

Jon’s Mysteries series:

✓ Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case #1

✓ Jon’s Crazy Head-Boppon’ Mystery #2

◦ Jon’s Spooky Corpse Conundrum #3

◦ Jon’s Boom Shaka Laka Problem #4

✓ Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas

https://www.goodreads.com › showJon’s Crazy Head-Boppin’ Mystery by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

Synopsis:

I’m rather used to the crazy cases, because let’s face it, most cops can handle the run-of-the-mill with their eyes closed. I’m only called in when the situation is weird or they need to solve the case fast.

This case is a little of both.

Someone’s attacking women as they get off of work, hitting them in the back of the head. What started as a case of battery has steadily built up to homicide. With three murders, six victims, and no leads, the Clarksville PD are desperate to catch the assailant. But there’s no real leads for us to follow, either, and for once my eyes can’t really help.

A madman running around attacking women is bad enough, but the police are demanding answers we can’t give them, and they’re not taking no for an answer. It’s pushing us all past our limits, and frankly, I don’t know what’s going to break first: The case or Donovan’s patience.

Tags:

Explicit sexual content, Relationships, Loss of control, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Domestic, Tenderness, Tooth-rotting fluff, (I didn’t know that was a tag until just now), POV Alternating, Women being awesome, Protectiveness, The fluffiest mystery you’ll ever read, I mean really this is just ridiculous, Bisexuality, Size Difference, Communication, Holding Hands, Healthy Relationships, Pansexual Character, Donovan is Boss AF, Jon is so smitten it’s embarrassing, Aftercare, Jon what are you getting yourself into?, Violence, Because they’re detectives duh, bit of pain, That sounds terrible, it’s brief I promise, Snuggles heal all the pains, most pain, some pain?, Jon basically has to deal with everyone wanting to cuddle him, cuddle porn