Tag: Scattered Thoughts Highly Recommended

Review: Cherry on Top: a MM Fake Boyfriend Standalone (Indigo Bay) by Beth Bolden

Rating: 4.5🌈

Beth Bolden’s intense, passionate Italian American Moretti family stretches over two series, sorry, three, as cousin Rocco is heading off to Christmas Falls towards the end.

The Moretti family, brothers or cousins, can be found as chefs or restauranteurs in the wonderful Food Truck Warriors and now in her Indigo Bay novels. And as I mentioned even more.

While these books are listed as standalone, they really aren’t as they need the foundation of the preceding novel to give the reader depth of understanding of the characters, their history, and the setting of Indigo Bay from the perspective of both stories.

Here, it’s Enzo Moretti, a character who was introduced to readers in Sweet as Pie #1, but returning home (temporarily) older and as an established mural artist . He’s separated himself from the Moretti family culinary path, and has tried to do the same with his own life by his absence.

I thought Bolden, who always does an exemplary job of layering her characters, has made Enzo a person to relate to with his complicated family dynamics and own troubled journey to maturity . The author is also able to let us see into his artistic passion and processes as he creates the mural so important to the story and town.

Oliver Billings fled Florida and his family food business to move to Indigo Bay, opening up a fantastic ice cream shop, Cherry’s. Oliver is just as much a beautifully written character as the man he’s being paired with. The recipes are mouthwatering, the shop and employees are believable, and this stressed out, hard working man is a delight to watch get his HEA.

Of course, this starts as a fake boyfriend trope but Bolden’s chemistry between the two is palpable and real. Also great are all the other people who live and are necessary for the story and their relationship. Mothers, families, friends. Just perfect.

I hope Bolden will give us Rocco’s story too. And further adventures of the Moretti family. I’m so invested.

Connected Series:

Food Truck Warriors

Christmas Falls

Indigo Bay:

Sweet as Pie #1

Cherry on Top #2

Buy Link:

Cherry on Top: a MM Fake Boyfriend Standalone (Indigo Bay)

Blurb

When Enzo Moretti’s mom lures him home to paint one of his famous murals in Indigo Bay, he expects an awkward family reunion.

Not an awkward matchmaking attempt.

And not Will Johnson, the new owner of Cherry’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor and it turns out, also who she’s been boasting to about all Enzo’s perfect qualities.

He’s perfectly embarrassed, all right.

When Will suggests pretending to date might be easier than fighting his determined mama, Enzo knows he should say no. That Will is as tasty as his frozen desserts doesn’t matter. Enzo isn’t staying.

Instead, he plans a series of very public romantic dates. Dates that only end up proving that, yes, Will is as sweet as his ice cream, and no, Enzo isn’t as immune to romantic entanglements as he thought. The longer they continue the charade, the less it feels like a game of pretend and more like a truth he can’t avoid.

But can Enzo really admit his mom got it right—and stay in the town he’s always wanted to leave? It’ll be tough to live down that “I told you so.”

Even tougher to leave Will behind.

Because what he never expected is for Will to be the cherry on top of this matchmaking sundae. He’s one tasty treat Enzo never wants to finish.

• Publication date: July 12, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 313 pages

INDIGO BAY series:

🔹Sweet as Pie #1 – Luca Moretti is very grumpy. Not just about his six younger siblings, or the four Italian restaurants he runs for his family, but about Oliver, who not only seduces him with all his delectable baked goods, but just so happens to be sweet as pie.”

🔹Cherry on Top #2 – When Enzo Moretti’s mother lures him home to paint a mural in his hometown, he doesn’t expect her awkward matchmaking attempts. Or that the source of them is Will Johnson: the very cute new owner of Cherry’s Ice Cream Parlor. But the last thing he expects is for Will to suggest they fake a few dates to get his mother off their backs. Or that he’ll enjoy them quite so much.

Review: Marrying Mr Majestic by Lucy Lennox

Rating: 4.75🌈

I really told myself no more billionaire character romances. But, I’m a sucker for the Wake Up Married in Las Vegas trope so, of course, I immediately grabbed up the newest release, Marrying Mr Majestic by Lucy Lennox . I’m so happy I did.

I hadn’t read the first story which introduced the group of friends who became billionaires after creating a software program. That’s Prince of Lies, which I might have to go back to read now that I’ve met the group.

But this story concerns Silas Concannon, in Las Vegas to stop a wedding (unsuccessfully) and Waylon Fletcher, mayor of the small town of Majestic, Wyoming. He’s in Las Vegas where he thought he’d get married to help a friend out. Also unsuccessful.

A night out of commiseration in a bar ends with them married. And a fabulous novel ensues.

Never have I fallen so quickly and so hard for a location and group of people as I have for Way, his family and friends there on the streets , stores, and warmth of Majestic. And that goes for Silas, as he finds that he has found his home in every possible way when he pursues Way back west and finds a cowboy and town who needs him as much as he needs to be needed.

Lennox does such an amazing job in bringing the small town community of Majestic perfectly to life, believable in its rural close knit dynamics, the beauty of the landscape, and the realism of living there. The town is breathtakingly heartfelt and a great part of why this story works so well.

The author then crafts character after character that is as well suited and believable as the town itself, sets them down with jobs and lives we can relate to, and without any hesitation, the reader is absolutely living and walking with Way, JuJu, and Silas and everyone else who comes up to chat about the events happening. We are there.

We are part of that sexy, funny, and painful growing relationship between two men who are afraid it’s going to fall apart on them. Yet who are so compatible and deeply in love. I found myself forgetting Silas was as rich as he was and appreciated the man Lennox had crafted, evolving there in Majestic. Waylon too, as he learned to lean on Silas.

I’m so in love with them both. Those epilogues (yes more than one) weren’t nearly enough to satisfy me because I love them all so.

Dev, a part of the billionaire brotherhood who ends up in Majestic, has his own story next. I can’t wait. I’m ready to pull up a chair on a porch and stay on in Majestic because there’s quite a few people there who need their own romances.

I’m highly recommending this place, these characters and this book. It’s a fabulous read.

Billionaire Brotherhood /group of friends:

◦ Prince of Lies

✓ Marrying Mr. Majestic ❤️ (Silas and Waylon)

◦ Inheriting Miss Fortune (Dev’s story) – Oct 2024

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Marry…Marrying Mr. Majestic – Kindle edition by Lennox, Lucy. Romance …

Blurb

I’ve made myself into many things over the years. A Yale graduate. A brilliant corporate strategist. A city boy. And, though no one outside my inner circle knows it, a billionaire.

One thing I never expected to be? Accidentally married to a straight, small-town cowboy named Waylon, the pride and joy of… *checks notes*… Majestic, Wyoming.

Sadly, what happens in Vegas does not, in fact, stay in Vegas, and before I know it, I’m trying to track my erstwhile husband down, divorce papers in hand and thrift store clothes on my back, desperately hoping the stranger I married won’t realize he’s suddenly entitled to a lot more than that shiny gold ring on his finger.

Unfortunately, Way has other plans.

His town is counting on him as mayor to bring the lucrative AdventureSmash wilderness race to Majestic, and he refuses to sign my papers until the deal is done… which means me and my second-hand blue jeans will be hanging around a lot longer than I’d imagined, pretending our one-night whatever-it-was was a love match for the ages.

As it turns out, Majestic is more charming than I’d expected, and Way… is not entirely without charms himself. It also turns out he’s, ahem, not as straight as he thought he was.

Before I know it, dusty boots feel more comfortable than my shiny wingtips, coffee at the Love Muffin tastes better than Starbucks, and being the First Husband of Majestic starts to seem as important as any corporate merger I’ve ever negotiated.

But for a man with secrets to keep and a whole life waiting for him back in Manhattan, the only thing worse than Marrying Mr. Majestic… would be falling in love with him for real.

Marrying Mr. Majestic is set in the same world as Prince of Lies, but both novels can be enjoyed on their own.

• Publisher: (July 9, 2024)

• Publication date: July 9, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 318 pages

Small town romance, bi-awakening,

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Review: Forever Finn (Belong To Me Book 3) by Vawn Cassidy

Rating: 4.75🌈

I’ve been binging this series so I’m sad to come to the last of the available books because I’ve definitely fallen in love with this series and group of characters.

The original focus of the series has expanded from the Ainsley’s and partners to their friends who are a devoted active extension of this warmhearted family. As the foundation and lovely group of people living in the bay has developed, this small town has never felt more welcoming and dynamic as it does now.

Wyatt Trainor is a Canadian immigrant, a veterinarian who works with Jesse Ainsley in his clinic and is finding that everything about the bay feels like home. Except for his love life. Wyatt is a wonderful character we started to get to know in previous books but really gets established here.

It’s Finn Gallagher who’s such a compelling character, that wounded man who has fled back to the bay, filled with secrets, pain, and an inability to see how he can move forward. On the surface, a successful straight movie star but Cassidy is able to give the reader the real man whose emotions are in turmoil due to his long held grief and repressed sexuality.

Cassidy is incredibly moving in crafting a strong storyline that pulls together several characters, three books, and a heartbreaking event and turns it into a realistic, compelling final chapter for everyone who was so deeply impacted by this event and loss.

Finn’s story has so many great layers to it. He’s trying to determine his future, announce his sexuality, figure out his home, fight for a new relationship he’s building with Wyatt and protect a old love/friendship from ramifications of all of the above.

It’s that last part, his best friend, and fellow actor, Sky, that I wish we had known about in greater depth. I understand it wasn’t her story but in so many ways, it was. And the glimpses we got of the character that Cassidy created, it was interesting enough that I wanted more. Of Sky and the unique family they seemingly formed at the end.

Cassidy’s characters are so beautifully drawn, so real, that’s it’s easy to become invested in each of their stories and their lives. I always want more of what happened next.

Plus there’s all these fantastic people that call the bay home that the reader looks forward to seeing in each story, like Molly and Bernard.

So now I wait, having happily binged my way through this fantastic series and this great story. I’m so excited to recommend them all but read them in the order they are written to get the relationships and event development as it happens.

Belong To Me:

✓ Suddenly Beck #1

✓ Definitely Deacon #2

✓ Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories #2.5 -author mailing list or paperback book

✓ Forever Finn #3

◦ Irrevocably Ryan #4

Buy Link

Forever Finn (Belong to Me)

Blurb

Finn Gallagher has it all, a beautiful girlfriend, a successful Hollywood career, a condo in Malibu and more money than he knows what to do with. He should be happy, but there’s just one problem, he’s gay and he’s been lying to the entire world. When he walks out on his career a couple of days into shooting his latest movie, he’s finds himself inadvertently heading straight back to the small Cornish bay he grew up in.

Wyatt Trainor has only recently left his native Canada and relocated across the world, taking a job as a local veterinarian in a quiet little bay in Cornwall. Just out of a bad relationship, he’s happy with hook ups and one night stands until a chance meeting in a dark nightclub brings him face to face with his celebrity crush.

But when a drunken encounter unexpectedly turns into something more, they find themselves admitting there might just be something there worth exploring.

• Publisher: (September 14, 2022)

• Publication date: September 14, 2022

• Language: English

• Print length: 168 pages

Review: Definitely Deacon (Belong To Me Book 2) by Vawn Cassidy

Rating: 4.75🌈

I will admit I’m loving this series so much that I’ve grabbed up all the available novels and read them right through. So I know that the heartwarming feeling of found family and all inclusive community that the Bay represents just increases as each couple finds happiness and works through the trauma that comes with each homecoming and wonderful relationships.

Yes, I’m definitely a fan.

Definitely Deacon begins the migration home of for many of the important characters that are a part of the Ainsley family story. Deacon’s impact here is enormous, both in his main character role and as a avenue to bring the series a influx of fascinating people/friends. Friends who themselves will then a become just as important in expanding the series foundation in terms of found family and types of topics covered.

Grief and loss is always central to this series. Whether it’s the loss of patriarch Sully to cancer (one thread of the first book) or here the loss of Cody, Deacon’s brother and close friend of the Ainsley’s, in a car crash, it’s the impact of that loss, on all the those left behind that’s a factor here. And on the one that ran away.

Cassidy does a great job in developing the characters of Jesse Ainsley, twin to Beck, vet, with a long standing love for Deacon James, boat racer, party boy, the one who left the Bay after Cody’s death. And what little friendship they had seems done. Jesse is a person who is easy to relate to, with some issues he’s working hard to address.

Deacon is a character the author introduces under extreme circumstances. Then lets us get to know him as he recovers back in the bay, where the past and his present combine to finally get him , along with Jesse, and all the rest of the group there, to move him forward.

This is painful, funny, emotional stuff. Also sexy and romantic. That ending was satisfying and hilarious. There’s a follow up short story called Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories. It’s available either for free when you sign up for the author’s newsletter or if you buy the paperback. Either way, a must giggle fest.

Now to await, along with the author’s many other books/series, the book four. And more, hopefully.

These are all a definite recommendation.

Belong To Me:

✓ Suddenly Beck #1

✓ Definitely Deacon #2

✓ Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories #2.5 -author mailing list or paperback book

✓ Forever Finn #3

◦ Irrevocably Ryan #4

Buy Link

Definitely Deacon (Belong to Me)

Blurb

An emotional and humour filled roller-coaster ride through a sleepy little Cornish Bay.

Jesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché. He’s been in love with his best friend forever, but when he starts pulling away and goes radio silent on him for six months, Jesse begins to wonder if their friendship is finally over.

Deacon James lives his life at two speeds, a hundred miles an hour and stop. He’s spent the last decade travelling the world, winning races, partying with the most beautiful men and women, and living life on his terms, a life which was pretty close to perfect… with just one caveat… he’s never quite been able to get over the boy he left behind. His best friend Jesse has always made him yearn for something he’s too afraid to face and cutting him out of his life seemed like the only answer.

But things are never that simple. When Deacon wakes from an accident in Italy with Jesse asleep in the hospital chair beside him, he discovers Jesse’s been keeping secrets of his own.

At a crossroads in their life, they’re faced with a choice, build something deeper and stronger from the ashes, or let words unsaid and secrets tear them apart forever.

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy comes this second chance, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort with a HEA.

The paperback copy also includes the bonus short Dear Las Vegas, Thanks for the memories.

This short story can be accessed by joining the author’s mailing list. The story is adorable!

Review: Skeleton Crew (Psycop 14) by Jordan Castillo Price

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s been a while since I’d read any novels in this series but this author is one I automatically read so it seems like a good time to get back into the universe.

It’s recommended that you be familiar with the characters, their unique histories and backgrounds as well as the series as a foundation for the knowledge required here.

This is a complicated story that involves a layered plot, hidden secrets, beautifully developed mysteries, and an agonizing twist that puts all the cast in all types of imminent danger.

This along with the storyline of a escalating anxiety from main characters, Vic and Jacob, about Jacob’s nephew home alone during a violent storm while the couple who were his caregivers for the weekend find themselves in a increasingly dangerous situation. Without access to WiFi and phones.

Price does a realistic portrayal of the fears and distress both men are experiencing, for the boy and themselves because of the newness of the situation. Then there’s the horrific reality they currently face, of the dark basement and its own extreme dangers.

The scenes in the basement are some of the best in the book. Descriptively, the author is able to bring us down into that scary environment, continuing to elevate the horror and obstacles every one faces and then finally turning it into one poignant but terrifying scenario.

So well written.

And if that ending leaves you with a few chills, it should. That’s the playground for Psycop. Check out the full series to date below.

Psycop:

#1 Among the Living

#2 Criss Cross

#3 Body & Soul

#4 Secrets

#5 Camp Hell

#6 GhosTV

#7 Spook Squad

#8 Skin After Skin

#9 Agent Bayne

#10 Murder House

#11 Bitter Pill

#12 Other Half

#13 Subtle Bodies

#14 Skeleton Crew

Buy Link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Skelet…Skeleton Crew: PsyCop 14: Price, Jordan Castillo

Blurb

Although Victor Bayne is a valued asset of the FPMP, he still vividly recalls his PsyCop days: the eye rolls, the nasty looks, and the occasional utterance of the words “Spook Squad” whenever he showed up on a scene. So he really should empathize with Howard Jibben, the weekend lab manager known as Heebie Jeebie.

But does the guy really need to be so darn annoying?

Thanks to the researcher’s OCD tendencies, when a mysterious shipment arrives, what should be a routine ghost-check turns into an excruciating ordeal…made even worse by a freak incident that leaves them stranded in the FPMP’s basement.

Jacob may be the ranking agent on site, but even he can’t control the weather. Yet given the pressure he puts on himself to master his newfound ability, it’s as if he thinks the burden to free everyone is his alone.

Vic has never put much stock in luck, but the sheer number of disasters raining down on them can’t possibly be pure chance—and things are only getting worse. Is it a curse? Telekinesis? Sabotage?

Or is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows?

PsyCop is an ongoing series filled with supernatural action and delightfully awkward humor–with a steady undercurrent of gay romance. It’s best read in order, so if you’re new to the series, start with PsyCop #1, Among the Living…and prepare for a hauntingly good read.

• Publisher: JCP Books (May 20, 2024)

• Publication date: May 20, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 302 pages

PSYCOP SERIES
#1: Among the Living
What good is being a psychic detective if your murder victims aren’t talking?

#2: Criss Cross
Mysterious messages from Lisa lead Vic on a wild ride.

#3: Body & Soul
Three missing people. No bodies. No ghosts. At least the case gets Vic out of an awkward family dinner.

#4: Secrets
Is someone watching Vic’s every move, or is he imagining things? Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

#5: Camp Hell
Vic delves into his repressed memories of Camp Hell and dredges up more than he bargained for.

#6: GhosTV
Lisa’s gone missing, and Vic and Jacob head to PsyTrain for some answers.

#7: Spook Squad
Victor has been avoiding the exorcism he owes the FPMP. Now it’s time to pay up.

#8: Skin After Skin
A sweeping look at the PsyCop series from Crash’s empathic point of view

#9: Agent Bayne
Victor might be through with the Chicago PD, but is he ready for the FPMP?

#10 Murder House
An undercover gig turns up more than Vic ever imagined.

#11 Bitter Pill
There’s a deadly new drug in town called Kick…and psychs find it irresistible

#12 Other Half
A wedding is stressful enough without a psychic investigation to power through

#13 Subtle Bodies (PsyCop Book 13)

#14 Skeleton Crew

Check out “Song of Howls” by M. D. Grimm (OWL tour and except)

Song of Howls - M.D. Grimm

M.D. Grimm has a new FF fantasy romance out, Sisters of Song book 2: Song of Howls. And there’s a giveaway!

As Alaiya reclaims her life, she never intended to capture the heart of a she-wolf.

Alaiya was trained by her parents to be the perfect wife. Due to her beauty, they knew they could entice a wealthy man to wed her and raise their status. She was a trophy, a prize, brought out to entertain like an obedient dog. Their efforts were rewarded when Lord Salazem claimed her to become his next wife, intent on adding her to his harem. But when two mighty dragons and her sister save her, Alaiya is given a new chance at life.

Determined to stand on her own and discover who she truly is, Alaiya has little interest in relationships. Even when she meets the silver-haired Talla, Alaiya pushes down her desire, unwilling to be caged again.

Talla is the alpha of her large wolf pack in the Firestar Mountains and knows Alaiya is her mate. She is entranced by Alaiya’s strength, courage, and loyalty, and is determined to prove herself as a worthy mate. But first she must overcome Alaiya’s barriers, which might prove to be her greatest challenge.

As Alaiya and her sister adjust to their new lives, they must secure their home from those who would take it from them. Including their parents. As Alaiya struggles to stand on her own, she learns that true strength lies in letting others stand beside her.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Venya and Alaiya are sisters born to greedy and selfish parents. One is neglected and the other exploited. Despite this–or because of it–they cling to each other, best friends as well as family. They find freedom in the mountain range beyond their city of birth… as well as unexpected chances at love with extraordinary beings.

Forging a new future is never easy, but with their unbreakable bond, and lovers and allies at their side, the impossible just might be attainable.

Universal Buy Link

Giveaway

M.D. is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47312/?

Excerpt

Song of Howls - M.D. Grimm

For a moment, Alaiya forgot her own troubles and lived in the moment. She’d seen many such beautiful places in the Firestar Mountains but this one beat them all.

Wolves watched them descend, and Alaiya tried not to cower under their piercing stares. The valley was filled with adults, adolescents, and pups. No one approached them, and she had a feeling something significant was happening. Though she couldn’t determine what it was.

The mask she’d learned to wear as a child, that of societal pleasantries, slipped on as they stepped off the trail. Alaiya slid off Talla’s back and inclined her head to those nearby.

“Good evening. I am Alaiya. Thank you for watching over my sister, and for welcoming us into your home. We are in your debt.”

A few of the pups ran up as several adults approached. Tails were tucked, heads were down. Talla stayed beside her, watching them but also glancing at her. If Alaiya allowed herself to indulge in fantasy, she would have sworn she saw pride in Talla’s bright gaze.

Of course she stroked the puppies and offered the adults her hands to sniff. Feeling welcomed and trying not to be overwhelmed, Alaiya resisted reliving the recent dangers again. This was an extraordinary moment that shouldn’t be tarnished by the past. If spending her entire life under the thumb of her parents had taught her anything, it was to savor the good and beautiful for as long as possible.

When Alaiya’s stomach grumbled, Talla nudged the others away and jerked her head, wanting her to follow. Clearly, she was the alpha. Or one of the alphas. Didn’t wolf packs usually have a male and a female leader?

Alaiya tried to decipher if any of the others gave off the alpha vibe but she didn’t sense anything. Talla took her to a pile of fruit that appeared to have been recently picked and washed. There were apples, oranges, and grapes. When she hesitated, Talla nudged her forward lightly. She took a grape, and Talla’s mouth dropped open in a lupine grin.

Alaiya couldn’t resist smiling a little. “Thank you.”

Talla huffed and trotted off. Alaiya sat next to the fruit and munched. She curled into herself, feeling a bit chilled. Her clothes had seen better days, they were dirty and torn. She mourned the state of them. They were ones she’d found in the palace, and she liked the style. She was grateful for the variety of clothing for ladies in the palace, and since she was handy with needle and thread, it was a simple thing to make modifications as needed to fit her, and her sister’s, shapes better. Her parents had insisted she be adept at all manner of womanly tasks and pursuits, including how to sew her own clothing. She’d needed to be a prize catch after all.

She scowled at the memories.

The adult wolves left her alone, though a few pups crept closer, curious. She coaxed them nearer and ended up with four pups draped over her lap and cuddled at her sides. Their fluffy, warm bodies and playful squeaks calmed her. But despite her best efforts, recent events wouldn’t let her settle.

“What disturbs you?”

She jerked and looked up. Talla stood there, naked, hair like silver silk draped over her. Alaiya quickly turned away and cleared her throat. She flushed hot when Talla sat beside her. Though she didn’t touch her or draw closer, Alaiya felt her gaze like a touch. It itched. It burned.

“I… I’ve been through a lot.”

“I gathered that from what Venya said. Do you wish to speak about it?”

“No.”

Talla nodded and when one of the pups nuzzled her hand, she plucked him up and rubbed her face against his. Alaiya softened at the adoration.

“Is he yours?”

Talla smiled. “No. All my pups are grown with pups of their own. I have no desire for more.”

Alaiya frowned. “How old…? Never mind.”

Rude. Very rude question. All those weeks away from society had made her social skills rusty. She used to be far better at small talk and charming all she met.

Talla chuckled. The sound danced pleasantly along Alaiya’s skin. Damn.

“We age differently than humans. Though I can still have children, I have chosen to stop. Let the younger, stronger of my pack produce the next generations. This way, I get to enjoy the pups with little burden.”

So saying, she rubbed the pup’s tummy, and he wiggled with delight.

Alaiya grinned.

“Make sure to drink the water from the falls. It will cleanse you and heal you of any injuries or discomforts.”

“How?”

“This place was blessed by the gods long ago. A hint of their divinity remains.”

Their gazes met and held. Alaiya was struck with the directness of Talla’s stare. She exuded calm and confidence, a steadfastness that encouraged trust and dependency.

And that was a problem. Alaiya needed to stand on her own. She’d obeyed her parents for most of her life. Then she’d depended on Venya to rescue her. But now she had the freedom to be whoever she wanted to be. And she had no clue who that was. So she needed to find out and having a liaison with anyone—even this sexy she-wolf—was not part of the plan.

“That’s amazing. I wouldn’t have believed that a month ago. But after meeting the dragons and… This is a good place to live.”

“Yes. These mountains are sacred and must be protected.”

Alaiya sighed. “And our presence brings danger. If my parents hadn’t sold me to that no good—”

“‘Sold’?” Talla’s voice turned low and menacing.

Author Bio

M.D. Grimm Logo

M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!).

After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else what’s the point?) finding their soul mate in the process.

Author Website: https://www.mdgrimmwrites.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/mdgrimmwrites

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdgrimmwrites

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4574220.M_D_Grimm

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/

Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.D.-Grimm/e/B00I0KZMY6/

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Review: Suddenly Beck (Belong To Me Book 1) by Vawn Cassidy

Rating: 4.5🌈

I’ve read this author’s other paranormal/fantasy books and just love them, so I thought I’d grab up the contemporary romance series written as Wendy Saunders/Vawn Cassidy.

So far I’ve read just the first book but I can see that this is just the beginning of a wonderful new literary journey for me. A accidental one where one runaway Nathan Elliot flips a coin and, after a series of mistakes ends up in the Bay, a small coastal town near Newquay, Cornwall. Literally.

This is a heartwarming, sweet, and captivating story that has a gorgeous location, a memorable large family mourning the loss of its beloved father, a restaurant in need of rescuing, and two wounded men who seem destined for each other.

Suddenly Beck is a book I just immediately sank into, loving the characters, the Bay and all the various relationships that the author has written into this story. There is the growing relationship between Nat and Beck as they maneuver through the present tasks around them, learning slowly about their respective personalities. Then there’s Melanie, Beck’s mother who owns the restaurant and still mourns the loss of Sully her husband and the father of her large family. And all the many other fantastic moments and characters that Cassidy brings so beautifully alive as Nat becomes an integral member of the Bay and Beck’s family.

There’s more, so much more. Nat has a sister with a secret. And that large Ainsley family of Beck’s has many more relationships to share with us.

I can hardly wait.

This coastal town is a place I would love to visit often. I’m not sure the family is large enough! Highly recommended!

Belong To Me:

✓ Suddenly Beck #1

◦ Definitely Deacon #2

◦ Forever Finn #3

◦ Irrevocably Ryan #4

Buy Link

Suddenly Beck: (A Hot & Sweet MM Romance) (Belong to Me)

Blurb:

A surprisingly sweet, sinfully sexy, and deliciously funny romp along the Cornish coast.

Nathan Elliott has run away from home at the age of twenty-six. His teenage rebellion may have come ten years late, but better late than never. Leaving behind a world of wealth and privilege, and a strict patriarchal family that would never except a gay son, he’s ready to embrace life and make up for lost time, but nothing’s ever that simple. A coin toss, a delayed train, and a wrong bus later, and Nat finds himself in a small bay in Cornwall being hauled out of the ocean by a gorgeous stranger and wondering how the hell his life got so off track.

Beck Ainsley lives life by a very simple ethos, don’t get attached, don’t get involved and don’t fall in love. He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt that reads I’m a gullible idiot. Now, he keeps his life simple; all he needs is his dog, his art, his rambling sea cottage overlooking the bay and a few choice waves to surf. He’s not looking for love or commitment, but when he ends up plucking a posh boy from London with incredible blue eyes from the ocean, Cupid doesn’t just shoot him with an arrow, he decides to club him senseless with the bow too.

One simple agreement. A summer fling, a chance to act on the insane attraction between them with no strings attached, and at the end of the summer they walk away.

There’s just one problem, fate is a fickle and capricious creature, and she has no intention of letting them walk away unscathed. They’re about to discover that sometimes the heart wants, what the heart wants…

From author Wendy Saunders writing as Vawn Cassidy, comes this hot and sweet, first time, MM romance that will leave you laughing out loud and fanning yourself from the heat…

The paperback version of Suddenly Beck contains a bonus short, The Italian Job featuring Nat & Beck

• Publisher: Tangled Heart Press (July 23, 2021)

• Publication date: July 23, 2021

• Language: English

• Print length: 326 pages

Review: Per Sanguinem: A MM Vampire Romance by Ashlyn Drewek

Rating: 4🌈

Another new author and a new paranormal law enforcement vampire romance. A excellent find in both writer and story.

Several things that Drewek created here for her universe that I absolutely found fascinating and wanted more exploration into was the vampire society and creation lore. That its territories are women ruled/dominated definitely needs further development within the story than the fabulous juicy bits offered up by scenes the author gave us here. I was definitely invested.

That feeds in so well into the fact that Chicago PD Det Eric Collins, 250 year old vampire is a solitary male, working his department’s night shift. His heavy caseloads as well as his memories and routines are what mark his days. The author lets Eric’s past stories and losses be revealed only once his solo existence starts to change. However, Eric the detective is a fully formed character as is his place within his department.

Drewek also does a great job in creating the other characters, including Chase Turner, a complicated person with a multitude of issues. He’s a cop who’s the son of cops. His mother is deceased, and his father a bullying alcoholic officer, now retired who’s either revered or hated because of his former position as the head of IA. Chase is also suffering from PTSD, from his tour of duty in the Army. Plus he’s got ex issues too.All that and a tragic case brings him into the same mess as Eric when both are on the scene at the same time.

Drewek has written so many terrific storylines, all ongoing that involve vampires, other investigators, and fully formed characters that interact with each other to keep the reader invested in their relationship and the storylines that emerge.

One element of relationships that I find problematic in a story is where one person will , for whatever reason, takes actions or makes important decisions that affect their relationship without discussing it with their partner, purposely. Effectively it relegates their partner or mate to a lesser or unequal status because they are making decisions for them without their knowledge or permission. Doesn’t matter the trope. This is a familiar element in some couples.

And this aspect of Eric and Chase’s dynamic was an issue that I struggled with throughout the book while enjoying the characters, their interactions and terrific histories created for them by the author. It was minutely addressed towards the end of the novel and I appreciated that but I wish it had been dealt with differently.

As a standalone story, Drewek has developed such a rich environment and cast that I keep thinking that it would make a great series. Aubrey, Eric’s werewolf friend from his past who lives in New Orleans, definitely deserves a sequel.

It’s a terrific universe that needs further exploration and I hope this author will return to it sometime soon.

In the meantime, I’ll be looking into Drewek’s other works and series. If they are as interesting and well written as this, I can’t wait to read them.

This is a great find! And I love the cover.

Buy Link:

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Sangu…Per Sanguinem: A MM Vampire Romance – Kindle edition by Drewek, Ashlyn. …

Blurb

Vampires don’t get a happily ever after. Eric Collins learned that the hard way, which is why he swore off the whole idea and prefers to throw himself into his job as a Chicago PD detective. His plan for a peaceful, solitary existence, however, is disrupted the night he saves Chase Turner—a human and a fellow cop—from being brutally murdered.

With vindictive vampires after them and Chase’s meddling ex around every corner, it’s time for Eric to leave Chicago. But first he has to make a choice—convince Chase to give up everything and come with him, or say goodbye to the love of his life?

PER SANGUINEM is a slow-burn MM paranormal romance with a lot of suspense, police procedures, and sexual tension between two cops on the DL. It features an overprotective vampire, two insanely loyal partners, and a forbidden love story set against a complicated backdrop of murder and vampire politics. It is intended for a mature audience and reader discretion is advised. A full list of triggers can be found in the front matter of the book and at my website under Tropes & Triggers.

• Publisher: Fox Hollow Books (October 24, 2022)

• Publication date: October 24, 2022

• Language: English

• Print length: 494 pages

Review: The Elf Beside Himself (Beyond the Veil Book 6) by KM Avery

Rating: 5🌈

The Elf Beside Himself finishes PI Valentine Hart’s storyline group within the Beyond the Veil series.

This paranormal series has been following a format that sees each wildly different couple, each of whom has been effected by the Arcanavirus in various ways, through the all the travails of their intense relationships. The author creates such a wonderful, culturally diverse group of backgrounds for each character. And then, using mysteries, police cases, and ghosts of the dead, weaves in the expanding series themes of magic, bigotry, speciesism, deep persecution that occurs when something happens to scare people into believing propaganda or giving into their own worst fears. In this case a disease, the Arcanavirus which changes people into paranormal beings, if they live through it.

Avery’s plots has Human Only Rights groups out in the streets, in gangs, working against any nonhuman creature, as well focusing on the neglect that indigenous peoples criminal cases often face from various law enforcement agencies that allow the criminal to go unpunished. Its layers upon layers in believable, heartbreaking detail.

And each book sees this element only increasing in depth and alarm as the groups grow stronger. It all seems so familiar.

In this story, Val Hart, an elf made due to the Arcanavirus and his dog shifter lover, Taavi Camal, are headed back to Val’s hometown of Shawano, Wisconsin. Its land of the cheese, frigid winter weather, small town Community values and memories of when Val was normal and forgettable. But his childhood friend’s father has died, a man Val also considered family. And his best friend has asked him for his help.

Avery builds such gripping narratives because the author starts with creating compelling complex characters, ones who have histories the reader can in some way relate to, and then place them into extraordinary circumstances. Circumstances that require imagination, intelligence and are often difficult for the reader and characters to comprehend or undergo.

Here in The Elf Beside Himself there is a boatload of emotional elements and personal/professional/life issues to unpack and explore. It starts with deep grief for Gregory Crane, father of his best friend Elliot. Both men badger shifters, as well as members of the Ho Chunk and Mamaceqtaw tribes. The heartfelt grieving continues as investigative factors points to persecution and increased violence towards shifters and indigenous peoples.

Hart is also dealing with bringing Taavi home to meet everyone for the first time under extreme pressure and intense conditions. When they’re just 2.5 months into their relationship and unprepared for the situation, winter weather, and family scrutiny.

Hart, who has been a favorite of mine since he appeared on the page, just shows all the vulnerability, the growth, and depth of his character in the various situations that arise here. Especially in the complex relationships between himself, Taavi, and Elliot.

The writing is exceptional, the characters are so memorable, and well plotted storylines will feed into the next group flawlessly as Seth and Elliot are set up to start a new trilogy while enlarging on the anti-magic, human first movement that’s growing.

I’m so invested. If you aren’t already familiar, go back to the first book and begin your journey there. It’s a fabulous read and a series you will love.

Highly recommended!

Beyond the Veil Series which is broken into couples stories, see below (books need to be read in order they are written for relationships and events development):

Ward’s story (1-3):

The Ghost in the Hall

The Boy in the Locked Room

The Skeleton Under the Stairs.

Hart’s story (4-6):

The Dog in the Alley

The Bones in the Yard

The Elf Beside Himself

Seth’s story (7 +):

The Turning of the Tables (2024/2025)

Buy link

The Elf Beside Himself (Beyond the Veil Book 6)

Blurb

Nothing can prepare you for the phone call from your best friend telling you his dad was murdered. Not even if you’re a former homicide cop.

But here I am, getting on a plane to fly halfway across the country to hold his hand and hope to hell that I’m not walking into a complete disaster.

Who am I kidding?

The police think Gregory Crane killed himself, or at least that’s what they’re telling us, but Elliot is sure they’re wrong. And the dead man can’t tell us what happened, either, so I’m going to have to use good old-fashioned detective work to figure this one out. Except I’m not a cop anymore and all my contacts are half a country away.

Add to that the fact that the state I’m in is in the middle of a huge anti-magic movement, and everywhere I turn I have people spitting in my face and calling me a freak.

My mother is going ballistic, my father is threatening to sue the police department, and I’m trying to juggle a brand-new relationship and my falling-apart oldest friend from childhood.

Yeah, you could say I’m beside myself.

Now if only I can hold it together long enough to put together the pieces, maybe, just maybe I can manage to get through this without losing my best friend, my boyfriend, or my life. Whether or not I lose my mind is pretty low on the list of priorities—I’m willing to give that up if only I can keep the rest.

• Publication date: September 29, 2023

• Language: English

• Print length: 427 pages

Review: The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

Rating: 5🌈

“I’ve been standing by this kettle, making tea for Arthur and me, for sixty-two years. Two different houses, god knows how many different kettles, but always me, always him, always a morning cup of tea. He’s at the kitchen table, pen in hand, tackling the crossword. He’s opened a window and I can hear birds chirruping in the garden. A blackbird, I think, and a robin. A whole conversation going on that means nothing to me.”

How can a book break your heart when you’ve barely begun reading it?

As we drop gently into the opening of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont and the lives of long married couple Mabel (our narrator) and Arthur Beaumont, we will feel as though we are there, with them. It’s intimate, awkward moments that get under the skin, dry yet so very heartfelt.

I saw this on a Pride Month bookstore recommendation page and something about that title and cover had me wondering what the author had created to pull on me so. I hadn’t read anything by Laura Pearson and so I was totally unprepared for the spare, concise eloquence of the language, of the fullness of her characters as this quiet powerful narrative starts.

Nor was I ready for Mabel, 86. A woman who had slowly emotionally removed herself from all around her, unless she was on a bench visiting the graves of her mother and brother. Pearson, in one of the most incredible ,moving novels, ends Mabel’s emotional isolation with one event. It starts with one unfinished note from her Arthur after his death. This eventually sets Mabel on a remarkable journey of lists, community, discovery, reconnection, and life as it begins again. At 86.

“We are silent for a moment, memories spooling between us. There are so many, and perhaps we can live off them.”

— The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

Even as I traveled through scenes of Arthur Beaumont ,89 ,and his wife, Mabel, 86, lives at the beginning of this book, knowing it was a LGBTQIA novel and that Mabel is to make a search for a person from their past, I made certain assumptions.

Throw out all such things when reading this astonishing story. Simply put, read it, admire the beauty of Pearson’s ability to bring this incredible woman , as well as her companions, indelibly to life, no matter their age or status or lifestyle. They are vividly depicted, raw in their pain or joy, whether deeply loved or grey in their stressful relationships, no matter 17 or 86.

There are very real men here. Equally important. Arthur, briefly alive, always present, even in death. And Bill, William Mansfield, beloved brother and friend. And others who thread through their lives and live on the edges of this community of women.

Mabel goes from a state of grief and self imposed isolation into one of that of a woman stumbling out of an emotional drought, now ready for all the opportunities that come with loving and being alive.

I’m still sitting here thinking about so many different scenes, about the women, their lives and how much of an impact they made on each other, the words they spoke, the imagery that Pearson painted.

I believe a hardback copy of this book is soon coming my way. It’s memorable and one that I’ll be rereading. And recommending.

Don’t pass this incredibly beautiful book by.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Last-L…The Last List of Mabel Beaumont: THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER eBook

Blurb

The list he left had just one item on it. Or, at least, it did at first…

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.