Tag: Scattered Thoughts Highly Recommended

Review: How I Stole The Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him To Villainy: Miracle 4 By A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.75🌈

We are now into Miracle 4 of How I Stole The Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him To Villainy, a fabulous fantasy serial by A.J. Sherwood and things are heating up in the slow romance between Knight Devan and sorcerer Tan.

It all happens during a mission to investigate the disappearance and sinkings of multiple vessels as they sail through a Strait near Devan’s family.

Sherwood starts to use this journey to deepen the relationship between Tan and Devan. A longer history is revealed and the turmoil of Devan’s thoughts regarding his long service to the kingdom come to the surface.

All serious elements while not forgetting the humor and new sexuality that’s entering into their relationship.

It’s a great story and also sets up some perilous times ahead for all.

I can’t wait for the next installment. There are 6 in all. I’m highly recommending the series, including this one. But read them in the order they are written for story and relationship development.

https://www.amazon.com › stole-Pri…How I stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy : Miracle 4 eBook …

…

Description:

What’s Devan to do when his cousin’s ships and the crew go missing? Set sail with Tan to figure it out.

What’s Tan to do when Devan finally makes a move? N.S.F.W. Many times. On many surfaces.

Damn creatures are trying to interrupt them. Murder ensues.

Tags:

The crack ship armada sails again, literally, Tan fell first, Devan fell harder, communication, because miscommunication is the devil’s trope, Devan puts himself first for once, Tan approves, LET THE PLANNING BEGIN!, unless Devan beckons you to bed, then planning can wait, relationship progress, flirty Devan has been released, Tan is thrilled, Wells feels betrayed, just lots of fluff in between murder, tipsy Tan does things to Devan, first kiss, The VOID explained.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Dog in the Alley switches over from focusing on the relationship between medium/warlock Edward Campion and his partner Dr Mason Manning, orc, witch and respected historian and Edward’s magical growth. That’s was the primary theme of books one to three.

Now the focus turns to Detective Valentine Hart a great character and personal favorite. Hart, an important element in all the prior stories, was changed by the Arcanavirus into a 6’5” violet eyed gorgeous elf who presents himself as a coldly effective, wry, snarky personality who barely tolerates the bureaucracy of the political system and police department he works within. He’s gruff, unbearably rough while being one of the few types of Nids the human population can tolerate simply because he’s beautiful, a elf Fairy Prince of the folklore made a breathing being. Unlike the ghouls, vampires, death witches, shifters and other beings once formerly human who are hated, protested against, and even killed.

Here K. M. Avery explores Hart’s surprising history, reveals the true nature underneath the “sarcastic , cold“ persona Hart uses as a shield,

and brings in a shatteringly horrific case that both ties into the previous stories and yet adds another layer of the growing abuse that the Nid population is suffering under.

Avery also introduces several characters that are just fascinating. One is the dog of the title. I have a slight issue in that we only get partial foundation for what is a major character. Most of that is in his dog form which, admittedly, is utterly adorable. But the man? Remains a bit of a mystery.

The other is a Tiger shifter. He too is a main character who appears to have a journey in the series but is this the last book? I don’t know.

The ending is somewhat abrupt. Both in terms of what has happened in terms of our detective in his life, professionally. We get a here’s where he is now . And the same hint of a surprise in another direction.

After everything that’s gone on, it’s a light ending for a very serious, heavier narrative.

The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery is about one of my favorite characters, Detective Hart. It does a excellent job in making a fascinating character even more richly layered. My only issue is that the author just didn’t completely stick the ending. It didn’t quite live up to the complex, well plotted , parts that went before.

I certainly hope the author intends to go on. It’s a great series and is full of characters and elements that haven’t been fully explored yet.

I’m definitely recommending. This and the series.

Beyond The Veil series:

✓ The Ghost in the Hall #1

✓ The Boy in the Locked Room #2

✓ The Skeleton Under the Stairs #3

◦ The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) m

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil, #4) by K.M. Avery

Description:

Some days, an elf can’t get a break.

I’m overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, and up to my lavender eyeballs in missing and murdered shifters. To make matters worse, I’ve acquired a dog.

Sort of.

He’s not actually a dog. I don’t know his name or anything about him other than the fact that he’s mostly hairless and is blind in one eye—and he’s a witness to one of the unsolved shifter murders that’s keeping me up at night. We found him at a crime scene, injured and scared, and I just can’t make myself lock him up for obstruction of justice, even though I probably should.

He won’t shift back, so here I am with a dog that isn’t a dog following me everywhere and eating off my plate every time I turn around.

The weirdest part is that I’m not sure I want to go back to living without him constantly underfoot.

A slow-burn M/M Paranormal Shifter Romance
Book 4 in the Beyond the Veil Series

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Tank (The Spell Saga Book 3) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.5 🌈

The Tank, third novel in Cari Z’s terrific steampunk romance adventure series is perhaps the best conceptualized, best written of the three stories so far.

It brings her characters great emotional growth, allowing for betrayals, thought provoking moments of ambivalence of the nature of the work that a Master of Thaumaturge finds himself and his associates engaged in for the services of war. And the cost to relationships of all kinds.

The histories of the war, the Enemies, and even main characters are filled in and given fuller dimension.

The series and the growing relationship between Anton Seiber and Imperial Investigator Camille Lumière becomes deeply layered within the restrictions of their service and the growing demands of an enlarging war.

I was absolutely engaged by the drama and poignant moments of the storylines here. The war that overtakes the needs and loyalties of many.

There’s another book to come. I can’t wait to read it .

I highly recommend this story and series but start with The Train and read through as they were written.

The Spell Saga series:

✓ The Train #1

✓ The Tower #2

✓ The Tank #3

◦ The Trials #4 – Nov 8, 2022

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Tank-S…The Tank: The Spell Saga: Book Three – Kindle edition by Z, Cari. Romance …

Description:

All Anton Seiber, newly-minted Master Thaumaturge, wants is to use his training to support himself out in the world. Well, that and to see the man he loves, Imperial Investigator Camille Lumière, more than once every six months.

What he gets instead is an invitation to visit L’Institut D’Ingénierie Technologique in Paris, the foremost research institution for thaumaturgy and the arts of war in the world. It’s an offer he can’t turn down…quite literally.

Getting to the Institute is a mess that Anton barely survives, and that’s just the beginning of his troubles. Drawn into a web of lies and betrayals, Anton will have to use every trick he can conjure to survive—and perhaps hand over the most diabolical spell in the world in exchange for saving the life of someone he loves.

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Creek (Briar County #3) by Riley Hart

Rating: 5🌈

There’s nothing better then to be able to return to Riley Hart’s fictional North Carolina setting of Briar County, where we’ve gotten to know the various townships and citizens that makeup this warm-hearted series.

The Creek sets down a familiar theme with a hometown son returning after a decade or so absence.

Hart’s storyline of second chance love combined with this richly layered foundation of found family and warm-hearted tapestry of a diverse community is a wonderful novel to sink into.

There’s so much to appreciate and love here. The characters are well crafted, defined by their past histories and experiences as well as their personalities.

A major standout in terms of storylines? One that’s rarely seen among contemporary romance novels is that Hart doesn’t take sides when narratively exploring the broken relationships between divorced fathers August, his ex Lewis (not a MC), and their teenage son, Reese, who’s having enormous emotional issues dealing with all the upheaval in his life. No one dimensional ex hatred or simplistic dumping.

No. Here, Reese’s pain and adjustment problems are naturally made a big theme of August’s return to Harmony. Reese’s slow integration into the community with the help of the “found family “ members we’ve come to love and care about is remarkable in its believability and realistic elements. His fears of abandonment, the discussions that he finally understands how to bring up about himself, his fears, heartbreaking and grounded in RL.

Cliff Jones, the welder/artist, who’s never forgotten his first kiss and the boy who gave it to him, is a sheer joy to encounter. No drama, just a warmth of discovery, and understanding about where his future lies in the man and his teenage son who’s returned.

August and Reese, their deeply heartfelt relationship is real and emotional. Reese, who is seeing a therapist to try and help him understand his feelings, is so well written that you will believe you know him. Well.

The drama, such as it is, occurs much as it would in real life. The arguments are the same. The outcome lovely.

There’s so much here to connect with and take into your heart. It all begins with the road into Briar County.

If you’re not familiar with this incredible lovely series, I’ve listed them below. And I highly recommend them all, including this one.

Briar County series to date:

✓ Firefly Lane #1

✓ Sundae’s Best #2

✓ The Creek #3

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Creek-B…The Creek (Briar County Book 3) – Kindle edition by Hart, Riley, Aguiar, Wander. …

Description:

Divorced for two years, August Reynolds needs a change. He and his teenage son, Reese, pack up and move to Briar County, the home August left at fourteen. He’s hoping it’ll help him and Reese connect again, that Reese will come into his own there the way August did. For him, it was all because of Clint Jones, his childhood best friend and first crush.

At forty-two, Clint figures he’s probably never going to find the one. He’s dated on and off, but he’s never fallen in love. He has his business, his dogs, his friends and family. Most of the time, that’s enough, but then August moves home—Clint’s first kiss and bisexual awakening—making him realize he might be lonelier than he thought.

Clint and August fall back into an easy friendship. Some of their best childhood memories are the days they spent at the creek: talking, laughing, and learning about who they were. But now they’re adults, the attraction palpable between them. It’s not long before they’re tumbling into bed, stealing moments for secret kisses and spending days exploring each other.

They can’t move too fast, though. Reese misses his other father, and sometimes August worries Reese would rather be with him. They’re just getting their life on track, and the last thing August wants is to shake it up by telling Reese he’s with Clint. But as it turns out, that’s not the only obstacle in their way…

The Creek is a small-town, second-chances, friends-to-lovers romance, with mature men who talk about their feelings, stolen kisses, and nights spent beneath the stars.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Case of The Undiscovered Corpse (Cambridge Fellows/Alasdair and Toby Mystery ) by Charlie Cochrane

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s wonderful to return to those fabulous Cambridge Dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart, now in their 70’s, still living happily together in Hyacinth Cottage, and teaching at their beloved St. Brides College.

It’s 1952 when a movie producer with an idea for a potentially new film script featuring comes calling for the pair in Cambridge. The script would feature a real life mystery that the couple was involved in decades ago at the Old Manor, the famed Stewart estate. The film would have Orlando and Jonty played by the enormously popular actors, Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe, who just happen to be amateur sleuths themselves.

What follows is a fascinating, complicated story of multiple relationships, decades past family histories, and a murder that was never solved as the WW1 was the focus of everyone’s attention and energies.

It’s outstanding to see the lovely, intelligent and now deeply settled relationship that’s the combination of Orlando and Jonty in their 70’s. Still handsome, sparks flying, the joy of investigating and discovery making everything just sing.

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are a bit of a splendid discovery for me. I hadn’t read their stories and will now backtrack and gather those up. They are a remarkable team and combining them together with the Cambridge Fellows makes this a double couples delight , that never flags but builds gently onto each other.

Plus we get to see the brilliant Dr Panasur and others too.

If you’re not familiar with either series, then yes, you’ll be at a loss here. For the settings, scenes , and many a dialogue are awash with memories from other stories and characters now long passed away.

But for those of us who love this couple, the series, and probably the other too, it’s a great story and mystery as well.

Charlie Cochrane being fabulous as always.

I’ve listed the 2 series and their novels below.

I’m highly recommending all.

Description:

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are the darlings of post-war British cinema, playing Holmes and Watson onscreen and off. When they’re called on to portray their fellow amateur detectives-Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart-not only do they find distinct challenges in depicting real people, they also become embroiled in solving a century-old murder.

How did a body lie undiscovered so long in the Stewart family vaults, who’s been covering up the murder ever since and why was the victim killed in the first place?

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse (An Alasdair and Toby and Cambridge Fellows Mystery)

Relates series:

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe novels:

◦ An Act of Detection

◦ The Case of the Grey Assassin

The Cambridge Fellows Mysteries -Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart series

✓ Lessons in Love (set November 1905)

✓ Lesson in Desire (set August 1906)

✓ Lessons in Discovery (set November 1906)

✓ Lessons in Power (set Spring 1907)

✓ Lessons in Temptation (set July 1907)

✓ Lessons in Seduction (set September 1907)

✓ Lessons in Trust Summer 1908

✓ Lessons for Suspicious Minds (set Summer 1909)

✓ Lessons for Idle Tongues (set Summer 1910)

✓ Lessons in Cracking the Deadly Code (set February 1911)

✓ Lessons in Playing a Murderous Tune (set summer 1911)

✓ Lessons in Following a Poisonous Trail  (set October 1911)

✓ Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem (set spring 1912)

✓ Game of Chance (set 1916) – in the anthology Capital Crimes

✓ All Lessons Learned (set Spring 1919)

✓ Lessons for Sleeping Dogs  (set 1921)

✓ Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour. (set in 1922)

◦ Lessons in Chasing the Wild Goose (set in 1922)

Review: Unstable Connections (Valor and Doyle (Book 3) by Nicky James

Rating: 5🌈

Nicky James has written an extraordinary story with Unstable Connections, the third novel in the amazing Valor and Doyle series.

Usually there’s one element that’s lacking when you have a couple and series with such serious storylines and a myriad of emotional issues. Most of which, like past domestic abuse , alcoholism, and deep loss, thread through the couple’s new shaky relationship and the main mystery that involves both missing children and a presumed kidnapped sister from decades past.

But Unstable Connections has no flaws.

The relationship that slowly being established between MPU Detective Detective Quaid Valor and that of Homicide Detective Aslan Doyle is so beautifully written, full of emotional nuances and realistic complications that it brings the men even more vividly to life as they struggle with every aspect of their lives.

It’s Quaid fighting constantly with the demons and fears and damage the domestic abuse of his last relationship has inflicted on him that continues into his current romance with Aslan.

It’s the now sober Aslan’s past as a out of control drunk that threatens his present day relationships, both work and romantic. It’s the tough lifting he’s with Quaid to counteract the deepest wounds done by Quaid’s ex. And now the stress and pain of the latest information that’s been recovered from the missing girls case that’s got both Quaid and his father riding an emotional edge.

The plotting and narrative is perfection. We are carried along with the characters on a horrifying set of mysteries that twists and turns with a subtle swiftness on its way to a poignant , deeply layered closure to a story element that had its beginnings at the first novel and with issues embedded in our characters at a cellular level.

While the mystery is solved, the relationship between Aslan and Quaid is still moving slowly forward with all the issues the latest events have brought up.

The supporting cast is as outstanding and fully realized as any I’ve read. I’m so in love with them as well.

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

If you’re not familiar with this series and couple, you’re missing out. Start at the beginning and work your way through as they must be read in the order they are written.

I’m highly recommending one and all.

Valor and Doyle Mysteries:

✓ Department Rivals #0.5

✓ Temporary Partner #1

✓ Elusive Relations #2

✓ Unstable Connections #3

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showUnstable Connections (Valor and Doyle #3) by Nicky James

Description:

Missing children are reappearing, and ties to a thirty-year-old cold case can’t be ignored.

Between his shaky, brand-new relationship with reformed office playboy Detective Aslan Doyle, his sister’s case going from cold to hot overnight, his father insisting on being involved, and his boss breathing down his neck, Detective Quaid Valor is on edge.

The stress of the case is impacting Quaid’s whole life. He isn’t eating or sleeping, and every time he and Aslan are together, he is overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, which threaten to ruin the one good thing he has. Aslan’s patience seems unending until something happens to turn his life upside down too.

Can their relationship survive the personal and professional pressures they’re facing, or will it crash and burn?

Between media rumors and unstable connections, Quaid and his team need to work quickly to piece together a complicated case before more children fall victim to their unknown serial kidnapper. Maybe once everything is solved, Aslan and Quaid will have time to work on their rocky relationship and find stable ground once again.

** Unstable Connections is the third book in the Valor and Doyle Mystery Series. It is a same-couple series that should be read in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliff-hangers, the romance is overarching and progressive throughout the series. **

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: How I Stole The Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him To Villainy: Miracle 3 By A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

A.J. Sherwood’s serial fantasy story continues with Miracle 3 as Tan and Devan ride off together on the back of Dan the Stallion to search for the thieving rapscallion adventurers who stole the powerful, magical Sword of the Sea from a mage friend of Tan’s who was its keeper.

Devan is needed, not just because Tan would have him with the Black Sorcerer 24/7 as he would, but because the Mighty Sword of the Sea can only be wielded by a Knight who’s heart is bright and true. That’s definitely Devante Salvino, First Knight of Goodwine. The Sword, which is a tad naughty, would actually consider Tan a enemy and number one target.

The journey to recover the Sword also leads to increased closeness between Tan and Devan as well as launching considerable introspection about Devan’s occupation and his happiness.

I love how this slow burn romance is starting to heat up through Devan’s realizing how much Tan has become a part of his life.

It makes my need for the next installment and step forward in their relationship even greater.

Plus we got a new look at the King, and a hint he’s as bad as the Princess.

All the stories are called the same , only the number of the Miracle changes.

What else changes? Subtle changes to the cover! Love this aspect too!

Yes, I’m highly recommending the series. Yes, they must be read in the order they are written.

It’s a quick, highly entertaining fantasy series! Start in and get caught up with us heading into Miracle 4 today!

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showHow I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 3

Description:

What’s Tan to do when he has to reclaim a holy sword he can’t touch? Call upon his White Knight to save him.

What’s Devan to do when he learns the sword was stolen in order to defeat Tan? Save the poor fools from utter annihilation.

Tan is not amused by this quest line. Devan can’t stop laughing.

Tags:

Tan’s turn to need help, what are they teaching these adventurers?, I’m not saying baby adventurers are stupid, but if you put a candle next to their ears their eyes will shine, Tan has all the plans, Devan laughs for the first time, Tan loves it, even if it’s at his expense, Tan is banned from Osedon Conclave, for reasons, Tan disguises himself as a girl, also for reasons, no one likes to be drowned, no one, even magic swords knows who’s boss

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Love and History (The Script Club #6) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 4.5🌈

The events of Love and History run concurrently to The Professor’s Date and works beautifully to tie all the original couples up into their HEA as well as give us a heartwarming romance for one of the remaining Script Club members and a new boarder at the lovely old historic house they’ve been renting the entire series.

Almost everyone has either moved out as they have found their partner and established themselves in their careers. The ones left at the house are Tommy and Holden, both Professors at CalTech, both geniuses going for their PhD’s. All the other scientists/geeks in their circle have moved out, forcing them to rent to jock friends of Blake (Aster’s boyfriend).

If you’ve read The Professor’s Date, then you’re aware of how certain events will play out regarding the house. So having Lane use it as a dramatic element is a bit awkward. We know there’s no real threat there.

I wish another thread was used to have Holden thinking of moving on other then the loss of the house. Cole and Ezra had a realistic reason. They needed a location closer to work, which made sense. Holden’s emotional ties also felt believable. A renovation versus a loss of lease perhaps?

Anyway, the romance between Holden Galymer ,astrophysicist, microbiologist ,Phd candidate at CalTech and jock/lawyer in the making Ezra Marsden turns out to be incredibly bumbling, sexy, and sweet.

Ezra has been an irritant on Holden’s nerves since he moved in. With a dislike for clothes past the front door, and a disregard for respecting or replacing someone else’s groceries, Ezra is a itch Holden can’t scratch.

Lane is excellent at creating two wholly opposite characters and then making the reader see how perfect they are for each other. As she does here.

Each man has issues they are still working through. Especially Ezra. A lively outgoing demeanor hides someone who’s dealing with deep grief and anger over his father as well as a inability to come fully out of the closet as bisexual. Holden too has many layers and things that he keeps hidden. Those issues impact his feelings and ability to move forward into relationships.

How Ezra and Holden stumble through into love and HEA includes some wonderful events, some painful moments, and a outstanding wrap up with every couple in the series.

It’s a treat and a great way to say goodbye.

This is a series I really enjoyed. I had my favorites (who doesn’t) and was absolutely entertained.

If you love contemporary romance, this is a group of men I think you’re going to love. Including their finale. I’m definitely recommending this!

The Script Club Series:

✓ Following the Rules #1

✓ Rules of Play #2

✓ The Jock Script #3

✓ The Holiday List #4

✓ The Professor’s Date #5

✓ Love and History: Ezra and Holden #6 – series finale

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer

Review: The Tower (The Spell Saga: Book 2) by Cari Z

Rating: 4🌈

The Spell Saga continues with the The Tower, a book that , unlike The Train, starts to show how little or how flawed the world building is here.

While The Train’s plot and tight storylines were held to the constraints of a moving train, and the exposition was used to move forward the mystery there. Here the series arc, the characters background, even the very foundation of the nation’s rulers are highlighted and the lack of information is apparent.

Now whether this is by flaw or author’s choice I don’t know but it makes for a oddly murky, disconnected story because we keep trying to pull pieces of a puzzle together that just won’t fit.

Even the timeline seems off.

It appears to pickup weeks after the events on the train. Anton Seiber is soon to finish his Doctorate of Thaumaturgy, even though he just got there. That feels inordinately fast given his work to get there. And the high stature of the College and the students around him.

Anton is still got the highly dangerous , one of a kind, magical palimpsest that was used in making spells for the gun that never missed and knife that always killed.

Having Anton keep that never made sense but otherwise we wouldn’t have this book where he’s clearly the target of a killer who’s victims have all been young men who have resemblances to Anton.

Enter Lord Camille Lumière, the French Emperor’s spy. A man of rare talents, including that of missing a soul, he’s assigned to the murders and Anton.

Several issues should be addressed. If you haven’t read the first book (it’s a must for this), his soulless condition isn’t explained here. But it’s important arc element . His background is a mystery, is further enlarged with only the smallest of hints.

But it’s his relationship to Anton that is. They go from first attraction to full on sexual relationship here. But without the depth of partnership we saw and got to explore with them in The Train.

There’s so much narrative “traffic “ here that their partnership in investigating the crimes gets lost midway through. That’s the real heft here . The how’s, the why’s, the neat tools of thaumaturgy in investigating the murders and their minds working it out, that’s the fascination.

But it’s a criminal we could spot immediately, side characters we didn’t connect with, and more storylines added in that took us away from what I initially thought was the couple that we were focused on.

That’s a shame because there’s so many terrific ideas and themes here.

I’m definitely awaiting the next in the series The Tank. But I do wish this had lived up to the first book promise.

Still I’m recommending it. Read The Train and then The Tower before moving forward.

The Spell Saga series:

✓ The Train #1

✓ The Tower #2

◦ The Tank #3-October 25, 2022

The Tower: The Spell Saga: Book Two

Description:

Anton Seiber is on the cusp of finishing his Doctorate of Thaumaturgy, ready to leave university life behind and set out to make his own way in the world. His careful plans are interrupted by the arrival of Camille Lumière, the emperor’s investigator—and Anton’s lover.

Camille is in pursuit of a murderer, and needs Anton’s special talents to help track him down. Worse yet, the killer is targeting foreigners with magical abilities—men like Anton himself. If he and Camille don’t find him before he find Anton, his every plan for the future could be in jeopardy…not to mention his life.

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Short Stack (Short Story Collection 2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 4.5🌈

Lily Morton’s Short Stack Collections follow our favorite couples from her romances after their happily ever after endings. What happens next? Or sometimes just before.

It’s the main question every reader and fan has wanted to know when they get involved in the lives of a couple and their relationship. We want to know what happened next?

Did some get married? What? What?

Morton has given her readers a collection of short stories featuring eleven couples from some of my most favorite romances. Some of these stories are ones I often wish had been folded into the books themselves as quite a few take place before the epilogues of the novels mentioned. Others occur after the books have ended so we get glimpses into the lives the couple’s are now leading.

Happy sigh ensues.

All are well written with style that brings these characters so vividly to life, so grounded within the framework the author’s set out for them.

If you’re not familiar with these stories, you’ll be at an immediate loss here. I’ve put the book each couple is from in parentheses next to their names.

For me, the successful stories were the ones that came from those books and couples I loved the most. Apparently my favorites carried over.

The richness of their original novels and romances flowed over into these stories too. I could see them easily written at the same time. It made me want to go and pick up those books and dive back into the love affairs that made me laugh and cry and sigh .

What joy!

So if you’re new. Head to the books these reference. If you’re familiar with these novels, set back and enjoy a side journey with memorable couples you have wanted to see again.

Plus one very stoned Dean appearance that’s hilarious.

I’m highly recommending this second collection as well as the first.

Note:Some of these appear on the author’s website, others are new exclusive stories.

Jesse and Zeb: (Best Man)

🔹The Graduate

🔹Of Maps and Valentines

Charlie and Misha (Charlie Sunshine)

🔹Sunshine and Showers

🔹Brighton Rock

❤️Max and Felix (After Felix)

🔹Eyes Wide Open

🔹A Day In The Life of Max

Matt and John (The Summer of Us)

🔹Not Just A Cold

❤️Arlo and Jack (Merry Measure)

🔹Somewhere In Between

❤️Mags and Laurie (Beautifully Unexpected)

🔹Visiting Hours

🔹Three Tries

🔹A Red Ribbon

❤️Mal and Caden (Spring Strings)

🔹The Lion Tamers w/Dean

❤️Wren and Mateo (The Cuckoo’s Call)

🔹Gertie and the Glitch

Barnaby and Cosmo (On a Midnight Clear)

🔹Cosmo’s Wish

Will and Jem ((The Skeptic)

🔹When Will Met Jem

❤️Simeon and Ziggy (The Stopping Place)

🔹Sun Cove – Chapters 1 to 3

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

AMAZON FR

Description:

What happens after the happy ending?

Drawn together for the first time, this is a collection of Lily’s short stories about some of the much-loved men from her books. Follow them through wet and windy marriage proposals, surprise workplace visits, and a very entertaining ghost tour.

It includes stories previously written for her website, newsletter, and readers’ group, along with four brand new and exclusive short stories—Gertie and the Glitch, A Red Ribbon, When Will Met Jem, and Sun Cove.