The Candidate's Omega, Andie Archer

The Candidate's Omega : A Non-shifter M/M MPreg Romance by [Archer, Andie ]

I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this story, I was unprepared for just how much.  The writing impressed me because it was clear, understandable despite my lack of love for politics, and moving.  I could feel for and about both of these men and became invested in their future.  Their initial meeting was a bit of a whirlwind and incredibly passionate.  Also a bit fortuitous because both of them needed something the other person could provide.

As an alpha William was kind, generous, and tender.  He fought for rights and respect for those who struggled.  His policies carried into his personal life too.  I respected him as a person and he never fought dirty.  The way he treated Aiden was also good.  Despite struggling with his feelings and whether to admit them and how much to confess as well as reconciling his current affections with those for his deceased wife he handles the emotions quite well.  With one exception, however.

Aiden is an omega who knows what he wants.  Mostly.  His desire to be independent seem to override his deeper desire to be loved and kept.  When he finds William he realizes that he has someone special and is afraid he'll lose what they're building together.  Campaigning is no joke and he struggles with what he's feeling as well as the stress of being on a bus with William and his team of advisers and assistants while on their honeymoon.  And when Aiden discovers a little surprise?  All that stress compounds with his fears and insecurities leading to strained tension between the couple.

Watching them struggle and work toward their future is frustrating at times but supremely enjoyable.  Their banter is cute and truly humorous.  Every mention of Kevin made me laugh or smile.  Getting to their HEA is an absolute joy.  The epilogue is from a third person but really well done, especially when it moves to just the couple and shows that the tenderness and passion they fought for and expressed throughout the story never waned.  So. Dang. Good.  Loved this book!

*$2.99 on Amazon!
 The Candidate's Omega, Andie Archer

Secret Omega: Mount Liberty Pack Book 2, Kellan Larkin

Secret Omega: m/m mpreg gay paranormal romance (Mount Liberty Pack Book 2) by [Larkin, Kellan]

The world created is interesting, desolate, and difficult.  Having not read book 1 first I was a little confused at the outset because I felt like I was missing the genesis of their pack, which I was, even though this story can be read as a standalone.  Basic background is given and there's also a basic introduction to a couple of the characters as well, but aside from that the focus is on Stone and Peregwin.

Stone is a rogue alpha and his previous pack is a bit confusing.  It seems like he's from the pack the Mount Liberty pack left but then it turns out he's not, he's from one almost as bad in their treatment of omegas.  His thinking is thrown on its ear by a small but fierce omega that protects what's his and then offers shelter and healing despite the pack leader's decree of banishing him to the wilds.

Peregwin reacts to a possible threat before he can think and feels guilty that his actions caused someone an injury and a potential death warrant by being sent back off the mountain.  He recognizes that the rogue alpha was merely hungry and that stabbing him might have been a bit overkill in this situation.  Having a son to protect, however, bypasses all the thinking and goes right to the acting.  Justified yet feeling responsible he brings Stone home with him but just until he recovers.  At least that's what he tells himself.  Something else he recognizes is that there's an intense draw toward this unknown alpha and it scares him.  His previous experience with belonging to an alpha was none too pleasant even if it gave him his son.  Determined to be a temporary safe-haven for the stranger he makes it clear to Stone that there's no other option unless he wants to choose his own death.

If only it weren't for his heat cycle.  The magnetism between these men is palpable and by giving in just the once brings consequences neither one are fully prepared for.  Hoping that quickly taking suppressants afterward will be an effective enough "morning after pill" Peregwin goes back to his duties to the pack.  It becomes quite clear soon after that it wasn't as effective as he hoped.  Now he's stuck with a baby in his womb and a healing stranger in his home and no idea how to save his future.

Together they find all kinds of trouble and turmoil both within the pack and without.  There is incredible tension between the packs in the wilds and too many "lost rogues" are finding their home in the treacherous mountains to be mere coincidence from starving conditions below.  One misstep and their entire pack could crumble and fall back into the torturous situations they all ran from in the first place.

There's a whole lot of angst in this story and a whole lot of problems that aren't going to be solved quickly.  With a tentative "trust" from the pack Stone and Peregwin are allowed to build a home together and take on pack duties.  But with a group of yet more rogue alphas caught and then locked up in their school the Mount Liberty pack finds itself on the cusp of change.  Change for the better?  Maybe not.  One way leads to a new and possibly better future, the other leads to becoming the very thing they fled from.

The end of the story leaves it open for more from the series and is an effective move while also giving us a glimpse of life as it could be.  I'm not 100% sold on Stone and Peregwin as a partnership but I think they're well on their way to becoming something great.  Stone's willing acceptance of his role as an alpha in this strange new pack as well as his tenderness toward Peregwin and his son is truly endearing.  His devotion to their little family is heartening because he's changing for the better by being exposed to another, more charitable way of living.  Peregwin's heart and mercy has the capability to guide and influence the pack as well as opening his heart to Stone and all they could be together.  The pain and angst surrounding them gives them both a way to use their talents for the improvement of the pack but how the pack itself will respond to them with their inauspicious beginning remains to be seen.

*$4.00 on Amazon!
 Secret Omega: Mount Liberty Pack Book 2, Kellan Larkin

*Start the series with Briar and Rohan in Auctioned Omega
$3.94 on Amazon!
Auctioned Omega: M/M Mpreg Gay Paranormal Romance (Mount Liberty Pack Book 1) by [Larkin, Kellan]
 Auctioned Omega: Mount Liberty Pack Book 1, Kellan Larkin
Briar can only watch in terror as the wolves who attacked his pack fight in the omega auction for the right to own him. When the dust settles, the largest, most savage fighter steps forward, and Briar realizes with horror that he’s been won by a rogue alpha. But Rohan isn’t the monster Briar first takes him for.
In fact, Rohan is unlike any alpha Briar has ever met.
Rohan slowly begins to earn the frightened omega’s trust through patience and tenderness. But with secrets and danger surrounding them, their bond will be tested repeatedly as they run from the violent packs trying to reclaim Briar. The two lovers are pushed to their breaking point, fleeing for their lives, and Briar discovers one more challenge for their perilous journey—he’s pregnant.

In the Blood: Metahuman Files Book 4, Hailey Turner

In the Blood (Metahuman Files Book 4) by [Turner, Hailey]

Hooooooooly. Freak.  The word "intense" has nothing on this book.  There's so much going on here that if you're jumping in at this point expect to be lost.  With all the characters facing huge changes in their personal and professional lives there's bound to be upheaval, except with this particular cast of characters upheaval is much too tame of a word to describe the utter devastation, horror, pain, and surprise that their world is heaping on their shoulders.

I liked this book so much and yet there's a huge element of darkness that is doing its best to drown everyone that usually makes me shy away from higher ratings because I'm a sucker for sappy happiness.  This story, however, is incredibly moving in so many ways, so very hot and passionate, dark, frustrating, and impossibly heartbreaking at times that it was so hard to put down or turn away.  Riveting, utterly riveting.

With the team's long-game mission making more perilous demands than ever something has to give.  The problem is that with a precog on the enemy's side no one's sure what needs to give or even what move needs to be made because they're getting blocked and threatened at every turn.  The mission's players are being moved around on a chess-board they can't see and everything is coming to a confrontation of seemingly biblical proportions.  Not only that but pasts are converging with the present and Sean has to face it with Alexei as the enemy's tool of coercion.

Everything is in utter chaos once the first move is made and while Jamie plays his heart against his family in the name of his job, Kyle is trying to deal with those changes while still standing behind the man he loves.  Changes meaning that he may no longer be able to stand by his side.  Their future hangs in the balance no matter which way things go.  At the same time their "associates" are teaming up with a particularly nasty element from Sean's past and the threat of Splice combines with reciprocity and ends with torture.

I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting that scene to be like it was.  It was real, unfortunate, traumatic, and seriously rips your heart out with the love, guilt, and devastation.  The scene was so well done and hard to read and captivating at the same time.  When Kyle deals with the perpetrator I was both cringing and cheering in equal measure.

There was a feeling of hope amidst the desolation at the end, though, with Kyle and Jamie's promises and Sean and Alexei's healing.  With my heart on a platter at this point I just know I'm going to find a dagger stabbed in it with book 5 but I'm in it for the long haul.  This is an amazing series and I can't wait for more heartbreak, passion, destruction, love, and triumph.

*$4.00 on Amazon or FREE on KU!
 In the Blood: Metahuman Files Book 4, Hailey Turner

*Start from the beginning and immerse yourself in the world of Metahumans...
In the Wreckage: (M/M Sci-Fi Military Romance) (Metahuman Files Book 1) by [Turner, Hailey] In the Ruins (Metahuman Files Book 2) by [Turner, Hailey]
 In the Wreckage: Metahuman Files Book 1, Hailey Turner           In the Ruins: Metahuman Files Book 2, Hailey Turner

In the Shadows (Metahuman Files Book 3) by [Turner, Hailey] In the Blood (Metahuman Files Book 4) by [Turner, Hailey]
 In the Shadows: Metahuman Files Book 3, Hailey Turner           In the Blood: Metahuman Files Book 4, Hailey Turner

Fever Claim: Sigma Menace Book 1, Marie Johnston

Fever Claim (The Sigma Menace Book 1) by [Johnston, Marie]

There's a whole lot going on in this book opening up the series with quite a few bangs. I enjoyed both of the MC's and am drawn to and interested in quite a few of the support characters. With a well-built cast this will be an exciting series.

Jace is damaged goods but he's honest and determined and focused on justice and his mate. He's drawn to Cassie and knows what she is to him. With perseverance and patience he finally has a chance with her and for one night he's where he knows he's meant to be. He'll do anything to protect that place and the person that provides his heart and soul's home.

Cassie is intelligent, passionate, and strong. She doesn't truly accept her passion, settling instead for the safety of a mundane relationship that she can count on to not stir up her insecurities, fears, and past traumas. When that safety is pulled from her she gives in to her emotions and vulnerabilities and allows Jace to take her home, and take her.

Come morning, though, their sexual satisfaction, confusion in uncertainty, and unexpected domestic bliss are blown apart by events building up around them. Exposed to a new world within e one she knows, Cassie is on edge but holding herself together long enough to learn about it and arm herself with information. Whether she'll give in to her pull toward Jace or not after the ashes settle, though, is the concern.

The entire story is a bit confusing because so many elements are made known, plots are being exposed, background is being explained, and characters are being introduced. By the end we get a sense of what's happening and the direction everything is headed and we're left feeling both anticipatory and anxious that all the plot points and characters will be given their due. I'm eager to see where this series goes and already being a fan of each of this author's New Vampire Disorder series, I'm sure I won't be disappointed with the writing and story arc.

*Jump into the world of the Sigma Menace series for FREE!
 Fever Claim: Sigma Menace Book 1, Marie Johnston

Once you've become invested in the Guardians you meet in Fever Claim, read Primal Claim featuring Mercury and his unlikely mate, Dani...
Primal Claim (The Sigma Menace Book 2) by [Johnston, Marie]
$4.24 on Amazon or FREE with KU!
 Primal Claim: Sigma Menace Book 2, Marie Johnston

The Christmas Bet, Alice Ward

The Christmas Bet by [Ward, Alice]

Humor, intensity, hotness, honesty, secrets, magnetism, distance.  So much to bring these two unlikely characters together and yet also keep them apart.  Will their passion drown them?  Will their enemies succeed in tearing them apart?  Will the darkness of desires swallow them both before they can come to terms with it all?

When Tabby is in NOLA for her bridezilla cousin's wedding she bumps into Owen Driscoll quite literally and he's thrown for a loop.  Not only is she nothing like the type of woman he typically gravitates toward, she has no idea how alluring she is.  She's also unaware of the shadows Owen usually hides behind within the secrecy of his Club to meet his specific...needs.  But after she appears and then just as quickly disappears he's determined to introduce her to his brand of wickedness.

Owen is enigmatic and interesting and intriguing.  He quickly wins over Tabby's sense of humor with his quick wit and banter and she finds herself unable to stay away from the handsome man.  He's hotter than sin and she's discovering something warm, hot, and decadently base within herself that is connected to the man she can't resist.

 The Christmas Bet, Alice Ward

Things move deeply rather quickly between them with both of them bending their strict rules of intimacy in favor of getting more with each other.  The introduction of The Blackjack Club opens doors for both of them and it's unclear through much of the story the purpose of the Club both for Owen and on its own.  I mean, I kind of get what it does but what it's accused of being near the end is basically the truth, the truth that any good lawyer would call slander but still an unspoken truth.  Despite that, though, I thought it would play a larger role throughout the story and not just be a cause for drama, splitting, and then reconciliation between the MC's.

I was expecting something darker and seedier, much like Tabby, when we are first introduced to The Blackjack Club.  I also had some predictions about the Club versus the organic relationship independent of it.  In both cases I was glad to be wrong.  While there were some elements that were reminiscent of The Mask with the secrecy of the club and its purpose, it only shared a couple of characteristics.  This eased my mind quite a bit right along with Tabby's but there were other secrets being kept that threatened the transparency required for relationship longevity.

As for Owen's desires, well I won't say they weren't dark, but they weren't nearly as harsh as was being built up.  They played a minor role in the whole scheme of things and didn't even get a lot of page time despite how often they were alluded to both internally and out loud by Owen.

What I appreciated about this particular character pairing was the banter, humor, and organic way that the relationship grew.  Owen had his rules and was trying his best to bend himself and Tabby's situation around to suit them but it never quite worked.  It only found satisfaction when the rules were fitted around what they were already building outside of his past's rigidity.  They were so cute together with all the tickles, joking, wit, and openness.  There were secrets, yes, but they weren't insurmountable once shared.  The drama and angst came from an expected source and the resolution was both amusing and empowering on Tabby's part.

There was so much to like about this story and while it wasn't my favorite book by this author, it was a solidly enjoyable story with a sweet and tender ending that spoke of so much love and understanding for their future.  While not exactly an HEA, it was deeper and definitely more than an HFN and it felt right for the characters and the story as a whole.

*Whether a fish or a shark you're guaranteed to win.
Only 99¢ or FREE on KU!
 The Christmas Bet, Alice Ward

Short Order: Foothills PRIDE, Pat Henshaw

Short Order (Foothills Pride Book 8) by [Henshaw, Pat]

While not just a Christmas story, it revolves around the holiday and has a heavy Christmas feel to it despite trying to be more about the couple than the holiday itself.  It does a good job of bringing together two men who might ordinarily have nothing to do with one another but falls short with the voice of the story and the overall plot.

 Short Order: Foothills Pride, Pat Henshaw

There were some deep issues as well as disturbing things that took place and they came off as merely events in the story's overall flow rather than pivotal moments or catalysts for change.  I felt disconnected from the characters and the story as if the narrator were an observer who knew Fen's mind rather than Fen himself.  I liked him in the beginning and had high hopes for his character to be quirky yet very down-to-earth.  I didn't know John at all and we get the events of his life but even after the intense reveal I still don't feel drawn into his life and him as a person.  The two men are good for one another and I can see a lasting romance.  I say that but I still feel detached from them in general.

Also, all the sexual situations are intimated and referred to rather than described so there's pretty much no steam in the story at all.  With Fen's honesty and attraction I was expecting something different in this regard but this is also my first book by this author so maybe that's just their style and I'm not aware of that.

So the story was good overall but I wasn't captivated as I was hoping to be.  This is more of a 2.5 stars rounded up situation but I can't fault the story for my expectations, only what I think might be missing or not quite enough based on what's actually there.  With that in mind, I'm rating this book a mostly solid 3 stars here and on all my usual review sites.

*$3.94 on Amazon!

Only with You, JD Chambers

Only with You (Only Colorado Book 1) by [Chambers, JD]

Awkward cuteness, emo hotness, intense and fast describes them once they finally make their connection and I loved every minute of that.  They were both unsure in equal measure, just in different ways.  Drama was not far behind, though, between insecurities and vulnerability and secrets and neither one was immune to any of it.

Zach is a nerd.  In the best ways, obviously, but a nerd nonetheless.  He's misunderstood by just about everyone except for his best friend Ben.  With an unfortunate experience in college where he let his nerd and kink flag fly with someone he thought he could trust and was summarily dumped, shamed, and crushed, he vowed to keep as much of his true self under wraps as he possibly could.  Until he bumbled his way into Craig's life.

Craig is immediately charmed by everything the nerdy and blushing guy who came in with his coworker's lunch.  Unable to get him out of his mind he has Ben arrange a way for them to meet and spend a little time together as a group on the off chance that Zach would be more comfortable with Ben along.  With a chance to get to know him he's not merely charmed, he's enchanted and seeks out more time with the shy man.  He finds that he's falling fast for Zach and can't help but be worried that it'll end sooner rather than later because he doesn't feel captivating enough for how smart and motivated Zach is.

As they get more and more involved with one another they reveal more about one another, but it seems that it's only Zach sharing his past.  Zach is aware of that and is willing to give Craig time to open up whenever he's ready.  In the bedroom, however, things are moving along quickly and he thinks he's found someone he can be truly honest with.  So he shares a little...and grows to regret his passionate admissions.  Craig isn't sure what to do about Zach's confession so he does what he shouldn't do and that's to pull back.  It becomes pretty clear that his go-to solution is to edge away from uncomfortable situations until he's far enough away to bolt.

But he misses Zach and everything they could have so he sucks it up and decides to talk it out.  With things on their way back to trust it seems like things are looking up for the clumsy couple.  An incredibly awkward and embarrassing family moment, however, prove that assessment very wrong.

Being on the outs devastates both of them but it's Zach's open honesty that's left in tatters.  Craig is going to have to pull off something big to get back in his good graces.

I really enjoyed this story.  There were moments that frustrated me because of the characters' reactions as well as a lack of openness on Craig's part until almost too late.  I get Zach's love and needing someone like Craig but I wasn't a fan of how quickly he forgave Craig.  I'm not saying I wanted him to withhold forgiveness, but I was hoping for a bit more discussion both ways and a lot more groveling.  Aside from that I enjoyed this story quite a lot.  And while I'm not a fan of the brand of kink here, I respect that other people enjoy and sometimes need those things and appreciate the honesty and the safety measures discussed surrounding said kink.  Well done.  Hot and awkward is always a winning combination for me.

*$3.96 or FREE on KU!
 Only with You, JD Chambers

Mr. Dirty, Nana Malone

Mr. Dirty (London Billionaire Book 3) by [Malone, Nana]

Hot, frustrating, dirty, sexy, sweet, unexpected.  Both characters had hidden parts of themselves that only came out with one another.  They were what the other was missing in their lives.  Each one had desires carnal and otherwise that needed something neither believed they'd ever find and yet with not one, but two unexpected encounters they set themselves on their own path to find everything they were always meant to have.

So we have Nathan, dirty-talking, filthy rich, and sex on a stick.  He's a manwhore who avoids emotional entanglements with the same determination that he goes about business dealings and hasn't failed yet.  When he's faced with his father's indiscretions this time he realizes that he just can't stomach turning the other way anymore.  He's decided to cut ties with him and the business he helped build.  On the eve of this momentous decision he finds himself at one last business meeting.  What he didn't know at the time was that he'd also be meeting the one woman who could turn his whole life upside down.  Their introduction was far from a fairy tale moment, in fact it was pretty sordid.  A failed pick up and a voyeur moment that would live in their memories until their next convergence.

That moment was a tawdry vision that haunted Sophie until she saw the man in the flesh in her own hallway.  But since then it wasn't just that vision that haunted her, it was the endless parade of women, his shirtlessness, his sexy smile, and the many and myriad noises coming from his apartment across the hall, on the rooftop patio, and just about every other place.  It's obvious that he doesn't remember her so she has no problem telling him off for disturbing her, her sleep, and her sanity (she keeps that last part to herself, though).  He's painting a pretty clear picture of who he is for her so when he witnesses her at her lowest and does nothing but try to defend her and then comfort her she's so very confused.  Is there more to the panty-dropping smirk and party boy she sees?

Watching them come together physically is way hot, but it's seeing them create a life together without really knowing it that draws you in and keeps you in their orbit.  Things go really well until there's the big misunderstanding and the way things are resolved leaves me with mixed feelings.  I love Nathan's determination to explain and win her back.  Before that happens, though, I didn't enjoy watching him admit his feelings and then deny them as if he never realized it before when he clearly did.  His relationship with his step-mother is tender and allows us to see a different side to him that is essential to believe the veracity of his feelings for Sophie.

Sophie is inordinately stubborn in her refusal to hear him out.  I can understand being hurt by what she saw but if she loved him as she says she does she should at least hear him out first to determine the best course of action.  Her actions are colored by her past, which is understandable, but she ignores evidence in favor of incorrect perceptions.  Then the thing with Adam was a bit much because she talks herself into doing something she knows isn't right and I'm not a fan of that.

Speaking of her past, I think that if there was a discussion with Nathan about it it could have worked better than the confrontation with her father in the street.  I could see this from a couple sides though.  On the one hand we have the need for Sophie to accept, move beyond, and heal from her past with her absentee father.  Having the confrontation in the street with its outcome takes care of that, yes, but it added an element to the story that wasn't given its due.  It takes care of opening a door for her healing, but on the other hand this could have been done differently or even eliminated completely because while it helps her as a person it actually detracts from the point of the story.  I don't think it adds anything vital to her acceptance of Nathan's pleas and gestures.  If it were taken out we could have just had her focus on Nathan's words, actions, explanations, and how vastly different they are from her father's action and inaction and it would have solved her issue with comparing the two men unjustly.  Random encounters that quickly become slightly combative and then end with the combatants making a date to bury the hatchet don't have to happen for someone to heal from and move beyond their past experiences.  My opinion is that that whole scene was unnecessary.

Overall the story was good, there was good progression in the relationship both physically and emotionally.  We got to know these people deeply.  The only support character I liked was Nathan's mom, the rest were a bit disappointing because I wasn't a fan of their advice and lack of support.  The plot moved along at a good pace and I wasn't bored at any point.  It's definitely worth a read if you like steamy contemporary romances with a feisty woman and a sexy man with a penchant for dirty talk.

*$3.10 or FREE on KU!
 Mr. Dirty, Nana Malone

Get to know all the London Billionaires...
Mr. Trouble (London Billionaire Book 1) by [Malone, Nana] Mr. Big (London Billionaire Book 2) by [Malone, Nana] Mr. Dirty (London Billionaire Book 3) by [Malone, Nana]
 Mr. Trouble, Nana Malone           Mr. Big, Nana Malone          Mr. Dirty, Nana Malone

The Perfect Role, Clare Solomon

The Perfect Role by [Solomon, Clare]

The role of a moment.  The role of a lifetime.  The role that matters.  It's not often when you get one or more of these and even more rare when you get all three at once.  Two men are given the meet during the first, which sets them up for the second, which grows into the third.  Through ups and downs they find success, determination, separation, frustration, devastation, healing, love, and forever.

Peter is a divorced man with three children that he adores.  He's an actor who is willing to take just about every job that comes his way to provide for those children and a life that allows him to be close enough to them to take advantage of his visitation rights.  He's also struggling with loneliness and frustration because of why he's divorced in the first place.  Being betrayed by someone you loved is never easy, but to see that betrayal every time you pick up and drop off the kids you used to see every day?  At what point is it all too much?

While on the set for a small role as a homophobic, controlling father in a TV series he comes across something he didn't think he'd need to ever face.  His sexuality was always clear to him but with a marriage and family he never acted on the other half of his desires because there was no need.  Now with no ties, a lonely life, and a ridiculously attractive co-star he finds himself in new and unfamiliar territory.  Alex is a beacon of life and light and he doesn't think he's worthy of the young man's attention.

Alex, however, has a different opinion of that.  He may be young but he has experienced more in life than most other men have in their entire lives.  He's attracted to Peter, his stability, his unassuming and gentlemanly nature, his hesitance, his honesty, his passion, and even his role as a father.  There's something special about him that draws Alex despite the age gap, or maybe even because of it.  During the time he's unsure of Peter's attraction and sexuality he finds himself in the arms of a crew member from the set.  Thinking he's made a solid connection he begins to build something with Eddie.  It doesn't take long to see what a huge mistake that was, though, and it complicates things quite a bit.

That's not the only complication, though.  Peter has enough drama off-set that could threaten everything he hopes for with Alex, his career, and even the life he's trying to build with his children.  He was nearly buried under the weight of all the responsibility and negativity from his failed marriage.  At first he had his relationship with Alex to bolster him and lift him up, but when it was clear that them being together was interfering Peter was willing to sacrifice his own happiness on the altar of being a good father.  With difficulties coming at them from every side their budding relationship seems doomed from the start no matter how much chemistry and potential they have.  When all is said and done, however, they find that the roles they choose and the roles they are given don't really matter.  It's how committed they are to succeed in either that determines their happiness.

It did feel like there was one too many elements standing in their way and it made the story feel clunky.  The stuff with Peter, his ex, and the kids was essential.  The stuff with Alex, though, I think one issue could have been removed and it would have been way better.  There was a mention of bruising with panic in the very beginning, a passing mention by his brother during a phone call, and then an explanation and stressful time with its recurrence at the end and that could have been developed and integrated for it to feel complete and valid, but as it stands now, it was vague and rushed.  Either that and get rid of the stuff with Eddie or just develop the situation with Eddie.  With the health concerns it felt more vital than the vicious ex because it gave validity to Alex's life experience, his inner strength, and his emotional turmoil.  It also could have been the vehicle to trigger Peter's need to care for, protect, and nurture his partner.  Either way, it needed a bit of streamlining to feel less disjointed.

I found this story uplifting at the end and pretty well done overall.  Alex was young but nothing close to naive.  He found that his desire for Peter had a foundation in the love he has for his own family and his passion for acting.  It came naturally.    Peter was a good man, a solid man, and even though he had trouble seeing the big picture and beyond what is thrown on his doorstep, he presses on and is a force for protecting those he loves.  They were a good pairing and the concept of what a perfect role really is was a good way to wrap up all the elements of the story.

*$2.99 or FREE on KU
 The Perfect Role, Clare Solomon

Till There Was You, Iris Morland

Till There Was You (Love Everlasting) (The Thorntons) by [Morland, Iris]

I'd been eagerly awaiting Heath and Jubilee's story and after reading it I was happy with where they ended up but I think I built it up so much in my head that it was bound to fall a little short. It didn't fall too short, it was just a lot of the hesitation and hurt caused by denying the other person that which would make them the happiest. The angst of that situation lasted a bit longer than I was anticipating and hoping for. The ending was so wonderful that I wished it had been given a lot more page time, like Heath's prep for the surprise or even Jubilee's evolution over her next chapter in life. There was so much there that fulfilled my every wish for them and seeing it get such a short part of the book was a bit disappointing.

The drama with Heath's past and Jubilee's need for freedom was as expected. I am glad that Heath didn't go throughout the entire book trying to shoulder everything on his own. He was a bit of a martyr and it was frustrating but he didn't neglect his resources for too long so that was a positive note. Jubilee and Heath had a lot of drama between them because of the bet and trying to convince themselves that they were each a stop-gap in one another's lives. Once things were sorted on that front it still didn't come together until the very end. There was a point when they were both honest with one another and themselves but even honesty can't create the ideal situation for happiness and togetherness, apparently, and Heath and Jubilee both suffered from honesty without determination. Heath being a martyr and Jubilee from being impulsive in regards to lumping him in with her overbearing family both got in the way of their HEA.

Overall, though, the book was good and a fitting end for the Thornton siblings.  There was passion, serious hotness with the steamy scenes, endearing awkwardness, angst, frustration, drama, acceptance, and love.

*$3.99 or FREE on KU!
 Till There Was You: The Thorntons, Iris Morland

*Round out the holiday and the Thornton's series with a Christmas epilogue for the whole clan
I'll Be Home for Christmas (Love Everlasting) (A Thorntons Christmas) (The Thorntons Book 7) by [Morland, Iris, Bennett, Dahlia]
Pre-order for only $2.99
 I'll Be Home for Christmas, Iris Morland

It’s Christmas time, and the entire Thornton clan is spending the holidays in a cabin deep in the Washington woods. 

What could go wrong with twelve adults, four kids, and a dog all staying together in one big cabin?

Only the most chaotic—and memorable—Christmas ever!

Expect kisses under the mistletoe, lots of (spiked) eggnog, and even a surprise wedding as the Thornton clan celebrates the most romantic holiday of all.