Micah: Love at the Haven Book 3, Stella Shaw

I've been intrigued by the men at The Haven from the beginning with their personalities and unknown backstories.  I was looking forward to Micah's story with all the hints of still waters running deep, his ability to keep the peace, the music he brought to the hotel, and his generally calm nature.  He maintained all those things in this story, but I felt they got lost within all the drama that was often overdramatic rather than a byproduct of more organic conflicts.

This was the most juvenile story of the series, though with how the characters were written, especially Micah, that shouldn't have been the case.  Both Fox and Micah didn't do a ton of growing in the story despite it having adequate page time to do so.  Fox was definitely young and sheltered and found difficulty standing up for himself until things really came to a head.  He had to make a lot of difficult choices and so his maturing was there, though off page.  Micah had a lot of life under his belt for being so young, and a lot of hardship to face.  But when faced with hard personal choices he ran.  Can't say I was a fan of that.

For Micah to throw the appropriateness of their relationship due to obligations and responsibilities, basically laying selfishness at Fox's feet, was a low move yet one he should have taken to heart as well.  Seeing him do nothing to fix his issues as he said he needed to in the same breath as chastising Fox to do the same was an unfortunate misstep as it decreased Micah's appearance of maturity and resolve.  All ended up well, but the journey there was crisis after crisis softened only in The Haven's Room 2 where both Fox and Micah could let down the walls and be themselves without shame or pretense.

*$4.99 on Amazon

Micah and Fox weren’t each other’s first choice - but might they be the last?

Easygoing Micah takes the role of peacemaker at the Haven Hotel, where he's one of the long-standing escorts. But beneath his tolerance he’s hiding turmoil and anger he daren’t let loose—the last time it got the better of him, his whole family fractured. However, on one fateful night, Micah strikes back at an abusive client, and also finds startling passion with a pop star travelling incognito. Blindsided by both, his life is never going to be the same.

Fox's band is an online sensation, just about to break into live events. A talented songwriter with his career on the rise, he’s held the band together since they were all in college. So why does his public life now fill him with dread, threatening to rob him of his precious voice? Seeking anonymous comfort at the Haven, he’s mistakenly paired with Micah, and what was meant to be a straightforward business transaction affects him in a way he never imagined.

Two confused men in need of love and understanding—can they find it together?

Dante: Love at the Haven Book 1, Stella Shaw

With such a short story there wasn't much time to develop a complex plot or convoluted characters.  I appreciated that the conflicts were kept simple and didn't change throughout the story.  While the last minute hesitations came from an understandable place, the resolution was quick and a little too uncomplicated.  I enjoyed the story alright, but would have loved it to be at least 20-50 pages longer to give a better resolution before the epilogue and to get more of Blake.

The chemistry was kind of there, mostly being read as there because we were expected to expect it rather than in the way it was written.  I feel that was more because we didn't get to know Blake hardly at all and aside from some steamy moments in The Haven, they didn't have much of anything to build on at all.

Getting Dante's POV until the epilogue made sense because he was the one needing to evolve and accept the hope and love in the circumstances, in the person offering them.  I was very glad the epilogue was in Blakes POV though because we really needed it to make their relationship and the life changes on Dante's part even remotely believable.

Overall this was a good story and a good introduction to The Haven and all the men we'll get to know and root for throughout the series.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Everyone deserves a second chance – both in life and love.

Dante's been fooled in love before, and his career is dead in the water – he’s determined he won’t be betrayed again. In between part-time jobs, he’s been tricking at the Haven, a run-down London hotel, and rebuilding his independence. But on a particularly cold winter’s evening, a disaster in Room Four nearly finishes him off for good. Will he and his new friends lose the shelter they’ve come to rely on?

When they meet the hotel’s new owner, Rick, they don’t expect him to accept the rent boys who’ve been using the hotel’s hospitality, however respectful they’ve been. But while negotiations are in progress to renovate the Haven, Dante meets Rick’s friend Blake. Neither of them can ignore the sudden, fierce spark of attraction between them.

Blake is successful, rich, and totally committed to honesty. And, apparently, just as determined in having a relationship with Dante. As they explore the physical fascination between them, they can’t help developing the emotional bond too.

But if Dante confesses his past to Blake, will that be the end of everything? Or will their time at the Haven provide the comfort and understanding that both men have been seeking?