Adverse Conditions: Reclaimed Hearts Book 1, Elle Keaton

While remaining the average length, or at least it feels average to all the other books from this author I've read, we're introduced to a whole lot of people, a lot of elements, a whole new town, and a couple that definitely has some high school angsty love to work out.

As the first book of the series we got something that had a lot of things to cover, as usual, but I think it might have been a little much to toss out all in the same book. Maybe some hints would have been better than how much intro we got into each of those elements because we ended up with a lot less of the natural evolution of Xavier and Vincent.

We got a little of everything here and I have to say, the half a star deduction is really only because we jumped from antagonistic bickering to spicy times to sweet and vulnerable to tentative dating to running scared and standing up to that fear, to their promise of an HEA all while learning about the danger stalking the town, a ridiculous ex, all the townspeople we're going to get to know, and a pup adoption. It was just too much to take us through the relationship evolution at a pace that left us feeling settled before we move on to, my sincere hope, is the property owner and our resident bat-wielding security guard.

I definitely loved the MC's and felt they were relatively well balanced. Vincent's run to "safety" without actually thinking clearly or logically was slightly predictable but annoyingly understandable. As a single mom I find myself wishing I could do the same thing when a potential romantic partner shows up and then I get dealt a blow from my ex or life in general. But it was Xavier's reaction to that, his determination to bring him back around, even if he needed a little push on the timing, was awesome. I was impressed and I have to say that I didn't actually think that's how that would play out because of the Xavier we met right in the beginning.

I'm invested and am really looking forward to diving back into the town and its impending peril and addictive love stories.

$5.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Show Me How to Heal: Juniper Creek Book 2, Ray Celar

From the very beginning I felt for Luke.  He was so broken, just floating on the brittle mantra of "I'll be okay, I'll be okay", and needing someone to wake him up to not only his path to healing, but to just acceptance of himself, his situation, his desires.  Finding that in Zayne was perfect and even though there was a sizable secret between them their connection was everything I was hoping for in this series.

I truly love this setting, the characters are captivating, problematic, and make me yearn for them, the town and surroundings are things I can imagine and want to visit, and the relationship pairings are well crafted with personal evolution and a believable outcome.

My only frustration is the immediate shutdown of Luke by Zayne.  Yes, secrets are hurtful and when they're revealed in a surprising way from the wrong source it can exacerbate that hurt, but to immediately run to "everything there ever was was a lie" is a personal pet peeve that drives me insane.  I get it.  I do.  I just don't like it, like, at all.  You end up increasing the hurt for yourself and for the other person and it makes the apologies fall flat when they finally come.

Maybe it's a trust issue thing that I have, that when something happens later on and you end up counting on your partner to blow up and run away or kick you out because of a situation blown out of proportion.  I'm not saying that Luke's issues with the lie of omission wasn't big, no, that's not it at all.  I just don't think Zayne's actions were completely justified, especially his first thought of everything being a lie because he was extremely intuitive to Luke's real feelings even when the details were vague.  The hurt, pain, yearning, loss...it was all there and Zayne specifically mentioned it in those moments.  The surprise about the career truth should have clicked rather than exploded in his brain.  At least that's what I hoped would have happened.  It's not though, and I'll have to live with that.  It's the reason for a 4 star rating instead of a 5.

So overall I truly enjoyed this book and would read it again.  I'm absolutely coming back for more from this series and can't wait for all my favorite men to have their own HEAs.  My one pet peeve thing likely didn't bother a lot of other readers so take my review with a grain of salt and dive in because Luke and Zayne have some amazing moments that make their whole relationship worth realizing.

Invincible Me: Stories of the Seasons Book 3, Addison Lloyd

This YA story felt very high school while also creeping into some New Adult themes.  There was discovery that had me curious, but the journey didn't exactly keep me captivated.  The ending was a hopeful HFN as age and the fact that their lives haven't even truly begun yet kept it from being an HEA.  Even though the title didn't exactly match the story, it contained a relatively good mix of angst, drama, curiosity, complications, and feelings.

I can't say I was truly drawn to any certain character besides Jade and they were only a peripheral side character for a short portion of the relatively short story.  To be honest, their short interactions with the MC's as a compassionate and meddling secret keeper and with another side character with their jealousy and animosity was far more interesting than the actual story I was reading.  Caleb was fine, but I didn't really connect with him much at all; he also read way older than 17 and the way he was written felt like he just didn't fit into the scripted role but was shoved in anyway.

I'm not sure the story reflected the empowered or invulnerable feel of the title.  I mean, sure, he survived something scary, but the self-discovery, the sudden realizations about his desires...none of that was on the level I'd been expecting with the title or the passion implied in the synopsis.  What I hoped to get from this story wasn't what I got, but I can't say I disliked it, I just didn't feel it the way I wanted.

*$2.99 on Amazon

A reaction to almost dying or gay awakening?

I don’t fit in anymore. Not at home. Not at school. And this jittery feeling—like I’m living someone else’s life—needs to stop. Nothing makes sense until I confront Caleb Patterson at his locker. Arguing with him makes me feel alive again.

I have a girlfriend, but Caleb lights me up like he’s flipped a switch. He’s patient and sweet. And I want to kiss him until I break his world apart and reach the person underneath.

I’m tired of labels and playing by the rules. But living my life on my terms is more difficult than I imagined.

All I want is to be his everything.

Quick Reads, Quick Reviews 50

• Love You So Hard: Love You So Book 1, Tara Lain
• Fate's Final Chapter: A Collection of Strays Book 6, Toby Wise
• Night Skies and Galaxy Leggings, Nikole Knight

While we didn't get to know the men a whole lot, less of Jessie than of Craig, we got enough of a sense of rightness between them, that they were the right person for one another.  I ached for Craig and even teared up when everything in his life seemed to be falling apart and seeing him find his forever with Jessie was very sweet.  Though the individual growth where he finds his courage and confidence isn't complete or even completely solid by the time the story ends, it is on an upward trajectory.

His Charlie Brown thoughts got to be a bit too much for me at times and there was very little sense at all of who Jessie is other than a good match for Craig because he's so complementary.  But despite the cheese and simplistic characters, I did like the overall feel of the story. I also liked the words a certain boss had for him and that those that needed their comeuppance got it.  Very low angst, this short story was full of sweetness, fluffy feels, and some spice to balance it all out.  3.5 stars

Such a sweet ending, a great way to close out the series of all the unlikely yet perfect pairings.  Being guided by Fate to find their fated mates and to bring life into the pack lands as well as the heart of their adopted father, each group gets one final moment to show us just how wonderful it is to find the being(s) meant for your soul.  True to each character there were twin shenanigans, steamy moments, tender feels, and all the good stuff we've come to expect from each and every book in the series.  Along with some truly interesting female alpha explanations that I'd always been curious about, there were snippets from each grouping that rounded out and solidified every good thing I've felt over the course of following all their journeys.  4 stars.

Tender, heartbreaking, and triumphant.  

Casey and Andy are so incredibly young and only starting out in life. On their own they're so very different and yet there's a common thread of admiration, yearning, and discovery that ties them together. There's also an attraction that's more than physical and while they navigate a mostly homophobic community and their changing feelings they find that young love isn't enough when life comes calling.

I enjoyed the story so much and when the heartbreak came I teared up knowing that it was such a difficult moment for both of them and cursing the fact that there were only a few more pages in the novella left. The epilogue was short and wonderful and I wanted to say I didn't like the book because it was so short, but that would be a disservice to effective writing just because I wasn't ready to let these young people go. I want more.  4 stars.

Moored Heart: Catalina Dreams Book 1, I.M. Flippy

Jason and Charlie had an interesting connection right from the start and I enjoyed watching them grow to love one another.  While Jason's lust was a bit of a surprise for him, Charlie's was present right from the start.  Getting them on the same page didn't take as long as I thought it would and seeing Jason's cute and sweet moments paralleling that more intense chemistry was a good change of pace from other stories with a similar plot.

The confrontation and conflict was definitely predictable, but I don't really feel it was unjustified from either Jason or Charlie's perspectives.  Seeing the heartache on both sides being very different but no less real was also a wonderful surprise because there was a vulnerability on Jason's and a maturity on Charlie's that was the real gem during the reconciliation.  That was actually my favorite part of the story, the emotive and honest confession from Jason, the level-headed and understanding preface from Charlie, those were the kinds of words that I always hope to see in so many stories where hurtful reactions cause the biggest trouble.

While I do wish there were more of a connection between me and the men individually and that Jason's ex wasn't so unapologetically pushy more often than not, I liked the overall flow of the story and the men's evolutions both on their own and together.  Jason was the more interesting character and remained so for the entirety, but I liked Charlie for him.  So overall I was happily surprised and even though I choose not to continue the series, this was an enjoyable story on its own.

And on a side note, I agree with other reviewers about the author's note putting them off.  It did for me as well.  Let's be honest here, the whole world needs a serious "come to Jesus" smack down with all the hate and violence and disgust being tossed around as if that's okay.  Racism is absolutely real and completely wrong.  Racial profiling is absolutely real and completely wrong.  I'm totally fine with authors deciding not to write law enforcement characters into their story, but to preface this particular story as they did was...out of place.

They should have made their rant and decision somewhere on their personal or author forums and not in a book where their MC as a police detective had nothing to do with anything regarding the movement, no questionable actions of any kind while on the force regarding this issue in this story, and not at the very outset of a story where it wasn't truly relevant thus coloring the reader against the character before even meeting them.  Justifiable choice going forward, but not the best place to declare it.  Jason was a good man, a good detective, and that was tainted by how the author chose to voice their political opinion.

*$1 on Amazon

When retired homicide detective Jason Winters moves to Catalina Island fresh off a divorce, he’s ready to start a new life.
Jason’s plan is simple: hang out on his small yacht, work on his book, and get his dick wet once in a while. There are plenty of hot women on the beach to choose from.
There are also a lot of men throwing him winks and calling him “daddy.”

Jason can’t deny he’s thought about men, but that attraction is something he’s never had to confront before... until he meets Charlie.
Charlie is gorgeous and more than that, he makes Jason laugh. He’s also smart and genuinely kind.
Jason feels a zing around him he hasn’t felt in years.

Zing…

Charlie Benton likes his life. Sure, he works in a tourist trap shop, lives with his mom, and rarely bothers to leave tiny Catalina Island. But he’s got friends, he loves his town, and hot guys come in on boats all the time. Tourists always want to bang a cute townie.

But Charlie wants more.
Charlie wants the great gay romance.
Charlie did not expect true love to come in the form of Jason Winters.
Jason’s an injured, divorced cop from L.A. He’s got history and baggage. Even worse, he’s probably straight.
So much for the great gay romance.
The last thing Charlie needs in his life is to get his heart broken by a straight guy.

Too bad love never listens to reason... especially on Catalina Island.

Finding Me: Voice Out Book 2, Stella Rainbow

Brady's spark and loyalty was engaging when we first met him in Finding You and here we get to see him get his happily ever after with the person who fits all of him.  Luckily Charlie is just as wonderful and a great match because they have their own journey to travel and it's not always on an upward slope.  Together they navigate change, acceptance, and love in a way that was full of challenge and tenderness.  This was such a wonderfully sweet story with an insightful look into how difficult some personal evolutions can be.

Charlie was shy, vulnerable, and so very curious.  Their openness served them well at the same time as giving the reader a glimpse into the ups and downs of accepting your true self after hiding away for decades.  The body dysmorphia was especially interesting in a way that a cis female like myself wouldn't truly be aware of had I not found a story like this.  Not liking myself or being dissatisfied with my body's appearance has nothing on what Charlie and many other non-binary individuals have to face and I absolutely appreciated how this topic was described and handled.  Following that up with Brady's fierceness in the face of hurtful family members showed a lighter and positive outcome for bringing family together despite all the hurt.

Brady's constant encouragement and support was invaluable to Charlie and their dynamic really worked for me.  This was a much lighter story in comparison to Finding You, but its subject matter was completely different and held a different intensity.  The Voice Out community is full of love and brightness in a world that doesn't accept all humans in their variety of flavors.  I'm a fan of this series and am eager for more.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Brady:
I thought I was happy with my life. I have a successful business, an awesome found family, a dog who is a bigger princess than me and volunteer work that keeps me busy and satisfied when nothing else does.

I was content—and I'd thought I was happy, too—to live my life just like that. No mess. No one to demand things of me I wasn't willing to give. No complications.

But then I met Charlie.

Charlie:
For my whole life, I'd been sure I was destined to live a half-life, to hide a part of myself so I wouldn't lose the only two people I cared about. And I was resigned to my fate.

But when my dad died of a sudden heart attack, I realized life was too short to keep hiding. I moved to a new city, but I had no clue how to go about finding a part of myself that I'd buried so long ago.

And then I met Brady.

A man who is out and proud of who he is and a person who has spent their life hiding a part of themselves. Will they be able to forge a path together or would their differences end up pushing them away?

Dances Long Forgotten: Winsford Green Book 1, Ruby Moone

I truly enjoyed where we ended up with this story, but I will warn that it took more heartbreak and secrets badly revealed before we got there.  Speaking of the story within the story (pretty much the main story since it was pretty much the only one we got in depth), both men were charming, but as we only get one POV, it's a bit skewed in favor of feeling more strongly for Hugo than for Lyndon.  There was a sweetness to where they began as children and a satisfaction to where they ended up once all the chaos settled, it just hurt a lot in between.

One thing to note, in my opinion, was that the story, though well-written, was unnecessarily complicated.  It was secret after secret, reveal after reveal, heartbreak after heartbreak, and was just far too much for a shorter story.  At least one or two could have been dropped and we would have had a much more engaging story.  With a total of three couples being featured in varying degrees it made for too much to bring together at the end.  That being said, if it had been simplified, I would have adored the whole thing.  Each couple was interesting enough with their own complications and hearts to sort out and they all got their HEA in the end.

The "main" couple that we started out with served as a vehicle more than a feature point and that was another missed opportunity.  There were quite a lot of little details that needed some fine tuning and an objective eye, but the overall story had excellent bones and a wonderful ending full of family, feels, and forgiveness.  It was worth the read.

*$2.99 on Amazon

On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.

In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school.

As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.

Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?

Touch & Go: The Midwest Series Book 3, Brigham Vaughn

Redemption and self-acceptance net Micah the future and love he needs.

Micah is probably everyone's least favorite character.  Yes, he's a total ... yeah, pretty much any vehemently negative descriptor would be accurate here, but even though I had some seriously unkind thoughts about him in the first two books there was something deeper going on with him than self-hatred and cruel words and actions and I knew he'd get his chance to tell his story.  Brigham Vaughn is no stranger to writing internal angst and her brand of it can be poignant and honest.  I appreciated the way we saw Micah's internal struggle and the softness that gave me hope he'd pull himself out of his own misery.

And misery there was aplenty.  He sank himself so deep into his own bog of awfulness that he could see no way out or around to true freedom.  His growing and deepening feelings for Justin felt futile and yet so right.  Micah isn't an easy character to love because the surface of heartlessness and callousness is so thick that most won't even try to look past it.  I was glad for Justin's patience and willingness to try for him.

But everyone has their limit and I supported Justin's decision even though I hated his timing.  When Micah's emotional breakthrough came it was met with Justin's heartfelt yet heartbreaking limit.  Left on his own it was finally up to Micah to see exactly what he needed to do to fight for his light.  No final decision was easy, but I really enjoyed all he did to create the future he wanted by seeking redemption, forgiveness, and honesty.

Each story so far in the series has characters that grabbed me for different reasons, but I think that Micah is my new current favorite because of his evolution.  I believed in him, believed in his changes, and I adored his actions with Ian in the lead-in for Advance & Retreat.  I cannot wait to see his cameos in the next story.

*$4.99 on Amazon

It was supposed to be a secret fling.

Micah Warner spent his whole life dreaming of pitching in the big leagues. Signing with a minor-league team near Chicago puts him one step closer to making that a reality. But there are no out players in pro ball, so any involvement with a man must be discreet.

Physical therapist Justin Lamb loves his job with the Cougars. A romantic at heart, he wants to find lasting love—with a man or woman—but traveling with the team makes it difficult to maintain a long-term relationship.

Micah offers Justin a no-strings-attached way to blow off some steam, and Justin reluctantly agrees. It doesn’t take long before they’re both in over their heads but falling in love will risk everything.

With their careers and relationship hanging in the balance, they have one last play to make.

It’s time to take a swing for real and lasting love.

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Wayward Love: Cedar Cove Book 2, Rhys Everly

I'm a huge fan of May/December relationships and with a premise promising an intelligent, driven young man and an older man that needs new perspective and life breathed into his existence, I had high, high hopes for this story.  I'll admit that I'm less of a fan of the author's stories under their other pen name and I figured I'd give them another chance.  I wish it had worked out.

Kyle had exuberance that he let run away with him at every single turn.  For being so smart he was so very unaware of his impetuousness and both men would have greatly benefitted from some good old fashioned communication.  Andy's stick needed to be removed for sure and sometimes it takes a bit of steamrolling to make him see the light, but Andy was stubbornly awful about everything because he was uncomfortable.

And then there was the relationship.  Kyle's assertion that it's just for fun is something that always comes back to bite everyone and his impetuous nature had him promising things and then blowing up when he just needed to stand still and see things from another perspective for five minutes.  Andy's excuses about keeping things special and therefore secret is the same in that it always gets revealed in the worst way and this was completely avoidable, but he was more selfish than all the rest for unsustainable reasons.  Countless times he was shown love and support for the possibility between him and Kyle and he continually shot it down because he hid behind the disapproval of his children.  As a parent, children's feelings are absolutely taken into account when navigating a new relationship, but to allow adult children to dictate your adult relationship is beyond ridiculous.  Nope, just a big fat nope all around.

The grand gesture had sweet moments, but it was nearly ruined by impulsiveness on both sides, yet again.  I know my opinion is in the minority for this book and I feel awful about that, but there's just no denying that the relationship was dysfunctional, the adults acted more like children, acceptance was demurred as often as it was spat on, and straightforward honesty was thin on the ground.

*$5.99 on Amazon

He’s a ray of sunshine, but he’s my son’s best friend.

My life has had three modes since my wife passed away.

Work.
Work.

And work.

And I’m not even any good at that.

Unless I find the money I owe everyone, only a miracle can keep my bar afloat.

Until he comes into my life.

Kyle Brady. 

I’ve never looked at another man the same way I look at him. 

It’s a dangerous feeling.

Somehow I’m roped into letting him help my business and he wants to fix everything.

Including my broken heart.

Want to know how?

Read now and find out.

Off Plan: Whispering Key Book 1, May Archer

Mason was surly, difficult, and completely misreading nearly everything to the point of his own misery.  I was immediately charmed by him and his vulnerable churlishness.  I just knew there would be more to his story and a huge part that he was missing and I was determined to find out just what he wasn't capable of seeing.  

Finn was stuck up, judgey, and stubborn.  I was less charmed by him and his arrogant self-righteousness.  He became interesting however, as he discovered what he truly wanted out of life and where he felt most like his truest, happiest self.

The story was fanciful while also feeling real.  There were so many amusing characters that made their tiny town so interesting.  It seemed like everyone was so starved for more that they were happy to get caught up in Big Rafe's big dreams.  Only Mason seemed to see the dark cloud and blind to the silver lining.  Finn was determined to find the silver lining if only to prove that he's not a failure at yet another thing.  Together they softened their edges, gave them a sense of belonging and acceptance, and pushed one another to see more than what was before them.  Their adventure and even the dramatic discovery was suitably chaotic and fit right into all the shenanigans and personalities that surrounded Finn and Mason.

It took a little while for the story to really gain traction, but once it did I was all in.  I found it difficult to not get sucked into everyone and everything.  I'm really looking forward to more from this series and felt we were left off in a good place with good people that are very worthy of all the excitement that's surely coming their way.

*$5.99 on Amazon

I came to Whispering Key for a job. That was all. To show the world Mason Bloom could be more than a small-town doctor living a medium-sized life.

Private doctor on a swanky island with a posh resort? Check.

But from the moment I set foot on this island, nothing went according to plan.

I didn’t expect to find the resort falling apart.
I didn’t expect the people here to be so charming and crazy and welcoming and real.
I didn’t expect legends about shipwrecks and buried treasure.
And I definitely didn’t expect Fenn Reardon, the island’s incredibly attractive, incredibly infuriating, incredibly male resident tour guide, to become the one person I can’t live without.

Thirty-five’s a bit late for me to realize I'm not straight, though, right? And I have big dreams that won’t fit on Whispering Key, anyway—dreams that do not include tying myself to a tiny island stuck in the past or to a man who refuses to think about the future.

My head’s telling me I have to leave Whispering Key…
My heart’s telling me there might be treasure on this island after all.