Stone Wings: The Gargoyles of Arrington Book 1, Jenn Burke

There was something full of yearning in this story underneath the denial, the fake situation, the danger, and the reconciliation of curses, pasts, and hearts.  I truly enjoyed the book and am eagerly jumping into book two, quite glad it's on KU.

Drew and Josh had a slow, nice road to travel romantically and I can't say it was riveting, incredibly spicy, or even all that captivating.  It slowly swelled and filled my mind until I couldn't imagine they had any other option than to fall in love and make everything work.

There are other reviewers that have feelings about what happens when the curse breaks but I honestly don't have an issue with that.  I read so often when the temporarily supernatural being retains certain supernatural traits rather than the author letting the curse just break.  To me it seems that letting the curse break and return them to their original state prior to the curse is more believable than trying to come up with a reason as to why they should keep part of their cursed state merely because it would be helpful in the issues they were going to face, you know?

The drama surrounding the pride in their area and their distant past was interesting and a little too simplistic in their connection, but the biggest piece of interest was the element of their past.  When the story of their curse was related to Josh it was pretty obvious to me that there was going to be a piece of it that would return and despite being right I didn't predict the reason for all the turmoil.  I appreciated that.

Overall I thought the story was very sweet and I admired the person who initiated the reconciliation, feeling that the appropriate person stood up to the other to call them out for their choice made out of fear.  And ending the story with the lead-in to the next book in the series felt right as well, that it wasn't just a HEA for the couple and a vague forboding for what's coming, it was something concrete, something that was a bit more believable as what could happen next.

And, side note, the wolf pack being involved really added something intriguing to the story and has me all kinds of curious.  It answered some questions, raised some interest, and brought a lot of elements of the story to life.  I'm eager to see where Rian's story takes us and how things will evolve around their clan.

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREEon KU!

Rick: Love at the Haven Book 2, Stella Shaw

The second book in the series, Rick got a lot more in the way of detail and evolution, and while it gave more insight into both Rick and Eliot, there was the same amount of focus on the actual relationship building as in Dante...not enough for my liking.  It was a sweet story overall with a lot of overlap between business and romance and the ending was nice as well.

I felt for Rick quite a lot, but more because of his compassion and understanding shown in Dante's story.  His insecurity took center stage a little too often in his story and I wish his character had been written as a more solid presence; his constancy and protection drew me to him in the first place, I just wish it had been shown more here.  Kind of like Web from Mary Calmes' Frog and his being a mountain (one of my favorite books ever and definitely worth a read).

Eliot's evolution was a bit missing as well.  His backbone and acceptance of his identity was in question for most of the story and only at the big confrontation did he bring both of those together and I would have liked to see that change, not be surprised by it.

Progression in the relationship was physical, but a kind of awkwardness clouded it.  It often edged a little too far on the justification and acceptance of Rick's assumed occupation and of The Haven's operation practices instead of something to build on that was uniquely Rick and Eliot's.  The chemistry was there, though Rick's sweetness was really the focus of the relationship.

There were also too many conflicts packed into a relatively short story, in my opinion.  Eliot's job dissatisfaction, his sexual identity, his plans for his money, Rick's financial situation, his insecurity regarding Eliot's age, to say nothing of their feelings and how they don't do too much to build on that in any solid way...there was just a lot.  All of them lasted nearly the entire time but were settled by the end, but really quickly with a grand gesture and a bit of conversation.  If the story would have had a better balance I would have enjoyed it so much more and I felt both men deserved that.

*$4.99 on Amazon

A gift of a man for one night. A promise of so much more.

When Rick Thatcher’s beloved aunt leaves him the run-down Haven Hotel, he’s amazed to find a group of young men running an escorting business out of it. Intrigued and impressed, he allows them to stay. But sacrifices have to be made to keep the hotel running. The hotel is always short of funds, and the guys… they’re sexy, they’re fun, they’re loyal friends. But they can also be a bunch of trouble. Rick has no time left for romance.

Until the night Eliot Walker arrives at the Haven, naïve but brave, looking to discover what it’s like to be an openly gay man at last. He wants to spend the night with a man, one who can excite and guide him. But an escort? He’s nervous of what he’ll find.

He finds Rick. Just the kind of man he’d choose to have his first experiences with, if it was possible. And from Rick’s point of view – on this one special night, and for this one special man he can’t take his eyes off – why shouldn’t it be?

If only this could be more than one night. But their potential happiness and the Haven’s security may already be under serious threat.

Thin Ice: Pine Cove Book 6, HJ Welch

Okay, so I'll be honest. There were issues in the story. Ones that would likely decrease a lot of people's enjoyment of the book and the characters. But for me, even though I saw those things, I still loved the overall story, and the men, and the ridiculousness, and the side characters, and the confessions, and the grand gesture...I enjoyed so many moments that even the missteps weren't a road block for me.

Kamren was vulnerable, sassy, and definitely not an idiot. While I do wish we got a little more of his evolution, his overcoming the insecurities and commitment hesitations, it was very clear that he did grow; he did come to accept love, change, and a whole lot of reasonable pampering.

Lee had a bit of a backbone issue and his own insecurity issues to deal with, mostly stemming from his family situation. Until he could come to terms with himself and realistic expectations he could place on both his own shoulders as well as the judgy family members, he was as stuck as Kamren in a cycle of unfulfilling life choices.

Together they found a love that, as cliche as it sounds, conquered all. The resolutions to so many of the issues were simple and quick, which I actually kind of liked because all the stuff already going on was getting a little extra so big, sappy, slightly unrealistic decisions fixing everything kind of worked for me.

So yeah, I'm not blind to quite a few things that didn't really work or make sense or weren't given enough fleshing out, but at the end of it, I just didn't care. The men just worked for me, Gamma and Mia cracked me up, the big emotional moments were suitably cheesy and wonderful, and I felt the feels.

*$5.99 on Amazon

Kamran’s ex broke his heart, tricked him into aiding a bank robbery, and now he wants him to do one last job. There’s only one way to say no: seek the protective custody of the biggest, grumpiest FBI agent ever. And pretend to be his boyfriend for a week-long family reunion in their giant mansion. Wait, what?

Agent Lee Marshall is notoriously all work and no play. Letting a flirty, hot-as-sin playboy like Kamran get under his skin is not an option. He has to protect him, not hook up with him. But pretending they’re an item for a week? That couldn’t hurt…

Kamran swore he’d never love again, but Lee will do anything to keep him out of harm’s way. Maybe there’s a teddy bear heart under the hunky FBI agent’s gruff exterior, and Kamran is the only one who can tease it out. What started out fake becomes all too real, but when Kamran’s past catches up to him, Lee must risk everything to save him.

Hit the Brakes: Food Truck Warriors Book 2, Beth Bolden

I really love following along with a group of men who need, deserve, and want love as much as anyone.  The community and friendships and rivalries provide a really great backdrop for this series and I'm always happy to read.  This particular book though, worked a bit less for me than Drive Me Crazy.  I'm never a fan of the hesitations, back and forth, and woe-is-me attitude and this book had a whole lot of all of that. 

Chase was all that and more for me.  As much as I loved him, there was a severe lack of balance with Tate and his character.  Tate nearly ruined the story for me for quite a number of reasons.  He just...ugh...he just rubbed me the wrong way on many, many different occasions.  I didn't even really like them together for most of the story, unfortunately.

But it was the combination of Chase and a fantastic epilogue that really brought everything together in the end.  It redeemed my hopes for the men together and assured me that things were really working out in a believable and heartfelt way.  I'm definitely coming back for more from the series.

*$5.99 on Amazon

Can they fake it til Tate makes it?

Tate Ward is in a bind. His food truck hasn’t been the runaway success he’d always dreamt it would be. When he tries to join a new food truck collective to gain a larger following, his sales aren’t even high enough to win a spot. What he needs is a high profile endorsement—and he knows just the guy.

Tate hasn’t seen Chase Riley since high school. It’s been ten long years of watching from a distance as Chase conquers football fields and fans’ hearts.

Tate never wanted Chase to know that he had the world’s stupidest crush on him, because he always believed Chase was straight.

But desperate times call for desperate measures . . .

When Chase offers a tempting plan that could fulfill all his dreams, Tate knows he can’t say no. All he has to do is pretend that his very real feelings are actually fake.

But faking it with Chase, while leading to wild success and even wilder nights, is everything that Tate feared it would be. All it’s done is leave him wanting the impossible: Chase’s heart.

ARC received from Neon Rainbow ARC Reviews