Clueless: Squad Goals Book 1, Willow Thomas

Lexi is the favorite of the duo in this one for me.  With his pining it was natural for him to brush off many flirty attempts by Ryder in the beginning and I can't say I was a fan of the way it came off as Ryder playing with him before they actually said all the words.  But I think it was Lexi's way of being present, being able to see Ryder, and his whole way of being there for his friends, family, their struggles, joys, and confrontations.  His whole being drew me in.  Even when he was being a little dumb about Ryder.

I wish Ryder were truly his match.  When he was on and good, he was good, but there were a bunch of moments that he both nearly and really did stuff it up that I couldn't love him.  I liked him, sure, because he did have times where his utter joy in everything that is Lexi brought him closer to the best version of himself.  What I didn't like was how he was so absolutely clueless about everything that he hurt Lexi, seemingly toyed with him, and then continued to almost punish him because he couldn't really open his eyes and get his head out of where the sun doesn't shine.

The resolution was a bit rushed, but with a shorter, low-angst story I don't think I can fault that too much, it just needed to hold more weight than it did.  It definitely felt like a young college kid book with some of its sophmoric humor, but again, with the setting being in college, it's not a true fault, it just made the book seem a little sillier than it could be.  None of those things are truly negative things, just observations.  Lexi was the star and his group of amazing friends are absolutely the draw to the series that I will most assuredly return to.

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

What We May Be, Layla Reyne

This author has a way of writing relationships that I adore when I was initially incredibly hesitant of the dynamic. While I'd love to say this story became one of the same, it turned out that I only enjoyed the relationship and didn't come to adore them as I'd hoped. I'm pretty sure this came down to the amount of pages devoted to them versus the pages to the mystery. There's a feeling in me that would have loved for this to be a duet. The dynamic of the three worked so well and their path to reconciliation wasn't without pitfalls, but there were some things I would have appreciated to see take a little slower to delve into. There was an incredible amount of spice and I'm certainly not ashamed to say I wanted more of it. There were also some incredibly tender moments of love and forgiveness that could have really blossomed if the preceding and the following moments were given a little more time to unfold. Similarly with the serial killer mystery. I think it was a little bit rushed and could have really been given an extra element of suspense and fear if it had more time to develop. This author has an amazing way with words that I wanted more of for nearly every situation. And really I think that's what this comes down to. Layla Reyne is an incredible author with fantastic characters and wonderful plots and I always want more for each story.

*Download today for $4.99 or read for FREE on KU

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/WWMB

What We May Be by Layla Reyne is now live! 

What we were...

Sean found love once, with his college roommate, Trevor, and Trevor's best friend, Charlotte.
The missing piece, Sean made it possible for Trevor and Charlotte to find love too.
But then Sean left and took the love with him.

What we are...

Now an FBI agent, Sean is back in town, ten years later, to investigate a murder.
A case that pits him against his ex-lovers--Charlotte, a local detective, and Trevor, a literature professor sucked into the Shakespearean mystery.
Everyone guards their hearts, but before long, desire sparks anew the feelings that burned hot a decade ago.
That still burn true.

What we may be...

Love is within their grasp again, but as the killer escalates, it's more than just their hearts and futures on the line.
Sean, Charlotte, and Trevor will need to work together to solve the case.
If they can't, lives will be lost and pieces of their love gone for good.

Don't forget to add this to your Goodreads TBR list!

 About Layla

Layla Reyne is the author of the Fog City, Agents Irish and Whiskey, Trouble Brewing, and Changing Lanes series.  A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance.

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Snow Time for Love: Tales of the Circle Book 3.5

After becoming curious about the slightly off-putting realtor in Heart from the same series, I was weirdly interested in reading his story.  What we got could be sweet so some, sexy to others, but mostly it was rushed and disturbing to me.

To start, did we have to read about Ralph boning his FBuddy with only about an hour and a half of reading in the whole book?  Couldn't we have just started with the morning after?  It was so uncomfortable for me to read the rest of the short story because I was already having a graphic display of what he got up to with one guy in the morning and am expected he comes to love another guy by the end of the night.

Sure, he knew the guy he fell for and was always attracted to him, but the transition from attracted business colleagues to lovers and more felt jarringly abrupt and icky.  Add in the flashback to Ralph's initial come-on to Bo and I'm seriously anti-Ralph on the basis of his behavior just not being okay no matter how much his heart yearns for love.  He's constantly making inappropriate and over-the-line propositions that I can't take him seriously.

Bo, on the other hand, was a bit different because he was sweeter, more earnest, and was in a position to give in to his attraction and did so in a way that was more genuine.  I just liked him better.  That's not to say I didn't feel that "love" came too soon, it just felt more organic from Bo's end.

But honestly the whole thing felt like we were racing to the finish and the subtleties and growth were lost in the rush.  There was so much time spent on reminiscing and describing the moments of attraction that I wondered for nearly the whole story if all their feels were just in their heads.  Overall it was sweet, lots of steam, and while it wasn't a bad story, it just made me uncomfortable for too long, was followed by a rushed romance, and then it ended...nicely.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Lonely for company, Realty-Man Ralph seeks to celebrate a pricey property flip with his favorite contractor, Bo. But Bo is afraid Ralph will discover he’s squatting in the house they’re currently renovating. A winter storm is coming, and the forecast is heavy snow… with a chance of tequila, Chinese food, and love.

Silent Knight: Fog City Book 5, Layla Reyne

 

Friends-to-Lovers is way too simple a trope for the men here.  I've already come to love these men so much throughout the previous stories in this series and I needed to know their story.  There is complication after complication, a wife and kid, deep affection, shared history, separation and reunion...what Brax and Holt have is so vast that they needed to tell their story, I needed to read it.

But something to keep in mind before reading...  This is the conclusion of the drama and danger surrounding the family and the villain is one that is important enough that you have to have context behind why it's such a huge deal and you won't get that by starting here with Silent Knight.  For that you have to dive in from the beginning with Prince of Killers.  It's also in the rest of the series that you see all the complicated mess and longing and affection that's apparent between Holt and Brax.  So my suggestion is to go back to where it all started.

Holt and Brax didn't get a trilogy like Chris and Hawes got, but the angst building up throughout all of that up to this moment was enough to make me yearn for Brax and Holt's story.  FINALLY!!  They get their HEA.  And while it took a long time to get there, including most of this book too, it happened.  We started with the past, the one hinted at but never shared before now.  In Brax's words, his feelings, we see just how deep his feelings went and how they built from their first fated meeting where he fell head over combat boots in love with the scared giant of a young soldier.  It answered all the secret questions of how a bond so strong could have existed.

Both men were fierce, caring, and committed to saving the other, almost to their own detriment.  Holt had been the quiet force, the tortured gentle soul in the other books in the series, but here we got to see him take charge, running in to save, to protect, and threatening their worst enemy for the sake of those he loves.  The ultimate villain was expected, but the way it played out, seeing everyone put the pieces together while also battling Brax's savior complex and his pride and stubbornness, it all worked out to a sufficiently dramatic confrontation that was resolved without the flash-bang of the drama and distractions that preceded it.

I do wish we had spent more time with them on the happier, more settled side of the conclusion.  It was a little too abrupt and off-page for all the angsting we'd done up to this point.  The choices made at the end were exactly right for everyone and I couldn't be happier with finally seeing Holt and Brax be together as they were meant to be.  There was a mention of a certain company, Redemption Inc., and I'm pretty much salivating over that becoming a new spin off series.  The world the author has created in San Francisco is addictive and compelling; I'd be ecstatic for another reason to rejoin it.

*5.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

I won't let anything happen to you.

Fourteen years ago Braxton Kane's feelings were forbidden.  As an officer, he couldn't fall for an enlisted...no matter how much he longed for Holt Madigan.

Now―as a police chief in love with a digital assassin―his promise to always protect Holt is becoming harder to keep.

I'll protect you.

Holt doesn't understand why his best friend has been pushing him away for months.  But when Brax's life and career are threatened, Holt refuses to allow the distance any longer.

The Madigans protect their own, and Brax is family, whether he believes it or not.

I won't let anything happen to you either.

Forced together, Holt realizes his feelings for his best friend have changed.

His desire to explore the promise their single night together held is undeniable.

His resolve to protect the man who has always protected him is unshakable.

But if Holt wants a future with Brax, he'll have to search and destroy the person who attacked him―before Brax activates the kill switch and sacrifices himself.

*Silent Knight is the fifth book in the Fog City romantic suspense series. It can be read as a stand-alone but is best enjoyed after reading books one through three of the series, in fact, it's definitely my opinion that you should really start with Prince of Killers.

About Layla

Layla Reyne is the author of the Fog City, Agents Irish and Whiskey, Trouble Brewing, and Changing Lanes series.  A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance.

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Chance Encounters, A.T. Brennan

Honesty.  That's the word I think of most when I think about this story; from the communication between Hayden and Eric to their eventual admissions to themselves and their community.  Once everything was out in the open they really stuck to it and made an effort to communicate often and honestly so petty things didn't come between them.  It made their whole journey so much more wonderful to watch unfold.

The drama came from far less predictable sources and it was refreshing even though the conflicts that came up on Hayden's end were a little forced.  Like, can a bad guy be that bad and then get worse with only a quarter of the book left?  Though I will say that it pushed another element of trust to the fore so they could move forward and through difficulties as a partnership.

I was glad of the secondary characters and their timely and candid support from the very beginning even when Eric and Hayden weren't yet willing to accept everything they were to one another.  This story was a bit surprising for me in a very pleasant way.  I enjoyed it a lot more than I anticipated after being drawn in by the synopsis.  I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but whatever it was wasn't what I got.  Definitely a good read despite the slightly rushed and shorter ending.

*$4.99 on Amazon

Two men with undeniable chemistry, one chance encounter that starts it all.

Hayden Murphy is done with love. He’s sworn off finding another partner after the death of his husband eighteen months ago. He’s finally starting to feel like himself again and is focused on rebuilding his friendships and his work as a physiotherapist.

Eric Connors is over relationships. After breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, he’s ready to enjoy the single life. He doesn’t want or need another partner… Until he meets Hayden at the scene of an accident while on duty as a paramedic, then keeps running into him in the most random places.

Neither man can deny the chemistry between them or the fact that fate seems bound and determined to keep thrusting them together. As the men continue to meet and give in to their desires, that chance meeting grows into a friendship with benefits. Both men are reluctant to want more, but even they can’t keep things completely casual the more time they spend together.

Will their pasts keep them from seeing what’s right in front of them? Or will Hayden and Eric realize that there is life, and love, after loss?

Fables Retold, Morgan Brice and Various Authors

I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling, especially when there are a few twists or modernizations thrown in wisely. Four of the included stories really caught my interest and two were written by a couple of my must-read authors so I was pretty excited for this anthology.

Below are reviews for only four of the stories: The Cat Returns to Adderly, Sam Burns; The Seventh Ring of Bertram Bell, W.M. Fawkes; Gruff, Morgan Brice; and The Demon's in the Details, Meghan Maslow.

The Cat Returns to Adderly, Sam Burns
This was a really unique take on Puss in Boots, that the boots were the tool used to bring back the element of humanity in a supernaturally altered cat.  The romance itself took a back seat to Luke's making a home in the mansion of a missing witch while making sense of the life he's trying to gain.  In and amongst all the little discoveries there's something going on between him and the Alastair of his dreams, but none of that really comes together until the very end and by then we're supposed to believe there's a romantic connection, though it's a bit of curiosity, lust, and desperation all mixed up in a way that's okay for a start, but not a good way to end the story.  While the epilogue bit was cute and shows a far more settled couple, it doesn't really deepen the believability of the romance.  I wished there were more magic, more romance, and more of a build, but overall the unique take and interesting premise was passable.  3 stars.

Gruff, Morgan Brice
I love Fox Hollow!  Each story in this world fits the setting and adds interest to a town I wish I could visit in real life.  Adiel and Joe are new additions to the town and their meet-cute was a good intro to Adiel, getting to know Joe came a bit later.  My favorite bit was probably the first shift where they meet one another's goats...adorable!  Their hesitance was endearing until Adiel let his fear and insecurity get the better of him.

The romantic conflict was super predictable and the way they both flew off the handle and stomped off full of self-righteousness and hurt feelings was definitely not appreciated, but what made it excusable was that during their separation both truly reflected on their overreactions and made really astute observations that led to believable resolutions.

And the introduction of the Three Billy Goats Gruff aspect was far more dramatic than I expected, they were powerfully different, violent, and challenging.  Very little resembled the Norwegian fairy tale beyond the desire to consume the challenger and I liked the intent behind the changes.  They were a little repetitive, but still quite effective.  The whole experience helped Adiel to prove, not only to Joe, but to himself that he was stronger than he thought, that he was deserving of more than he's been given or had accepted up to now.  And the assists from Joe were just right; a partnership and a non-verbal show of just where his own heart and hopes lay.  Definitely unique and great addition to the Fox Hollow stories.  4 stars.

The Seventh Ring of Bertram Bell, W.M. Fawkes

Quite grim nearly from the start with a whole lot of loss and apprehension about huge life changes for everyone, Elio had a lot to come to terms with over the course of the story.  The creepy nature of Bertram, the house setup, the mystery...all of it was fitting to the original tale.  While I was glad things worked out as they did, I didn't connect with any of the characters much at all even though I really wanted to.  I was more interested in Grim, the random dog who was a mystery on their own and left unexplained to the very end.

There was a lot that was unresolved by the end, most the minutiae of consequences from the climax, and I would have really appreciated seeing some of the transition because Elio had two more huge changes coming at him; the hopeful expectation regarding those changes just wasn't enough to satisfy me.  Between the magic that I wanted more of and the friends-to-lovers setup with Dutch that I also didn't get enough of, the story was fine, I just didn't feel there was enough.  3 stars.

The Demon's in the Details, Meghan Maslow

By far the best book I have ever read from this author.  Poe and Tommy are fascinating and memorable on their own and together they are incendiary and fickle and salty and sweet too.  I enjoyed their roller coaster, though I wish it had been an alternating POV and not just Poe's.  From the very beginning I was intrigued and engaged and interested in the MC's and rooted for their HEA, which they most definitely got.

The plot was clear and focused, it progressed well without too many complications thrown in just to make things more interesting.  There was drama, of course, but it was resolved in a way that fit the characters and the family they surrounded themselves by.  There weren't any true surprises along the way, but neither was it exactly predictable; it was just right, in my opinion.  There was a strength in the subtleties, the bad guys were clear, and the good guys were a lot of fun while also being clever and deadly.

There was compassion, heart, passion, and family in all the right ways.  I really want more from this world.  If you sign up for the author's newsletter you could gain access to a short story from Tommy's POV from when he met Poe and while it was kinda nice, it was incredibly short and I thought it was underwhelming.  I'd recommend not reading it after the story, read it as part of the story where it belongs chronologically if you really want to read it, I just think it was unnecessary.  4.5 stars.

*$8.99 on Amazon

Tales as old as time…reimagined.

What if your favorite fairy tales…kicked some serious, urban fantasy ass?

Fueled by magic, steam, and scorching men, this MM romance anthology has just the thrill you’re looking for.

Stories included:

Blake & the Beast by Rhys Lawless (Beauty & the Beast)

The Cat Returns to Adderly by Sam Burns (Puss in Boots)

The Seventh Ring of Bertram Bell by W.M. Fawkes (Bluebeard)

Gruff by Morgan Brice (Three Billy Goats Gruff)

The Demon's in the Details by Meghan Maslow (Rumpelstiltskin)

Spirit of Snow by Richard Amos (Snow White)

Love Practice: Good Bad Idea Book 7, A.F. Zoelle

Despite the years-long yearning on both sides of the relationship, they still worked together and didn't do dumb or awful things to thwart what could be. Only when an opportunity was offered and accepted could they move from potential to reality. With nothing to keep them from building the relationship, even under the pretense of lessons, they moved quickly to the resolution which was full of all the goodness they deserved and that I've come to expect from this series.

I'm sad this series is ending because each one was exactly what I'd need for a pick-me-up after an angsty story or a bad day. With no angst, a ton of sweetness, cute shenanigans, tenderness and steam, and a whole lot of just-right hearts, Love Practice was a joy to read and a wonderful way to bring the series to a close. All of the books are on my re-read shelf.

*5.99 on Amazon

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

Wren is kinda sorta super in love with his best friend. Asking Izzy to go on practice dates as his dating tutor probably isn’t the best idea to keep those feelings hidden. But a bad idea has never stopped Wren before.

Wren Ferres

Does anyone know how to make Prince Charming fall in love with you? I’m asking for a friend.

…yeah, that friend is me. I’m secretly a little in love with my best friend and roommate. Okay, I’m a lot in love with him. Like, truly, madly, deeply in love with him. But it’s not my fault! He’s hot, French, and laughs at all my stupid jokes. He’s the prince of my dreams, minus the part where he isn’t actual royalty and not in love with me. Determined to change that, I come up with a brilliant plan to challenge Monsieur Know-it-all to be my dating tutor.

I’m hoping that’ll tempt him into acting on our flirtatious banter.

If it doesn’t, maybe I’ll push my luck by suggesting some kissing practice?

Isidore “Izzy” Devereaux

Wren is flirty, quirky, très cute—and completely oblivious about how much I love him. His wild ideas usually make me laugh, but his request to go on practice dates to give him pointers? Yeah, that pushes all my buttons. Agreeing to his outlandish request means risking him discovering my secret. But, it also presents a tempting opportunity. This is my one chance to make him see me as more than just his best friend. It could be my only shot at making him my boyfriend for real.

I may not be a real prince like he teases me about, but can’t we still have a happily ever after?

*Love Practice is the seventh and final book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, roommates, fake dating romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.

AMAZON

Special Release Excerpt

Chapter 1: Wren Ferres

Izzy shook his head at my ridiculousness. “I’ll never comprehend how your mind works.”

“Wow, Monsieur Know-it-all admitting he doesn’t understand something?” I gasped in mock astonishment. “Why, I never!”

“Très cute, Wren.”

“Yes, I am. How kind of you to notice.” I laughed at my joke as he snorted in amusement.
“You’d think it would help me land more second dates. Considering how many first dates I go on, I should statistically do better than this. Of course, knowing you, I’m sure you have a list of reasons why I keep striking out.”

Izzy didn’t disappoint me. “For starters, you have a tendency to come on too strong.” He gestured at me, sitting on his lap in a loose embrace as evidence.

Instead of being offended by his accuracy, it inspired me. “That just gave me an idea!”

“Oh no,” he groaned.

I shoved at his shoulder. “No, this one is good!”

He didn’t look convinced. “Define ‘good.’”

“I’ve come up with a genius plan to use your brilliance to help me!”

“Your definition of ‘good’ and mine are very different.”

My plan excited me the more I thought about it. “No, this is perfect. You should be my dating tutor!”

“Your what?”

“Since you always have an answer for everything and love telling me what I’m doing wrong, this is genius! You can coach me on how to get better at it!”

It was a surprise not to receive a flat-out rejection. “Are you saying that you want me to go on practice dates with you and critique you?”

“Yeah!”

“And what’s in it for moi?”

I tried to come up with something that would sway him. “The pleasure of my company?”

“I get enough of that as your roommate.”

“Come on, is telling me I’m wrong not enough of a draw for you? If you help me practice, I’ll get better. Then, I’ll have a boyfriend to give me all the sex I want without ending up in your lap, unsuccessfully begging to be fucked.”

He scoffed. “I find that hard to believe when being with Joon didn’t prevent you from flirting with me.”

“I’ll never quit doing that because it’s too much fun. If we stopped flirting, I’d think you weren’t my friend anymore.” The mere thought of it hurt my heart.

“Nothing would ever make me stop being your friend.”

It was hard not to coo at the rare showing of Izzy’s softer side. “There’s only one reason I can come up with that would make you refuse to be my dating teacher.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re scared of falling in love with me for real.”

His sexy haughtiness was on full display as he tilted his head. “Don’t be absurd.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“Would you listen to my advice if I did?”

It seemed like I was making some progress. “As long as it isn’t something impossible like ‘don’t be you,’ then yeah.”

He continued mulling it over. “And we would go on fake dates so you could practice being better at them in the future?”

I shifted in his lap as I leaned closer. “I’ll even be a gentleman and buy you dinner as a thank-you.”

He was silent for a long pause, making me wonder if he would turn me down. To my great relief, he caved. “Fine. I’m willing to try your little experiment for at least one date.”

“Thank you!” I hugged him tight, melting into his hold when he returned the embrace. Izzy sighed like I annoyed him, but I could hear the amusement in his voice as he asked, “You’re not going to move, are you?”

I clung to him tighter. “Not until you make me or I’m in danger of getting a boner.”

He laughed, which gratified my ego. “You are hopeless, mon ami.”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘incorrigible,’ actually.”

“That, too.”

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Quick Reads, Quick Reviews: Nell Iris

As with all their stories, the endings always seem to come too soon.  They get me hooked on the men, their story, their romance, and I never seem to want their stories to end where we're left.  There's tenderness, sometimes a little steam, but always so full of just the right amount of fluff and drama to make for truly enjoyable reads that never fail to hit me in the feels.

His Steady Heart

Friends to lovers, self-imposed protector falling in love with his charge, opposites attract...  For such a short story there's a whole lot of stuff packed in and while it could have been overwhelmed by it all it was all a subtle journey of eye and heart opening moments to help both Buck and Pippin grow together.  There was a lot of honesty and only getting Buck's POV was both just right and not enough at the same time.  He was the steady presence, the foundation Pippin needed, but it was Pippin's growth, Pippin's change that unlocked the door to the more Buck was always secretly hoping for.  I would have liked to see Pippin's growth through his own eyes.  4 stars.

ARC received from Signal Boost Promotions

Team Luker

This was such a tender story of an established couple that has already forged their path.  We come into their story in the middle-ish where they've walked together years and years and years and are just as much in love as they were in the beginning.  They have time, devotion, and growth under their belts.  But they also have past hurts still lingering in the background that are only now rising to the fore because of a medical scare.  Watching Ellery go through his memories of how they began and his fears for the present was more touching than I would have anticipated.  Instead of reading like a journal of moments, I almost felt and experienced his apprehensions.  And to end it the story with one simple message...it was triumphant and full of relief.  4 stars.

ARC received from Signal Boost Promotions

Resolutions for an Arbitrary Holiday

Not instalove, but an immediate connection does spark and with a little bit of holiday, read liquid, courage, two men find something more than arbitrary.  Petter and Isak are the kind of men that might not have met without a little cosmic help but absolutely needed to, thus the circumstances combining to bring them together.  Their evolution was sweet, realistic, and lasting.  It's the kind of sweet story that sucked me in and didn't let me go.  I still think of moments of the story I wish were drawn out and that it were longer.  Both men were real and likeable and inspired me to root for them.  As with every other story by this author, I didn't want to let them go.  4.5 stars.

ARC received from Gay Book Promotions

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Fix Me: Tattoos and Temptation Book 2, Mia Monroe

Casper and Saint share some amazing chemistry, but there's something holding Saint back at the same time that something is propelling Casper forward.  Watching them find their shared wavelength is a difficult ride, but no less full of the feels I'd come to expect after reading Marry Me, book one in the series.  I adore both men for different reasons, though I have to admit that it's Casper that really captured and kept my attention throughout the story.

If basing my enjoyment only on the chemistry these two men shared I'd be an enthusiastic reviewer.  But it was adding in the subtleties, the struggle, the pain, and Casper's individual evolution that really sold the story for me.  Casper struggled with so much more than you'd ever expect and the way he gives his everything to Saint again and again was both wonderful and agonizing.  It was Saint's reactions and hesitations that made me ache the most, not for him, but for Casper.  I was glad for the dual POV, because otherwise I'd probably write Saint off despite my general love of a gruff Daddy opening his heart fully to his boy.

Saint was a tough character for me because while I respected his journey and his emotional hesitations, I felt his reaction to his past was a bit over the top.  A lot of blame that wasn't really warranted, even the irrational guilt kind.  It was enhanced and prolonged only to add angst to Casper's own journey and I didn't really appreciate that.  Casper's difficulties stemmed from bad choices, self-discovery, not knowing themselves, desperation to find acceptance, a nasty ex, and a set of parents who were pieces of work.  It was a lot to unpack.  Everything got it's resolution in the end and I adored Casper's maturity and realization of all the good he had both in himself and in the life he forged around himself.

I can't wait to see where we go next with these men.

*$4.99 on Amazon

My crush has Daddy written all over him

The minute I laid eyes on him he became my new hobby. I turned on the charm to win him over, only to get friendzoned. The more time we spend together, the more glimpses I get of the Daddy he’s hiding under his no dating allowed exterior. Unfortunately for Saint, a Daddy is exactly what this boy is looking for.

I have no intention of staying friends with him, but with every platonic interaction, I start feeling things I never have. And not just about the sexy Scottish object of my affection.

I wasn’t looking for someone to fix me, but if I let him in we might have something amazing here.

If we can just shake the ghosts from the past…

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?