Out of Harm's Way: Balls and Brawn Bodyguards Book 1, Rebecca James

Ox and Mick...Mick and Ox...I wanted to love them together. It was a giant and a nerd match that should have been made in heaven for my own taste, but there was something about Mick in the beginning and Ox at the halfway mark that didn't really work for me. They were fine overall, just not anything close to a couple I'd rave about.

I liked Ox for most of the story and appreciated that he was a solid character, one you could count on and build on, but his family drama seemed forced and didn't add to his character or his individual growth all that much. I will say that while Ox protected Mick and came to his aid at the drop of a hat, Mick was given a chance to "save" Ox in return. What didn't work for me in that situation was that it wasn't something Mick was specifically qualified for. His encouragement to Ox to open up was good, it worked for them, but the whole situation seemed very specific and yet very generic so literally anyone kind of close to Ox could have given the same advice and have it heeded.

Mick was saucy and also incredibly scared. Those traits should have worked, but his constant return to describing or discussing his past conquests bothered me. No shaming, no judgment about his exploits, I just think that his more salacious moments could have been skipped and just have him open up to Ox in a more genuine way, some kind of tender and open conversation becoming more and more heated as they shared desires or interests. I certainly won't claim to be anything close to an author myself, so maybe what I hoped for instead wouldn't be viable. Whatever. All I know is I wasn't a fan of how it was done in the story.

So overall this wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't for me in the end.

*3.99 on Amazon

I’m coming after you, baby boy. You’re going to pay for what you did.

The terrifying text message from Mick Water's abuser, recently escaped from prison, sends him spiraling into panic. His life is just getting back on track, and now he's constantly looking over his shoulder and barely able to sleep at night. When his friends arrange for a bodyguard for him, Mick feels a confusing combination of relief at having protection, dismay at the sheer size of his new bodyguard, and arousal due to Mick's attraction to big men. His ex was a big man, and Mick paid dearly for that attraction.

Oxford Bradley enjoys his job with Foster Security, which includes a mixed bag of high-stakes cases--some of them dangerous--and dull babysitting-type situations. When he isn't working, he prefers a serene life devoid of drama and, let’s face it, a somewhat vanilla sex life. Assigned to protect a terrified man from his abusive ex, Ox is horrified at his body’s reaction to not only Mick himself, but also Mick’s admission to a Daddy kink--he’s never had an unprofessional relationship with a client and he isn’t starting now.

As Mick warms up to Ox and the two men get to know one another, the attraction between them grows. Ox refuses to break his professional code, but what about when the danger's over? Living in different states, they can't possibly have more than a one-off, and the temptation to explore with this intriguing man is undeniable.

Will one night send Ox running back to his comfortable vanilla lifestyle, or will Mick help him find a new favorite flavor? And what happens when an opportunity presents itself for Ox to see Mick again?

A Different Kind of Chemistry: Nerds and Tattoos Book 1, Ashlynn Mills

A bit more telling than showing than I like and the flow of the writing felt a bit stilted and sometimes repetitive.  I felt like I was reading something a bit more New Adult rather than Contemporary because both men felt so much younger than they are.  It was mostly because of how they expressed themselves, the immaturity and petulance, the quick-to-forgive when the hurts were pretty huge, and the simplistic way everything played out.

Maverick has a complicated and difficult dating history and while I understand the harsh way he treats Casey comes from his fear, he really does say and do some horrible things.  Casey's reaction to them is understandable and justified, but what isn't understandable to me is how quickly things are reconciled.  There's a severe lack of groveling for my tastes and when they get down to the big emotional reveal, it's simplified, truncated, and emotionless.

We read that Casey can see Maverick's pain in his eyes and demeanor, but it feels more like something Casey is reading into and that we believe because we've heard Maverick's side in his POV and yet objectively it doesn't connect.  And I'm not sure what the tattoo client addition was after his big conversation with Casey.  Perhaps to show his change?  To me it doesn't really matter, it just felt awkward, forced, and unnecessary.

Casey's acknowledgment of how long they've known one another and the assurance that issues like Maverick's history isn't owed to him is wise and I appreciated that.  There was a big build up and quite a lot of dickish reactions from Maverick so the truncated romantic evolution through the majority of the book felt immature, rushed, and simplistic, but Maverick's confession of both knowing where his fear came from and his clarity with which he sees the future he wants with Casey was wonderful.  It was both hopeful and realistic.

The progress that follows is slow because there's so much detail, especially regarding a lot of steam to make up for all their lost time, but it's sweet and shows us sides of both men that I wasn't sure I expected.  And with an epilogue that was full of as much feeling as theirs, it was worth the wait.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Casey's social life is much like his love life, non existant. He is constantly playing it safe and it is no longer working for him. After another date gone wrong, he finds himself stepping in a world completely foreign to him when walking into a small bar trying to drink his rejection away. Never did he think he would find something in that bar that would change his world forever, but his mind never stops thinking about that sexy tattooed stranger with the mesmerizing eyes. He tries to forget his heated moment with the stranger he will never see again, but Maverick keeps appearing in more places than just his dreams.

Maverick has rules for a reason and has been doing so well sticking with them until a nerdy science geek has him questioning everything. Maverick won't be the reason for destroying another person and everytime he looks at Casey, he is reminded more and more of his haunting past. This can only end in disaster because people like Maverick were never meant to fall in love with people like Casey, but like a moth to a flame, the adorable red head has him always coming back for more.

When two worlds collide , will they be able to let go of their past insecurities and fall into the unknown, or will Maverick continue to let his past hold him back from the one thing he wants the most.

Off Camera, Wendy Qualls

Max caught my attention right off the bat with his competence and stellar effort at not becoming too starstruck to do his job or deliver what he promised.  His shy awkwardness really worked for me.  And his intelligence and ingenuity in his job was a surprising facet that really went a long way to making him my favorite of the MC's.  Every so often his vulnerability got in his way a bit, but overall he maintained the most stable presence even in his little bit of growth as he stepped out of his comfort zone.

There wasn't much character growth on either side, but slightly more so on Devon's because he had his past to overcome if he wanted a future with Max.  I was satisfied by his groveling at the end, but the separation bothered me only because it took so long for any kind of amends to be made at all.  If it weren't for surprise kicks in the head I don't know that he would have made the choice to fix things on his own, which was slightly disappointing.  The tattoo doodle part before then really broke my heart and I almost gave up on Devon when we got that little scene.

Together they definitely worked, though I can't say their chemistry was anything truly exciting or spectacular.  The whole story felt soft, subtle, and slow-moving despite only having the relationship build over the course of a couple weeks with a fairly quick jump into one another's pants.  It was a very nice story that was a much better representation of what this author can write than when I initially found their books.  The feels were present even if they were much more mellow, but that's not always a bad thing.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Devon Yoshiro may be a famous actor, but he's also a big brother. When his niece turns six and his sister is laid up after surgery, he sticks around town after promoting his new movie at a major scifi convention to help out. He may know nothing about kids, parties, or planning, but how hard can it be?

Max Harrington develops a major crush on the actor he met while volunteering at Con--which is why he's in shock that Devon has chosen HIS little science museum to host a birthday party. And has chosen him for a little stress relief. No point in wanting more...

Quick Reads, Quick Reviews 45

  

• The Prince and his Bedeviled Bodyguard: Book 1, Charlie Cochet
• Evergreen, Geneva Vand
• A Swants Soiree, E.J. Russell

Short, sweet, and full of snarky feline and sappy wolf. Owin began as quite grating for me with his constant arrogance and prickly nature. It went beyond normal feline prickliness and I wasn't a fan. I immediately loved Grimm's general happy, wolfy attitude that was a perfect foil for Owin's more annoying traits. But it was Owin's turnaround that seemed so genuine because of his self-reflection that had me changing my mind about him. Everything was on a truncated timeline due to the story length, but that didn't bother me one bit. For such a short story I think it was well-rounded in the character growth and development department. It had enough sweetness, passion, and humor to give me everything I really needed from the genre and promise in the premise. What really drew me in besides Grimm was the obvious story we'll be getting about the King and the Earl. That's one I'm definitely sticking around for. And to know that the next story will be about a semi-reclusive bear? Those are my favorite. So yeah, this story's ability to make me change my mind so completely about a character combined with all the good stuff that's being hinted at makes me a happy camper and an eager reader of the series.  4 stars.

Fantastical and sweet, this story was full of heart and magic set in a simplistic world.  Aside from being overly descriptive at times, there was incredible detail that brought the world to life for me.  There was a lot to be charmed by when it came to the relationship between Kym and Gabe.  They were soft, sweet, and a little awkward which made their slower-build romance quite endearing and believable despite this being a fantasy story.  Their affection was built on a whole lot more than attraction and magic and went far deeper than I expected.  When it came time to face the real world I felt both of their tentative natures worked to their detriment and was extremely glad when a solution was found.  Even better was that it was Ashley who came up with the plan to end the moping.  She went from being a stubborn patient to the problem solver and I could really see her independence and growth.  Her role wasn't merely one to bring Gabe to the presence of a dragon, but to set in motion everything necessary to keep them together.  Strong women abound in this short tale and it rounded out this wonderfully sweet story.  4 stars.

We get Brent's POV in this incredibly short, yet sweet story.  There are only hints at desired steam along with some vivid flashes of fantasy, but otherwise this is an incredibly tame tale.  With swants to bring them together, there's a very cute story to go with their meet-cute, but I definitely didn't get enough.  I didn't really find their connection to hold any weight and with Jonathan's evasions and virtually no confessions of feels, it was barely a romantic novella at all for me.  I love this author so I can really see this story going father and becoming something really awesome though, so it's something I'd be willing to hold out for in the future because the MC's really did have a ton of potential as did the cute story line.  4 stars.

Reveal: Men of Hidden Creek Season 4 Book 4, HJ Welch

Whenever a geek scores a jock, or in this case a fireman, I just about melt.  There's a lot to unpack in Jason Miller's view of self-worth, but because Channing is patient, sweet, and kinda oblivious, they create a lot of magic together.  Reveal gives us a ton of my favorite tropes (ugly duckling, opposites attract, fake relationships...), an antagonist that actually sees his karmic return gift, a bit of danger, and a whole lot of tenderness and first time steam.

What I really appreciated about this story was the "love yourself first" concept.  Jason has spent his entire life trying to fit in with his peers or to just blend into the background.  His one bit of self-acceptance was when he got to live out his geeky imagination back in the day with a couple childhood friends.  There's a whole lot of "real man" talk that's pretty deplorable as well as over-the-top and because Jason is incredibly vulnerable he gets sucked into those ridiculous ideas of societal norms.  He has a big "A-ha!" moment in the salon where he gets completely schooled by his friends.  It brought to the forefront that his ideas about the LGBTQ+ community around him are just as hurtful as his ideas about himself.  It was a toxic mix of projecting his insecurities on the community at large as well as internalizing all the hate that can come from the ignorant masses.

I won't say that a few outfits, a haircut, some makeup, and a killer pair of boots will fix all the years of internalizing all the damaging rhetoric, but it can definitely give you the boost to see yourself beyond the box you've shoved yourself into.  For Jason, it gives him a glimpse through other people's eyes that they're suddenly seeing a glimmer of confidence and personal expression that was completely missing before.  It's a stepping stone to seeing himself as more.  When he was in charge of his own look, he was still too deep into the workplace abuse he'd endured to embrace any real change.  He needed the help of friends who saw the real him.

As for the relationship, it was mainly sweetness, exploration, and subtle revelations with a small period of them figuring their individual stuff out enough to realize they wanted to be together.  There was no real conflict there and certainly no real angst regarding sexual inclinations on Channing's part.  I'm not a fan of one character making decisions for the other, especially in regards to their own wants, needs, and desires, and Jason really fell prey to that.  And with the karmic justice, it was well-earned by the slightly cliched bully and I especially loved the reckoning coming from the spouse.  She, along with quite a few other side characters, gave a good base for Jason and Channing to find their way both alone and together.  I kept thinking about how I want friends like these ones...Hidden Creek gets all the good ones.

*$3.99 on Amazon

“I wish this were real with you.”

Geeky Jason Miller has never really been with a man, and his bullying colleagues at NASA know it. But when an innocent white lie gets out of hand, Jason never would have guessed his gorgeous-but-straight childhood friend would leap to his rescue.

Firefighter Channing Forster saves people every day, so when protecting his former next-door neighbor turns into faking a relationship for a work getaway, he doesn’t hesitate. As the weekend goes on, though, Channing starts to think that he doesn’t just see cute Jason Miller as a buddy anymore.

Are Channing’s feelings for Jason real enough that he could be his first? Jason needs to accept his true self before he can love another. But when his colleagues and boss discover his many secrets, will he lose everything forever, including Channing?