Little Boy Blu: Little Big Heart Book 1, Wendy Rathbone

This is saccharine, sugar, and all kinds of sweet so if you're craving sweet, no angst, cuddlef**king then this is your jam.

Blu and Maks both aren't prepared for the kind of perfection they could provide one another and yet they fall so effortlessly into exactly what they need.  While I can absolutely see some of the pitfalls that reality should have put in their path, this wasn't meant to be picked apart that way.

The one thing that made this such an awesome read for me was Blu's short yet very, very clear deliniation between being a little and yet still a man.  Sometimes a lot of these age play stories give me the really uncomfortable icks because it seems so close to something that should make everyone uncomfortable between adults and children but that is so very not what happens here.  Blu is well aware of who and what he is and also what he needs in all aspects.  I see him as a little and I also see him as a man, this blend is done extremely well here.

Maks is such a good Daddy.  He's been yearning for this for so long and yet never knew what or how or when it would ever happen.  He was just right.

What dropped this from 5 to 4 stars was the frequent hints that there would be obstacles, interference, discovery from family or media.  I was very glad none of it panned out, but there was something hanging around nearly every scene that made me wonder if some kind of conflict or angst was going to be tossed in just for the sake of "believability", but I should have remembered whose book I was reading.  This author is quite good at not creating needlessly convoluted or contrived storylines more often than not.  So while this all worked out well, there were too many hints that didn't play into anything beyond giving me more apprehension than sugary sweet lovin'.

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Single and Ready to Jingle, Piper Rayne

With no recourse but to be thrown together to make things work Mackenzie makes the most of Andrew's predicament after a rather disastrous meet-insult instead of a blind date of the meet-cute variety.  Coercing a grinch to participate in Christmas activities to save his pride and possible promotion is just icing on the cake for the holiday-loving elf.  This is absolutely not a recipe for disaster, is it?  More than likely it's the attraction of a forever with their complete opposites that neither of them are willing to admit to...

I have to admit, however, that I was prepared to be annoyed by Mackenzie.  Often I find holiday-loving characters go over the top and are the types of people even those of us who love the same holiday go out of our way to avoid.  But in the case of Kenzie I found myself drawn to her, her indomitable spirit, her brightness and positivity.  She wasn't over the top and she most certainly wasn't annoying or pushy either.  Unless it was for the right grump that needed the push.

It was Andrew that I was more annoyed with on occasion though.  He was unnecessarily secretive and the justifications were thin and more or less ridiculous.  His need for transparency once things started progressing completely mocked his own need for secrecy when the hesitations were his own.  But when he began coming out of his shell and reluctantly enjoyed the things Kenzie planned for them, when he started to thaw and find joy through her eyes and revel in her just being her, that was when I joined his team.

The big conflict moment that came wasn't entirely unexpected, but it felt like a juvenile write-in rather than something truly organic to the story.  What I will say for the moment was that the circumstances allowed the hurt to be less deep and severe, something that made the big gesture sufficiently appropriate for an apology.  The fallout from the moment was hurtful, for sure, but there were other elements that allowed it to not be truly devastating.  And then the epilogue was a short, sweet moment that really wrapped things up pretty well for being a quick read overall.

This was far better than I hoped for and has swayed me more in favor of this author, who I haven't read much from.  It could have gone the way of formulaic and cliche but it didn't cross that line and I was thoroughly delighted throughout the couple hour read time it took to enjoy Andrew and Mackenzie's story.

*$3.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU

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Queen's Ransom: Fog City Book 4, Layla Reyne

This is actually my first FF story and because it's an author I adore I had no second-guessing or hesitations when diving in.  I've already come to love these women throughout the previous stories in this series and I needed to know their story.

Something to keep in mind before reading...  This isn't exactly something you can read without having read the previous stories in the series because the interconnection, connected plots, danger, players, side characters...just everything, is just so much that if you started with Queen's Ransom it'd be very confusing trying to keep everyone straight (or not so straight as the personal preferences run the wonderful gamut of the Kinsey scale here in this family).

Helena and Cee could really have used a hundred more pages to delve deeper into the romantic part of this story since it wasn't a trilogy like Chris and Hawes got, but what we did get was both sweet and dramatic enough to fit well into the series and give us more angst that we'll need to really yearn for Brax and Holt's story.

Both women were passionate, caring, and while there was a considerable amount of hesitation and back and forth by Helena, it wasn't without merit and did get an adequate resolution at the end.  Cee also showed her mettle and she is every bit as wonderful as we've come to know before now.  I can't wait to rejoin their family and see their conclusion as every one of the Madigans get their HEA.

*4.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU

Add to your Goodreads TBR list!

Everyone leaves.
Love is risky business when you're an assassin.
Helena Madigan has lost loved ones to the family business before. Now that she's in charge, she's determined never to risk her heart again.
Except every time Celia enters the room, she takes Helena's breath away.

But the one time someone stays...

Celia Perri likes to be helpful.
She just wants to run the family auto shop, raise her kids, and help her brother plan his wedding.
But when a drive-by shooting targets the garage, Celia's simple life is upended.
Now ensconced within the Madigan family, there's no escaping Helena, the blonde bombshell she's been crushing on for months.

It could cost her everything.
As the Madigans investigate, Celia witnesses their love and loyalty up close.
And their business.
Instead of being afraid, she sees a place for herself among them. She could be a confidant and caregiver--if only Helena would stop pushing her away. If only she'd admit their mutual attraction might lead to more.
And if only someone would stop shooting at them long enough to find out.

*Queen's Ransom is the fourth 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're taking a bit of a risk starting here instead of 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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BOOKBUB

Dancing with Daddy, Susan Hawke

There were three moments in the story that really grabbed me and brought so much enjoyment to my reading.  The first was the communication between the men before they ever met in person.  Their emails were filled with exploration, honesty, and a simplicity that set a true beginning for their friendship and a foundation for their later romantic relationship.  Second was their confessions.  They were simple and straightforward that, when coupled with the first moment I mentioned, were believable and earnest.  Third was the end scene that brought everyone and everything together.  Creating the family both men had always craved but hadn't found until then was a fantastic way to end the story.

Those moments aside, there was a very serious pacing issue.  It was difficult to read continuously without taking breaks because it constantly felt like we were getting nowhere fast.  I'm all for a slow-build where appropriate, but this was a little too slow for me.  Also frustrating was the insta-trust in bringing a stranger, even a blood-related one, into your home with your child.  Amazing email communication and a few phone calls aside, there just wasn't enough there for me to trust their initial living situation.

Yes, this is a fictional story, but it still brought up some serious red flags for me.  Being a single mother myself and also having had the not-really-a-pleasure of beginning a couple relationships through fantastic messages and calls only to have it all turn out to be lies only made me immensely grateful I didn't introduce these cretins to my children.  This story was a sweet and idealized version of a relationship lots of single people engage in and was more fantastical in their genesis than based in reality.  So reader beware, there are enough issues that you'll need to suspend reality to believe their beginning wasn't super sketch.

The one thing that wasn't sketchy despite having all the hallmarks of betrayal and heartache, was the paternity of a sweet little girl.  When it's discovered that blood types didn't match, the relief was palpable under the weight of serious health concerns and the laughter wasn't out of place at all.  Sometimes that's just how relief is expressed.  And knowing she didn't cheat, it was just some incredibly close timing between a moment of rekindled passion and then finding your forever person within a very short time-span, was a huge relief to me as a reader.

Overall this was a very sweet story that moved slowly, but had a great ending for three good people who deserved all the happiness they found together.

*$4.99 on Amazon

I love my daughter, but finding out she wasn’t biologically mine is the best news ever.

I’m a widower who is too scared to have the stupid test that would tell me whether or not I even have the gene that would mean dealing with a horrible illness and certain death. A gene that could’ve also been passed to my child, had she been mine.

She’ll need her father, if something ever does happen to me…That’s why I search for Maddie’s biological father, and when I find him, ask him to become part of her life.

What I didn’t expect is for him to become my best friend. Shane is fun and easygoing, the exact opposite of me. He makes me laugh. He’s the perfect antidote for my neurotic existence. And he’s bi, like me.

But am I courageous enough to take the leap into falling in love with him?

Murder Aforethought: Cabrini Law Book 2, Parker St. John

Sometimes you wake up one day and have no idea that this is the day that will change your life forever.  Maksim definitely wasn't expecting the young man that would grow step by step to be his heart, nor was he expecting a whole heap of danger to nip at their heels the entire way.  But Maksim didn't get where he is today by giving up and his tenacity and determination will be what carries him into the life he never knew he wanted despite any and all obstacles, even if one of those obstacles is the very man he wants to share that life with.

Val caught my attention right from the very beginning.  You could so clearly see everything Maksim saw right away, that damaged and vulnerable inside covered under a hard shell.  In their attraction it was very much a case of like calls to like where they both know something of hardship and facades.  To protect the ones they love most they're willing to do and say what's necessary even if no one sees it as valor or anything other than despicable.  What I loved most about both of them is that we got right to their hearts and could see just how much they could provide a safe-haven for one another.

"I've been waiting 42 years for this kind of special." -Maksim

The drama was kinda big, but it actually fit quite well.  It worked well with the mob mentality and while there were a few threads that didn't find a conclusion, I'm almost sure we'll get those with Miguel's story...super excited for that one, by the way.  I can see who his partner will be and I'm really stoked to see how they overcome their pasts to find their future together.  What was included in this story for the drama didn't feel too outlandish or too big to "solve" by the end.

The one big issue I had was something that bothered me in Risk Assessment.  The person that sought out the other for reunion wasn't the one I felt should be the one to make the move.  Both men needed to find their place now that their eyes and hearts have been opened and Val really needed to see how valuable he is as a person, but if the person who did the chasing didn't actually make that move I feel they wouldn't have had another chance to be together.  Self-sacrificing is one thing, but stubborn and a martyr complex is another.  While it all turned out for the best in the end, I just wished the lead up to that moment had gone a little differently.  Overall though, the story was engaging as were the characters and I'm even more invested in the outcomes of everyone at Cabrini Law.

*$3.99 on Amazon

A ticking clock. A deadly enemy. Can they keep their heads in the game when their hearts are already on the line?

Valentine Rivetti made a horrible mistake when he became a Marine Sniper at the age of twenty. Returning home with PTSD and a guilty conscience, he’s blackmailed into working for the mafia to save his family.

Maksim Kovalenko has everything he ever dreamed of growing up in a Ukrainian slum. As a notorious corporate attorney, he has the world at his feet. But wealth and power can’t protect him from the emptiness he feels every time he shuts his eyes.

When Val is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, his redemption is a silver fox in a three-piece suit. But Val’s lucky day becomes Maksim’s nightmare when the mafia begins to cut loose ends… starting with them.

The passion between them is overwhelming, but can two solitary men learn to trust each other before it’s too late?

Risk Assessment: Cabrini Law Book 1, Parker St. John

It's always hard to begin again whether after a significant breakup, past mistakes, or whatever seems to drag you down or hold you back.  For Elliot he's staring middle age in the face and has completely changed his life to reflect what he feels in his soul is the right thing to do.  And for Lucas it's coming face to face with his past and the fear of success now that he's finally staring true freedom in the face.  Together their road to a new beginning is rocky, but worth it when they let go of pride and strive for more than they feel they deserve.

I loved the premise of the story and felt that we were on pretty good ground from the get-go.  I wasn't warming to Lucas right away because his facade was so forced and yet solid at the same time.  He seemed like he truly enjoyed playing with others in a way that bothered me, like he needed to feel power in his powerless life so he was intentionally a d-bag sometimes.  Not a fan.  He did come around, thankfully, it just took a couple rough starts for it to stick.

Elliot was far more likable and relatable from the beginning.  His meltdown later in the story was something I could see coming, but the actual details of the meltdown felt out of place.  I didn't believe that that's what his big issue was, he was all-of-a-sudden afraid of something that he willingly sought out and I just didn't see that as something that would cause what happened.  I'm glad it was Maksim that could give him the words he needed to pull his head out, but I still had such high hopes for Elliot that I found myself disappointed.  The interactions with his ex were unpredictable and not exactly in good ways, though I will say that the final one was necessary to give Elliot perspective.

I wish the person who let go of his pride first was the right one.  It was the other MC instead and it just didn't feel right.  To say I was annoyed that the person who broke down and apologized first was the one who needed to receive the apology more than they needed to give it would be quite an understatement.  It did force honesty and something deeper from the other man, which was good, I just thought it was a bit backward.  The epilogue, however, was a fantastic way to end things, that dreams and hopes came full circle to give both men what their souls craved.  Without that the story would have suffered.  It was a really great ending for the men I had grown attached to.

*$3.99 on Amazon

All they have left is their pride.

Elliot Smith was once a hotshot attorney, but those days are long gone. A midlife crisis of conscience has left him with shattered confidence, abandoned by his former friends and scraping by at a legal aid clinic. When a smoking hot bad boy rescues him from the side of the road, Elliot is sure he doesn’t stand a chance.

After a misspent youth boosting cars, Lucas Kelly runs his own garage and is finally getting his life back on track. He isn’t about to risk everything by daring to hope for something more, especially not with a man so far above his pay-grade.

The heat between them is enough to have them questioning everything they thought they knew about themselves. But is explosive chemistry enough to keep them together when Elliot’s career threatens to drive them apart?

Appeal to You: Beyond the Cove Book 3, Jaclyn Quinn

I have wanted to read Avery and Ryder's story as soon as their snipe-and-snark routine showed up in book one.  Their story did NOT disappoint.  From the very start we get all that intrigued us when we met them and then we saw under their skins while they got under one another's.  With plenty of their banter for continuity, this story deepened all of their interactions, gave meaning, showed change, and gave us all the feels.  There were a couple things that bothered me, but overall I'd be hard-pressed to let any of that decrease my rating.  These men just grabbed hold and didn't let go, so who am I to do any differently?

Avery was more interesting than I initially thought he'd be.  He wasn't nearly as uptight and stodgy as he came across when we met him.  In fact, there were a few moments that I wasn't even sure I was reading about the same character.  Not that we were seeing a completely different side of him, but more like they were pieces of different people that I had a hard time reconciling.  It all came together in the end though and I loved that he had his own "big gesture" moment.  Sometimes it's up to only one character to bust out the big guns to fix things, but in this case, each man needed to break free and pull out all the stops in their own way.

Ryder's big moment seemed to happen over and over.  His past was darker, more painful than anyone could have known and it's through a lost boy that he finds all kinds of triggers that force him to face it all.  Without those heartbreaking moments he would never realize just how much he needed what Avery could offer.  Finding the courage to take what's being offered though, that's the rub.  Their sexual chemistry is super hot, but even Ryder realizes that that's just not enough when hearts could become involved.

We always knew something went down between Avery and Ryder, but it isn't until maybe the halfway point that we find out exactly what happened.  And then when we find out why the situation rankled Avery so badly, it's way more complicated than expected.  That's pretty much the story of this story though, that emotional complexity is king.  Nothing is as simple or as straightforward as either man would have us believe; even they don't fully realize the depth of all that they're experiencing and reacting to.  Watching them sift through the mess, find a way to come together because of and in spite of it all, and discover their worth and their place...it's beautiful.  I loved this ride and am really looking forward to the next story that's sure to pack an angst-filled punch.

*$3.99 on Amazon!

Will the demons of the past ruin any hope for the future?

If there’s anyone who knows how to have a good time—be it with a man or a woman—it’s Ryder Pearce. Master of the nail-it-and-bail-it theory, he lives his life for one person and one person only: himself. When a man enters Ryder’s life who challenges him on every flirtation, every sexual innuendo he can come up with, Ryder’s thrown off his game in a big way. Because there’s one thing the man has made perfectly clear—they’ve played this game before, and Ryder doesn’t remember the outcome.

Avery Hamilton has seen all of Ryder’s moves and has witnessed his sex appeal. He knows all too well about his cocky sense of humor and his penchant for one-night stands. There was a time in his life when he’d taken the bait, but this time around, he wants more. He’s seen Ryder’s act; what he hasn’t seen is Ryder—the real Ryder he hides from the world.

When both men come together to help a young boy, Ryder’s forced to face things from his past he’s blocked out. Things he never wanted anyone to know. Now, Ryder has one fear… Will revealing that side of himself be real enough for Avery? Or will it be the reason Avery walks away?

Apex Shifters Boxset, Emilia Hartley

Book 1: The Bear's Home

A giant of a bear-man who knows very little about his past, a sly feline-woman whose avarice might just ruin her chance at a future with that bear-man, and an unknown danger threatening everyone.

Starting off the series with a simple-minded bear and a crafty feline, there's a lot of drama both in the relationship and in the danger behind the scenes.  I enjoyed the story more for the plot surrounding the town of Ripple and involving the "villain's" machinations of the MC's rather than for the characters themselves.  Thorn and Felicity were likable in an aloof way, but not relatable, admirable, or even charming.  There was an immense amount of objectification and brawn over brain that threatened to tank the story, but the direction of the series just may save it.

Book 2: The Jaguar's Romance

Helping an innocent bear shifter caught in the middle of a feud brewing into a war, the jaguar player might just have met his match in the curvy, insecure, subtly passionate woman who needs him...in more ways than one.

I can't say my opinion of Sally and Oscar was very good going into the story and wasn't holding out much hope for them.  They weren't bad, just not really my cup of tea.  With the drama in the story heating up, there's a lot more that drew me in and along the way Oscar managed to win me over with his heart and acceptance of all the changes he's willing to make to keep Sally and the love they've found.

Book 3: The Grizzly's Vendetta

Elathan is finally being brought to justice.  But the type of justice staring him in the face is none other than a past he swore to avenge...and to love.

Ending with a bang, there were a lot of surprises that kept drawing me into the story.  I don't feel the ending was complete enough and there was a lot of unresolved tension surrounding the MC's and the main players from Ripple, Oregon.  The dramatic story line throughout this series is brought to a satisfying conclusion, though only for us as readers, not for the rest of the characters from it.  I was so glad to get the full story, the bigger picture surrounding Elathan's actions and what goes down is definitely a doozy.  I'm glad I kept up with the series and didn't give up before getting to this point.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Cold Pressed: Seacroft Book 2, Allison Temple

Life has definitely dealt two raw deals to Oliver and Nick.  But when one meet-cute turns into a meet-hate and a second chance through a blind date turns that into a meet-hot-against-a-brick-wall, you know we're in for a bit of a roller coaster.  There are definite lows and a few highs that speak to their souls and give them glimpses into another side of themselves, one they fear, and they'll have to choose if they'll give up what they could have for something they may not be able to save despite their best intentions.

This was hard.  I wish I could say I didn't like this book because there were some really hard moments here that frustrated me, hurt me.  But that's just not what I can say at the end.  I think it was a bit jarring because a lot of it was reality and reality isn't all sunshine, rainbows, and happy conclusions.

Nick was my favorite of the two.  He was believable in his struggle and since we spent a lot more time in his head, we got to know him more, to know how deep his confusion, frustration, and dissatisfaction went.  By the end there was no clear conclusion or fix for all the things in his life, but it was very clear that the best partner he could have is the one he got.  The situation with his son was heartbreaking and there were zero moments of saying just the right thing, coming to a perfect understanding, mending fences, building bridges...or pretty much any other trite cliche you can think of to describe fixing years and years of doing the wrong thing.  Instead, we get honesty and that honesty isn't exactly pretty.  I think Nick could and should have made much bigger strides to saying at least something, but where we end up shows that there is a ton of hopeful potential between them.  They're on the right path and Nick is committed to staying on it because beneath all his failings, he's so full of love for his troubled son that there's no other future he's willing to settle for if it means a life without his son.

Oliver's struggles stem from trying to live a life that wasn't his dream.  Having his heart and expectations crushed by a weak man did him no favors.  Except maybe that was the biggest favor; freeing him to find and build a life in Seacroft turned out to be the greatest gift.  In Nick he found someone that could support him in an adult way and could give him the love and passion he didn't know was absent from his previous life.  I enjoyed his eagerness to connect with Nick even if it all just began as an FWB situation.  I do wish he had been a bit stronger at the end instead of being constantly tossed around by his emotional turmoil, that he were less reactionary and used his intelligence to think his way through his situation rather than to just keep ramming his head against the wall.  I also wish there were more on the page about his tentative connection with Nick's son and not just the one moment in the interrogation room.  There is a lot to heal there.

Without the harsher realities of life it's cliche, and yet so very true, that we can't fully appreciate or enjoy the triumphs and happier moments in life.  A lot of time was spent in their heads and less on the action of the story so we didn't even really see things get going until probably halfway through, and then the really big stuff didn't come until near the end.  I wasn't a fan of the pacing or the navel-gazing, but I respected and grew to appreciate the story as a whole because it really was closer to real life than some imagined idea of life with a knowledge that the cheesy HEA is right around the corner.  Typically that's the kind of book I gravitate towards, but then I get surprised with a book like Cold Pressed and have to reevaluate why I shy away from stories that echo a less idealized version of reality.  So overall it was a bit harder to read, but no less satisfying when we see where they end up.  I definitely want to see Avery get his own story and to see Oliver and Nick's progress on the periphery.

*$3.99 on Amazon

No strings attached is all Oliver can offer. He's hiding a broken heart that holds him back from diving into a new relationship, but he'll go on a blind date to make his family happy. Just one date, though; he doesn't have time for love to derail his plans.

Divorced and demoted to the night shift, Nick has his own problems. He's got an ex-wife who needs him and a kid with one foot in juvie. The last thing Nick needs is to butt heads—or other body parts—with a tempting hipster who wears a sad smile on their blind date. 

Their chemistry can’t be denied, though, in an argument or in bed. No strings sex is uncomplicated and that's what Nick and Oliver need. But getting into bed together is one thing. Staying out of each other’s hearts soon becomes so much more complicated than either one imagined.

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Damaged Heart, S.C. Wynne

I can't say this was my favorite book by this author.  There are many others of hers that I truly enjoy but I felt this one fell short of the mark.  With an interesting premise and hints of bonds healing someone suffering, I was eager to read the story.  Where it fell short was in character development and the relationship progression.  Potential was high, execution was relatively low.

Cory has a lot of emotional baggage and trauma.  I ached for his situation and even though I didn't connect with his character at all, I could see how he would behave the way he did.  Rhys was a bigger draw because he was a brighter, lighter character that had the potential to draw Cory from the darkness of his past, but there were quite a few things he did that left ambiguity rather than a clear path for Cory to follow.

Without giving anything away, I'll just leave my frustration with both men by saying that neither man resonated with me and their actions, while some were understandable, most of them were confusing, maddening, and absolutely unpleasant.  The overall story suffered because of the characters but I definitely enjoyed the setting and the sweet gestures and confessions that were included.  They saved the story from being dismal and distasteful, instead it was merely disappointing.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Cory Johnson fled Bayville as an eighteen-year-old following the suicide of his father. He’s estranged from his abusive mother and has made a life for himself as a successful lawyer in Los Angeles. While Cory’s career is rewarding, he’s unable to connect to people because of his upbringing.

When Cory’s mother dies he grudgingly returns to his hometown to handle the estate. Rhys Tucker owns the construction company that is going to renovate Cory’s childhood home. Rhys has harbored a crush for Cory since they were in high school. When Cory comes home, Rhys takes that opportunity to get close to Cory. Or at least try to.

Their physical chemistry is undeniable, but will Cory ever be able to have a real relationship with Rhys after being so emotionally scarred by his past? Can a heart as damaged as Cory’s every really come home?

Mate: Forbidden Desires Book 3, Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly

An unlikely bond between two alpha dragons has lasted for a century and if they don't fight for their future, the mandates of an archaic council could destroy everything they love.  When Geoffrey Drake's secret alpha mate Ian is given an omega to breed in the name of an experiment his heart is crushed.  Hiding his ache behind a haughty, cynical mask, he escorts Disgrace Matthieu Boudreaux to his lover's home where he must confirm their breeding.  Ian is determined to run from their situation, but it's Matthieu's unconventional solution that might give each of them everything they could have dreamed.  The plan doesn't start they way they hope and it puts their lives in jeopardy.  Magic and a helpful, yet lusty, outcast family might give them a chance to grasp their fate and change the future of dragons and their mates for generations to come.

Ian was brash, young, reactionary, and yet the guiding hand for this group.  I liked his boldness and love for Geoffrey that never waned.  Despite the difficult circumstance, he was humble enough to listen to reason and heart when he would have given up.  The surprise was really Matthieu.  He was not only the glue that kept them all together, but his immense inner strength was exactly what both alphas needed to fight for them.

But it was Geoffrey who made me ache and was my favorite.  I usually have a hard time with the sad characters who don't seem to know how to be happy in their own right, but there was something about Geoffrey that caught my attention and kept it jealously.  At nearly every moment of his perspective I was choked up, my eyes welling with tears, swallowing past the lump in my throat, and my chest constricting.  I literally ached for this man.  His moments of despair moved me beyond what I thought possible and his moments of passion, happiness, and peace were some of the most beautiful things I could ever feel.

I don't typically like menage relationships and pretty much choose not to read them on that basis alone, but I'm so addicted to this series that I jumped in with both feet despite my normal hesitations.  I'm so glad I did.  There's so much to love about this book and the dynamic Matthieu, Ian, and Geoffrey struggle through to find their roles and their path together.  Introducing the exiled Opal dragon and his immense brood was quite interesting and there were so many characters that I was a bit numb by the end of their "introductions".  He actually bothered me immensely and I couldn't grow to like him, though his role has many implications for dragons going forward.  Aside from his convivial creeper-ness, the rest of the story vacillated between passion, angst, discovery, and acceptance.  The way each person found their strength and their place together was beautiful and I'm glad to have read this book.  I seriously cannot wait for more!

*$3.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Love Is, S.E. Harmon

With an ex who has clearly moved on and a family who thinks she hasn't, Avery Jane is in a bind.  She doesn't want her ex back but she's trying so hard to prove she's happy staying single that she's not sure if she's pretending to be happy or keeping herself too busy to think of the alternative.  So when her loving but incredibly pushy sister threatens her with blind dates, Avery takes the easy way out and makes up a fake boyfriend.  Except by doing that and committing to come to their father's birthday party she now has to find someone to play the part.  Her best friend has a solution and even if she knows being attracted to the playboy lawyer with a hot ass and a wicked sense of humor shouldn't play a factor, it does.  It might also crumble her walls and make her fall in love.  But how do you know it's love when you're not sure what love really is?  She'll have to figure it out sooner rather than later or she'll lose it all before she ever really has it.

The snark, wit, banter, and playfulness was superb.  I loved Jackson and Avery Jane's interplay while they were getting to know one another.  When it moved into the bedroom it became so much more, instead of being the focus of their relationship it became merely a facet of something that was growing, changing, and deepening.  While I was definitely not a fan of how often Avery was avoiding her feelings I could feel where she was coming from.

Avery was so conflicted having not truly grieved for her mother's passing and watching her father move on, her brother move away, and her sister become the over-achiever she's realizing she's stuck in the past and doesn't know how to move forward.  She's completely successful and brilliant in her own right but she has no idea what she really wants her life to look like.  When she suspects she's falling for Jackson she pushes him away as well as her thoughts regarding him because avoidance is always easier than the harsh introspection of hurt feelings.  Once she sorts it all out, though, her realization of what love truly is for her is stunning.  After having the conversation with her father that was a long time coming she was able to come to terms with what she feels and who she feels all of it for.  Now she just has to get him to take her back.

I so wish we had Jackson's POV.  I wanted to see his feelings for her and see how he viewed her struggle.  But honestly, this story wasn't just a romance novel, it was about Avery's emotional journey through grief, avoidance, self-worth, and coming to terms with all of it so she could not only see herself clearly, but see her future too.  The story took kind of a long time to get to her point of awakening but that annoyance was pretty minor overall.  I grew to both love and be frustrated with Avery as I would have if she were a very real person in my life.  I loved her sense of humor, her vulnerability, and her inner strength.  I was frustrated with her constantly running away and avoiding the one person who could see all of her clearly and loved her for it.  Her story is funny, sexy, annoying, and triumphant all at the same time and I enjoyed just about every moment.

*$3.99 on Amazon!

Finding My Way Home: Doyle Global Securities Book 2, Kendel Duncan

The past has haunted Ten for so long he doesn't know how to live without his all-consuming grief and anger.  One kiss from Bas challenged that belief but like the brave man he is...he ran.  Now with Bas missing he'll have to stop running away from him and race toward him instead.  Whether he opens his heart to a new future, one with happiness and love, is the question.

In Blackbird Fly Home we briefly meet Ten and Bas and see an explosive moment between them.  Without this foundation, without learning a little about them in the previous book, I'd be missing out.  In this story we get more background and a coming together but their first true meeting carries such a huge weight for them that I would not suggest this as a standalone novel.  There's just something missing here in the build-up and laying of the foundation for their relationship.  That being said, it's only one moment, though a huge one, so their story really takes off here.

For as much of a badass as Ten is, he can be incredibly sappy and can say all the romantic words necessary to reassure Bas that a future with him is what he truly wants.  It was awesome to see another side of the sullen, focused, angry Ten.  Together they are so sweet and very, very sexy.  Ten becomes a well-rounded character when he finally relents and lets Bas all the way into his heart.  And Bas is an excellent partner for him.  With his steadiness, loyalty, and intelligence he provides a solid partner for Ten.  And his heart gives Ten a safe place to be vulnerable and to heal.

The synopsis suggests that this story will mainly be about Ten and Bas.  While they do manage to just barely eke out the majority of the focus, the surprisingly short book is split between them and introducing quite a few other characters and their relationships.  We get a triad between Dragon, Aleksy, and Liam.  It's not a bad grouping by any means, it's just not given enough page time and attention so it feels rushed and a little too insta-love/perfect triad to be believable.  Then there's suggestions about Kendry, Teagan and Dante, as well as Case and Riott...it's just too much.  The words are spread too thin with too many people and directions.  There was a lack of focus on plot and the dangers that were seemingly wrapped up a little too nicely.

Ten and Bas deserved a little more drama, evolution, and attention.  Because they had to share so much page time with other couples and the conflict was more build-up and hype than action and resolution, I felt a bit disappointed.  I liked the overall story but I would rather that the focus was more directed, more like Blackbird Fly Home.

*$2.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Quick Reads and Quick Reviews 19

  

• Sapphire Embers: The Beginning of Dragons, Jadyn Chase
• From Bodyguard to Boyfriend, Wyatt Isaac
• Promise Me We'll Be Okay, Nell Iris

For being so short the author packed a lot of stuff in here.  Heartbreak, dragons, war, apocalyptic meteors, shifting, confusing clones, "save the species" mating, insta-love, angry townsfolk, dramatic sacrifice, and a kind of open ending...and that's not even everything.  I think there were too many elements to sufficiently do any of them justice.  The writing style is also not really my cup of tea.  It was far too flowery and surface-skimming rather than direct, moving, and the kind that delves deep enough to captivate you and keep your attention.  When it came to the long-lost-love aspect of the relationship it wasn't really believable.  There were quite a few things that you had to suspend reality for in the story but the relationship part shouldn't have been one of them.  It should have been the focus instead of feeling like an add-on to a complicated shifter/birth of dragons/post-apocalyptic world type of story.  I was quite underwhelmed and disappointed after being quite interested when I read the synopsis.  In fact, if you read the synopsis you pretty much read the condensed version of the story.  Needless to say, I was hoping for something a little more but got a little less.  2 stars.

Attracted from the start, Gabriel and Jensen dance around it and forge a tentative friendship while they get to know one another.  But one night in Honduras changes things for them.  As they learn to navigate their new dynamics it's their fear and uncertainty that will drive them apart if they don't admit to themselves and each other what really matters.  We're given a pretty good picture about each of these men right in the beginning.  Even up to their first time together we get a sense of why they would be good for one another.  From that point, though, things become a little muddy.  What we're led to believe is their main obstacle is given a token moment of consideration before determination that it's not what matters overwhelms it.  But then near the end it becomes the giant wedge between them and is addressed poorly.  Gabriel's other concerns were more natural and organic to their relationship drama and I feel that age was what was expected to be the problem even though it really wasn't.  There were also some awkward moments I came across that made me feel like I was missing something.  The dinner at Carly's house near the beginning felt out of place despite giving us the first moment of "contact" and hinting at something more than just a crush on a coworker.  Overall I felt the story lacked a read-through that could have caught the lack of fluidity in the relationship's progression before their falling out.  The ending, though, that was tender, sweet, and well thought out.  It made me want to forgive the other issues I came across.  And adding in the touching epilogue brought it up to where it should have been all the way through.  3 stars.

When the pressure of family and appearances becomes too much for Vincent he sheds what's causing him the most stress.  At least that's what he thinks he's doing when he leaves Jude.  He had no idea how wrong that decision would be until the only person he loved almost as much as Jude is taken from him.  With nothing left worth losing he finds the courage to knock on the door to his past, and hopefully his future.  Jude is doing his best to move on.  But being left is far different from doing the leaving.  Half of his heart is gone and he's reaching a point where he's going to break if he can't move forward and away from the devastation of Vincent leaving him behind.  And then a knock on his door one night changes everything.  If he can forgive, if Vincent can prove he's changed, they might stand a chance against their fears and insecurities and be able to build a future far better than they could have imagined.

Both men had their faults and they were each likable at their core.  I do wish there had been more groveling, more explanations.  What was there was sufficient but it also felt like it was lacking something, a punch of some kind.  And I'm not saying a physical altercation between the men.  There are quite a few moments where one or both of them put the explanations off.  Saying they needed to talk, they needed answers, and then not really getting back to it wasn't really satisfying.  And while the end was absolutely sweet, spontaneous, secret, and cute, it was a little bit of a shock.  With something in-between their reconciliation and the ending, some kind of settling, this could have been an even more enjoyable story.  As it was it was good but it could have been great with a little more detail, a little streamlining, and maybe a little more directed focus.  3 stars.