Romance novel book reviews of stories under the rainbow spectrum, including mm / gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, transgender, and others. The more men the better, so reviews will often include polyamorous or menage books.
Exes was a simple, sweet and fluffy friends-to-lovers story with a HEA and a medium spiciness level.
Wesley and Bryce have been friends since college. They were even more for a while, but have settled into best friends and lovers occasionally. Their friends call their little group of cohorts "The Exes" as at some point they have all dating one another. That's actually how Wesley and Bryce initially got together since they both dated Dabney at different points in time. Being bi gives you a bit more choice in partners, but it's still a small community.
Bryce is a bit of the party-boy of their group and Wesley is a bit more settled, so they play off each other well. But lately it seems as though Wesley is being a bit grumpy and in response Bryce finds himself trying to be the life of the party more than normal.
Even inviting a third back after their night at the bar doesn't end up playing out as it used to. Instead of Wesley and Bryce having sexy times with some temporary playmate, it somehow just doesn't happen.
Bryce doesn't know what's going on with Wesley, but he feels like he's losing his best friend. They talk about everything, so to have Wesley not share with him just feels wrong.
Then Dabney reveals that Wesley is interviewing for a job a few hours away. Shocked that Wesley is planning on moving away and didn't even say anything, Bryce knows he needs to find out what's going on.
While Bryce is still trying to figure out what to say or do, the pair go on their annual trip to the cabin. Sex, sun, and fishing is the normal pattern while there, but Wesley seems in a strange mood and Bryce is trying to understand why his best friend is leaving him.
The story might seem like it's potentially angsty, but instead we get a touching, sweet story about one friend wanting a relationship while the other is frightened of taking on more responsibility. Is it time for these two friends to become more? Or for them to leave the gray area of a relationship behind and move on?
This is an emotion-based story, not an active, action-backed one, and unlike many books about emotions, this one is low-angst. It truly was just a simple story about two guys who realize it may be time to grow up and that relationships change over time.
It is a HEA and has a few really nice sex scenes. Not enough to turn this into porn, just enough to spice things up.
I really liked Wesley and Bryce. They were perfectly age-appropriate, just a couple of younger guys no longer in college, but not quite fully settled down yet. That confusing in between time where you're starting to get tired of being with someone new all the time and just want to come home to someone who knows you.
Their rule about "no macho" bs and insisting on talking things out is so awesome. These aren't too-dumb-to-live guys, they actually understand that discussing things can fix problems.
There are a couple minor issues of confusion with the descriptions of the secondary characteristics. Not enough to really be huge, but enough to just make one pause and try to figure things out. Wesley's dads are gay and one of them is called aba which is a Jewish term for father. At another point Dabney's current spouse is spoken of as one person, then later it is another. Not that important, just can be a bit confusing trying to figure out what's up with the people. They have little page time in the book though, so it doesn't really matter. And I've heard the issue has been fixed in some editions.
So, if you want a sweet, short read about two guys trying to figure out when things changed and where to go from here, this one if for you. It's just a light read to make you smile.
Also, I'd love to see a prequel for this one, even just a short story of Bryce comforting Wesley after him and Dabney broke up. It would be so cute to see him come to terms with his sexuality.
Warming Up To the Ice Dragon is an even shorter version of the standard Charlie Richards' romance.
On what was supposed to be a fun trip to go skiing with his friends, Stefan has an accident. Alone and frightened, he thinks he may die until he's rescued by a knightdragon in shining scales.
Kazeem has been looking for his mate for a long time, and to find him in such a way is surprising, but he has no time to ponder fate as he must hurry to ensure Stefan survives.
These two have some issues. Stefan knows nothing of paranormals. Kazeem isn't really good with humans. Will Stefan's suspicious friends make Stefan discount the mate-pull and run away?
I really like a lot of Charlie Richards' books, but they consistently have the same flaws. The actual story being rather abbreviated with an overwhelming amount of unnecessary sex scenes to flesh out the book, in addition to an abrupt ending. This novella had an even shorter story and more abrupt ending than most. Luckily for the reader, it also had other consistencies from this writer--good and interesting characters and interesting story lines that are otherwise well-written.
Stefan and his friends are a fun bunch of guys and it's easy to picture them together as buddies. Kazeem strikes a interesting contrast with his brusque and hermit-like nature. All the main characters are just right. Well-developed and complex enough to tell they have backstories.
The setting of this one was rather bland. I guess it was a rather typical ski area and typical hospital? It sometimes seems like the writer doesn't picture her settings at all as otherwise her very competent writing would do a better job of conveying them.
The story wasn't overly complex but it was plenty for such a short tale. A really interesting take on the getting hurt while skiing bit. And it was a bit surprising at times.
The ending was like many of this writer's books, a sudden stop that didn't have enough information to leave you feeling finished. It almost felt like there were missing pages as this was even more of an abrupt ending than most of them. I tend to like books that set it up so we can tell that everything has been solved, there are no loose threads, and the couple is going to have their HEA. I didn't quite get that satiated feeling with this one.
Sometimes I get the feeling that it's just that too many books are asked of this writer and that's why they seem to get shorter and shorter with so much sex-scene filler. It sucks because there's so much good writing in there and I love the varied characters (often including POC), and the variety of shifters and really interesting stories make me want to read more, while being a bit disappointed when each one never feels quite complete.
The recently released Spring Fever Anthology has a short story that gives one of Stefan's friends a mate. It too is just a tidbit of a story, but at least we get to see how Stefan and Kazeem are and get a bit more of them.
While this story is listed on both Amazon and GoodReads as part of the Wolves of Stone Ridge series, it shows no connection to it. As with several of the other series by this author such as Kontra's Menagerie, A Paranormal's Love, A Loving Nip, and now Shifter's Regime, I'm hoping the Wolves of Stone Ridge series makes a connection and the dragons show up there later.
Luke & Aiden is the first book in the Shire Boys series. It is set in Australia and is about two young men coming out and growing up.
This was a totes adorb story up until the end where there was a shocking event. It is written very young, older teen or young adult style. And it has little sex. More sweet and cute than anything.
Sweet young guys Luke and Aiden meet in a hospital but between the pregnant woman that might be Aiden's wife and the surgery Luke has to go to, their timing is off. Six months later when they meet up again, they both jump at the chance to go past the eye-fuck stage.
Innocent and sweet dating between these two virgins follows (with assorted handjobs and frottage, but no penetrative sex). Aiden and Luke are so cute together and their families are great.
Some of the lines in the book were hilarious and clever. Very evocative.
There was a bit much Australian slang, sometimes it made it difficult to understand, but I just left a web search up and looked up things while I read. Australian slang is a bit fascinating to me though, so it bothered me less than it might other people. I think cantaloupes being called rockmelons is kinda awesome and finding out about another culture is always a plus.
Honestly, this would definitely be a good book for young gay men to read. Society makes being gay all about sex instead of relationships, but while the two main characters are hot and horny young men, they are interested in each other just as much as the sex. Between porn and the pretty-much-porn many romance novels are, it's good to show the boys that that's not all there is to a relationship.
Tell Me It's Real is the best book I've read in awhile. It's a mm romance and the first of three books in the At First Sight series by T.J. Klune. I laughed so hard reading this one that I'm sure I scared my neighbors. It's cute and sweet too, but with a lot of self-deprecating humor and sarcasm.
To help you get a grasp of what this book is like, this is the first line:
"JUST so you know, I don’t have a gargantuan penis."
What?! A main character that isn't hot, buff, with a huge cock and someone everyone wants? How can it be?!
Paul is plain, slightly overweight, and average. His black hair is cut short so it doesn't curl like a poodle's, he has plain blue eyes and pasty white skin. He blushes and stutters, and when he gets really nervous he sort of spews words. That's when he's not tripping or being clumsy.
Although to be fair, he sort of spews words constantly. Awkward jokes, sarcasm and whatever he's thinking come out at an alarming rate. You know that filter some people have? Well, Paul's doesn't really work very well, especially when he's freaked out about a hot guy talking to him (although to be fair, he managed to keep back most of one of the most horrendous jokes one could possibly make, and that was after nearly managing to choke to death on spinach).
Paul sort of reminds me of Tina Belcher from Bob's Burgers. Maybe a sort of combo of Gene Belcher and Tina. Awkward and cute, snarky and obsessed with butts. But with a bit more self-awareness of social hierarchy. I guess that would make Vince, the other MC, into Jimmy Pesto, Jr. Maybe Jimmy crossed with Zeke. but instead of being a jerkface, Vince is the cool kid that actually has a heart of gold.
Vince is gorgeous and not the sharpest crayon in the box, but he's very sweet and adores Paul. Though Paul can't quite figure out why. He's sure it's some sort of set-up. Everyone knows hot jock gayboys don't go for awkward and overweight weirdos. Of course Paul runs as fast as he can. It's a good thing Vince is steady and determined. Vince knows if he just keeps on him Paul will fold. He's used to people giving him what he wants, and what he wants is the quirky guy who can't seem to manage ten minutes without stuttering or stumbling or otherwise looking cute.
Even when Paul hits Vince with his car (He didn't hit him! Vince ran into the car! It was an accident! Paul did not, I repeat, did not hit the hottest guy in the world with his car just to get a date. Paul already turned down the date. If only the rest of the world would believe him.) Vince just tells him that he's starting to fall in love with him and it was totally worth it.
Oh, and Vince stoned is cuter than puppies. Lots of 'awww' and wanting to cuddle him. How could Paul resist?
All the people in Paul's life want him to have his one true love. They can see his genuine heart and his fun personality, and they keep hoping someone else will see who he truly is. When Vince shows up on the scene they start shoving Paul into his arms because finally someone else sees how incredible Paul is too.
Sandy, Paul's best friend is outrageous and a diva, though not quite as much when he's not in drag as Helena Handbasket. Together with Paul, the two make a comedic duo that could scare anyone away.
“You’re like that donkey from Winnie the Pooh,” he told me. “On crack.”
“I’m a manic-depressive, drug-addicted donkey?” I asked, incredulous.
“If the tail fits,” he snapped at me.
“Reality would be if Eeyore was on Paxil. No one could be depressed as much as he is for that long without needing antidepressants. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet probably staged an intervention at their house at one point.”
“They didn’t live together,” Sandy said.
“Of course they did. They were life partners.”
“Pooh was porking Piglet?”
“Brings new meaning to the sentence ‘I ate ham for breakfast.’”
“I bet there’s like an Easter egg on one of the DVDs,” Sandy said, taking a drink of his tea. “A deleted scene that shows Eeyore jerking off to a photo of Pooh fucking Piglet while hanging himself with his tail in the closet.”
Yep, this book doesn't shy away from much. Besides the bitchy queen best friend, there's a homophobic parrot that shouts slurs, a Nana who tells it like it is, a two-legged dog named Wheels, possibly a menstruating ghost haunting Paul's house, and a pair of parents that care about their son so much that they don't care if he's into pony play and likes to wear a tail (no matter how many times he tries to tell him that that's not his kink).
Some people will be offended by this book. Some people will think it's sick and twisted which makes it hilarious. I'm one of the latter.
There's a lot of slang, a lot of rambling, and quite a bit of references to movies and other media. It might be helpful to watch She's All That with Freddie Prinze Jr. since it is referenced quite a bit and the MC has quite a fixation on it and whether it pertains to his life. (In case you haven't seen it or don't want to, it's a basic teen romance comedy about a high school jock who makes a bet about this girl, who is viewed as geeky and unattractive, and making her into the prom queen. A bit like Pygmalion, My Fair Lady, crossed with 10 Things I Hate About You sort of thing.)
One of my favorite books / series is Bear, Otter, and the Kid, also by T.J. Klune. So, it wasn't surprising that I liked this book too. What was surprising is how different the two were. Bear, Otter, and the Kid is full of angst and drama. It can be funny at times, but it is more heartbreaking. Tell Me It's Real on the other hand is fairly light and so funny. Two very different styles. What they do have in common is that they both feature complex characters who make you want to read about them.
Tell Me It's Real also manages to create some very realistic word pictures. The phrasing used at times is so right on that you can't help but picture where they are or what they are talking about. Honestly, as I'm reading, I tend to not picture books all that well. This one was so right on the mark that I couldn't keep the images out of my head. That includes normal things like laying on the grass in the park and staring up at the stars.
It also includes other gems such as this tidbit from the best text convo ever:
Did u get that pic I just sent?
You mean the one of you with your mouth on a black dildo?
Yeah
No, Vince. I didn’t
and this one where Paul protests getting advice:
“It’s like all of you are after-school-specialing on me,” I groaned. “I feel so cheap and used and covered in grossness, like some twink after a bareback gang bang.”
So, yeah. This book isn't for the faint of heart.
It's rude and crude at times, with the imagery to really get right in there. And unlike so many books on the market now, it is not overfilled with never-ending sex scenes. It only has a few sweet and tame ones. So, if you read romance novels just to get off, this one won't do it for you. If you want to read good stories about interesting characters, it might be right up your alley.
About the only thing that bothered me was one missing scene. There were a couple with Paul and a woman on the same commute as him. We needed a third and final scene with her. I just think that would have been the cherry on top to have Paul and Vince singing along to the radio on their way to work and pull up alongside of her. Minor bit, but it just begged for it.
This book had some good ideas as well. I now want to call getting a cum facial getting frosted. And opening up an argyle sock and sex store to be called Sock ’N Cock is my new dream.
While this book is going on my favorites list, it will not be on everyone's. It was a bit chaotic and the phrasing was crazy. Some people have complained that they couldn't follow along and it was just too messy. For better results it's a good idea to read this book where there aren't a lot of distractions and where you can really pay attention. It's also a longer book, but it would be good to read it in solid chunks or all in one sitting if possible. Getting into the headspace is essential.
And it'd be nice to read it somewhere you can make noise. Go to the beach and scare the seagulls. One reviewer mentioned she read it on a plane and her laughter kinda freaked people out. I read it overnight and was worried my neighbors would be upset because I couldn't stifle my laughter. It is funny and hilarious and crazy.
I also found myself repeating some words because the phrasing was so spot on. I said some really weird things and am really glad no one heard me repeating things like:
“It’s the most unladylike thing about becoming a lady,” he said, giving his wrist a little twist.
“There’s nothing greater for my self-esteem than to hear Johnny Depp call me a fanny-bandit.”
Float like a butterfly, sting like a unicorn ;)
SEX FACE!! >_<
“Baby doll, I do believe you’re going to get plowed like a field around planting time,” she observed succinctly. “Gonna get seeded, that’s for damn sure.”
Go ahead, say them out-loud. You know you want to.
At First Sight #1 - Tell Me It's Real
Don't forget to check out the sequels as well. Sandy / Helena gets their own story. And of course Paul and Vince get married!
At First Sight #2 - The Queen & the Homo Jock King
The Problem is a full-length mpreg novel about an older alpha and a younger omega. It features male pregnancy and the typical omegaverse narrative.
It has much better writing and a better story than many mpregs and was surprisingly good.
The omega in the pairing, Alex, is a creative and intelligent young man. He's an artist who has synesthesia--when he feels emotions, he sees colors that reflect them. He can literally see emotions. And each emotion is a different color.
After being heartbreakingly attacked by his lover, Alex no longer takes chances with his heart. Instead he selects hot, older guys to get down and dirty with, then tosses them aside. When he spots mature and sexy alpha Laurence at his painting exhibit he can't help dragging the man to the back for some no-strings fun.
Laurence is starting to feel his age. He's devoted his life to his son, but the boy is now 16, old enough to handle his single father finally starting to date again. If only Laurence felt more comfortable and sure of himself. It's been a long time since he even tried to flirt. When a gorgeous young man, only a few years older than his son, starts a conversation with him at a art exhibit, Laurence isn't quite sure he can keep up. But Alex is hotter than anyone he's ever met before, so if the younger omega is willing to overlook his age, then he'll do his best to please him.
Alex is even sexier when he forces Laurence to his knees so he can use his mouth. Laurence can't resist, especially after Alex's suit is opened to reveal the lace panties he's nearly popping out of. Still not even knowing each others names, the two have a hot little session in the back of the studio, then Alex pulls himself together to go back out to his show. But unlike his normal, this time Alex actually lets Laurence in a little and gives him his business card so they can get together once more.
Both men are nervous about taking things further. No matter that the colors Alex sees when he's with Laurence tell him that he could fall for the older man, Alex is afraid to chance his heart again. He decides that if Laurence calls he'll just get together with him once more and that's it. Laurence has been out of the dating game for years, and is worried about venturing back in with a hot, younger man instead of someone older and settled like himself. Can they even have a relationship?
Both worried, but drawn to each other, Laurence and Alex get together once more, only to find that they can't keep their hands off of each other. Alex's mischievous nature and dirty talk drive Laurence to take him hard and raw. 'Daddy's dirty boy' is loving it until Dad's actual son walks in and hears and sees things no one involved wants. Awkwardness ensues, and the men think they'll never see each other again.
But Laurence and Alex still want each other, and another surprise means they might not be done with one another.
So, I rarely like books that are all about the sex. I read books for a good story, not to get off. But this one was hot enough to be an exception. Boys in lace panties is one of the hottest things ever, and while I typically find them more appealing on hyper-masculine alpha types, it was still definitely hot to read about on Alex. And dominant older men being called Daddy by their boy is a hot button as well. The sex scenes were actually good and not just the same drivel found in many books. There was also some knotty action as well if you're into that.
While more than half of the book was sex and that would normally make me dislike it, the actual writing and storyline was interesting enough to make up for it and the sex scenes actually being good was a bonus.
All the characters were interesting and were well thought out. Complex, with backstories. Not just caricatures. They were also people worth being interested in. While it's nice to have flawed characters, too often the flaws are bad enough that they are unlikeable. This hit that sweet spot. Alex is covering up his soft heart by trying not to get involved and sleeping with random men. He's a bit young and spontaneous. Laurence is older and set in his ways. He thinks he always needs to plan everything out. One leads from the heart, the other from the head, but together they match.
The witty banter at the beginning of the book is interesting, but may turn some people off. Don't worry, it smoothes out and becomes less of a show of intelligence. That part is just establishing who the characters are and letting us get to know them. Though this does tend to be a cerebral story, we reside in the character's heads a lot and see how they are thinking about things. There is doing as well as thinking though, so it's not too far into the mental aspects of falling in love either.
Overall, I think this book just got it. It wasn't 'too' anything or lacking anything. As Goldilocks would say, it was just right.
This book was another one set in the town of Aurora. I find that even in books that don't interact with other series by the same author it is enriching to have them set in the same place. It's like having tons of backstory available even if it's not acknowledged. I think I'll go find Piper Scott's Aurora series to see the town through different eyes.
This was also the first book in a new series by Piper Scott. The Single Dads Support Group is a mpreg series about single dads finding love. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I really hope Gabe gets his HEA.
Tiger Tricks is the story of Rhett and Oscar. It is set in the town of Amberly, a cute small town that is open-minded and friendly. It is the second book in the Amberly series.
Rhett is a firefighter, one of those hunky ones they put in their calendars.
While he is assertive at work and pretends to be outgoing, he's actually a bit shy, so everyone constantly commenting on his hotness and sending gifts to the firehouse for him makes him really embarrassed. Getting mailed panties from the Junior club is really not his thing.
One day he gets yet another gift, but this is the worse gift someone could give someone. A courier delivers a little Dalmatian puppy. Everyone knows you should never give an animal as a gift, and a single firefighter who lives in an apartment is one of the worse people to own a Dalmatian. They're way too smart and active to be kept locked up all the time. And without intensive training and a ton of dedication they are trouble. Rhett thinks he can barely take of himself, let alone a high-needs puppy.
When he was 7 Rhett was abandoned by his mother and placed into foster care. He was passed around until he was 14 and was adopted. Knowing what it's like to have no home and be considered trouble, he can't stand putting the puppy in the same position, but he doesn't know what to do with the puppy except take it to the new animal shelter in town. There's no way a non committal guy like him can take care of a puppy, let alone one as much trouble as a Dalmatian!
Oscar used to be a big YouTube star until he broke up with boyfriend / cohost and had a meltdown. He moved to Amberley to get away and have a fresh start. He's taking a break from everything--social media, people, and especially, men. Spending his time fixing up the house he just bought and volunteering at the new animal shelter is his new life.
Rhett takes the little puppy into the shelter but he's fighting himself every step of the way. While he didn't want a pet and had nothing to do with getting it, he feels responsible for it now and he doesn't want to abandon his new puppy, especially when he finds out that Dalmatian puppies frequently get adopted but are quickly returned because they're extremely difficult to take care of and don't make good pets for most people. Oscar tells Rhett that having a Dalmatian is pretty much like having a pet tiger.
When the hot firefighter walks into the shelter with a cute puppy, Oscar can't help feeling sorry for the pair. He fights the urge, but eventually he volunteers his services as a dog trainer so Rhett can learn to care for the puppy, if in return Rhett helps redo his house.
He wanted to keep this puppy but was in no position to keep him. But it wasn’t that he was adopting him from anywhere, trying to take him on — a fireman wanting a vanity pet. God knows the last thing a dalmatian needs to be is someone’s decoration.
The dog had been dropped in his lap and he was trying to do right by him.
“Just tell me what I have to do,” he’d whispered. His face was so naked and vulnerable. Anyone who was this ripped up about an animal was a good person in my book.
I wanted to help him. God help me.
“He needs training. Not just pet store weekend training — real training.”
He set his jaw and looked down at the puppy who had resumed worrying his sock. “Okay, how do I do that?”
“Trainers are expensive,” I said. I knew where I was heading with this, but tried to stall. This was not a good idea. Was it?
“But you know someone?” he said, his voice softer, his large hands petting his white puppy.
I dragged my gaze back up to meet his. “Yeah. Me.”
The two make a deal, Rhett's home repair experience for Oscar's dog training talents. When Rhett gets kicked out of his apartment for having a puppy he moves into Oscar's guest house and the two and the puppy start spending lots of time together.
Rhett doesn't do commitments. His whole life he was abandoned and passed around. He knows no one would ever want him, so he only hooks up with guys, never tries for a relationship. Oscar is afraid of getting together with another guy when he's still recovering from the last one. Knowing that Rhett is a player does not make him want to chance getting involved with the guy either. But training a puppy together draws the two closer together and soon they're nearly inseparable. But their baggage may prevent these guys from taking the next step.
Rhett must fight against his issues to host a firefighter charity event, while showing off Tiger's new skills, and Oscar must fight against his own issues to be in a social setting and get his man. Can all three achieve their goals?
Read my review on the book before this one, Stray Home, by clicking here: Stray Home.
Goodreads has Tiger Tricks listed as the first in the Amberly series, while in some places like Amazon, it is listed as the second in the series. While it's not incredibly important whether Stray Home and Tiger Tricks are considered in the same series because these books can standalone, this book features Mike, David, and Sarah from Stray Home, so I liked having read that one first and this really feels like the second book in the series.
Whether second or first in the Amberly series, Tiger Tricks was a much better one than Stray Home. The writing was smoother and the characters less of caricatures. I really think this writer will improve more and her books will only get better.
It was really refreshing to see a book featuring Dalmatians that reminds people of why they shouldn't get one. They're super cute dogs, but have a lot of health problems from being overbred because of the 101 Dalmatians craze. Mentions of their neediness and reminders of what the breed was actually originally bred for are worked in throughout the book, not heavily enough to be obnoxious but enough to educate people on this breed of dog.
There were cute little drawings throughout the book as well. Little images of Dalmatians puppies accompanied the text and were a fun surprise. A bit old-fashioned and different, but I liked it.
My only fault with the story is the haziness of the whole YouTube issue. The disjointed mentions didn't quite come together to really explain the whole problem with it and what went wrong that caused Oscar to run away from it. It sounded like he was posting dog training videos at first and then started doing things like the Cinnamon Challenge and got carried away? Not really sure. For a while it sounded like he had done a drunk posting, then it sounded like he almost killed himself by drinking and taking meds. But the entirety never quite coalesced into a complete image of his past. And starting making videos again was supposed to be a big deal, but we never heard how he dealt with the new comments or anything that he was bothered by so much before. It all just felt like there were missing pieces.
Otherwise I liked the book. It was fun to see Sarah again. There were a lot interesting characters in the town and we got to meet more of them. And most of all, a shy yet hot firefighter with a cute puppy paired up with a pastel-wearing dog trainer? Who could resist?
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Amberly series.
This one is a MM gay romance novel featuring hotness and a puppy.
Stray Home starts with a big and buff, tattooed carpenter feeling all alone.
He's out of the military, he's bought and refurbished the family home. But he's feeling unfulfilled. Sad and alone in his big house, he wants a family. He has a sister and a brother and they have kids, but Mike wants his own partner, maybe his own kids. He's got a big house and yet he's all alone in it. Makes you want to sing 'All By Myself'.
Mike is making breakfast and wants someone to share it with him. Just as he gets it all cooked up he hears a sound outside. Is it a prowler? A raccoon? He checks it out and only finds his recycling can knocked over and some holes in the dirt. Going back inside he finds the miscreant--a dirty little Golden Retriever puppy chomping down on his bacon.
Abandoned and alone, the little pup is hungry and scared, and not even a big, bad man like Mike can resist those puppy dog eyes. Mike has never had a dog before, but it seems he's got one now unless he can find the owner. In the meantime, the puppy is dirty and hurt, so they head off to the vet where Mike gets another surprise. The veterinarian is none other than David, his long lost best friend and first love.
Mike and David grew up together and fell in love, but were forced apart by David's father and his homophobic views. Mike joined the military to cope with his sadness while David reluctantly married. Now, years later, David is divorced with twin girls and Mike is home. Can the pair get back together as they bond over the puppy? Or will David's father step in and tear them apart once more?
This book has some of my favorite elements. Big, buff tattooed guy. Sweet puppies. Geeky and awkwardly shy love interest. Friends to lovers. It's everything one could want in a mm romance, but sadly, it fell a bit short.
I liked this book, don't get me wrong. But it had some major issues that will cause a lot of people to not enjoy it. David is really weak-willed. He's so passive he'll do anything if someone tells him to do it strongly enough. One moment he is promising himself to Mike and the next he's reverting back into his shell. And of course his wishy-washy behavior hurts Mike. Some of that is needed for the story, but David never really gets back to that likeable stage for the reader. The redemption arc just sort of falls flat.
For a new author, the book is actually fairly decent. It has flaws and definitely needs some tune-up, but the bones of the story are great. The execution just needs some work. There's some great descriptive language used and it really is refreshing. Everything from hairs on his clothes to crossing the parking lot has evocative descriptions, but at times they seem a bit like someone just went over the book and added them in. They don't quite flow enough. It's almost there. So close. But the sentence structure just pulls you out of the story. I think a few more run-throughs and edits would have helped it become more cohesive.
So, this book was worth reading to me because I can never get enough of hot guys rescuing puppies, but it didn't quite hit the mark. I have high hopes for future books from this author as with experience I think she'll get better.
This is the first in the Amberly book series, so I'm off to read the others. The next one features a hot, tattooed firefighter with a dalmation puppy and a cute dog trainer ;-)
Some people may not like insta-love or gay-for-you, but I think they're cute, and we're reading romance novels, not reality, so I'm fine with things that stretch my beliefs a little like HEAs.
Add some humor and mystery / suspense to that sucker and it makes for a super fun read.
Succumbing to His Fear is the first book in the Living Art series.
Alfie hasn't seen his father since him and his mother split up when he was 5. One day he's contacted and told that his father and new wife are dead, so Alfie has been appointed guardians to their two kids - Griffin, 7 and Lily, 3. Yikes!
A young guy prone to panic attacks, Alfie is a little freaked out about the situation. He also has some anger issues with the man who abandoned him and then got a new family. Now Alfie has to move to America and take custody or the kids will go into foster care. He knows he can't do anything else though, the kids need someone and apparently that's him.
So, Alfie and his crazy / wonderful mother and stepfather take off for America and jump through hoops until finally after months he gets custody of the kids that he falls in love with at first sight.
On Alfie's first day on his own with the kids he is feeling a bit overwhelmed, then very overwhelmed when Griffin bumps into the hugest guys on the planet. The big, angry looking guys.(One of whom is named Fear!)
Fear is like a mile tall and built like a brick shithouse, and he makes Alfie feel funny. Scared, yes, but also a little like butterflies in the tummy. As a straight guy, Alfie is a bit thrown off by this but he's semi-pressured into having lunch with the group of guys and he has a pretty good time for awhile even if he can't help but keep looking at the big guy the entire time. The big guy that doesn't take his eyes off of him. Sparks fly from the beginning.
After a bit of panic Alfie realizes he's attracted to Fear and because he was raised in a sex-positive family he has less trouble coming to terms with finding out his soul mate is male than those people who are taught you are only straight or only gay. Apparently Alfie is not so straight and narrow, maybe he's a Kinsey Scale 1. Cue the cutest couple on the planet.
Everything is going great until Fear's mother is murdered and suddenly there's trouble for the new couple.
I really liked this book. Tatted big guys who are teddy bears at heart is my greatest weakness, and adding a smart-mouthed boyfriend and his equally snarky mummy, makes for a good giggle.
All of the characters, even the supporting ones are pretty awesome and well-thought out. The story flows extremely well, fast-paced, but it fits. We don't have to page over a bunch of junk to get to the actual story, the story doesn't really stop for filler crap like a lot of books.
After the last book series I read, it was a relief to see almost no misspelled words or writing errors. Damn, it felt good. Especially in this day and age when nearly every book has a multitude of errors. And the writer is dyslexic, which means they worked their bottom off and probably had their friends do the same so they could share this awesome book with us. It's so cool when someone doesn't let their disability stop them and produces something better than most without the disability.
Divorced (read disgraced) omega, Jonah has moved back home with his young son after his ex broke things off with him. He knows that he will probably spend the rest of his life alone because no one would want a "used" omega. While sad about it and lonely, Jonah is content to raise his son and produce his art.
New doctor in town, Dave, is an alpha and once he gets a whiff of omega Jonah Dave is intrigued. He doesn't do anything though since he isn't interested in claiming anyone and Jonah has a kid. Later they meet up again and eventually see a bit of each other, while Dave is also seeing a younger, clean omega that everyone is pressuring him to claim. Jonah's ex comes into town as well, leading to some angst.
This was very much like many of this author's works. The concept is interesting, it's a world where some people are alphas or betas or omegas, and as such tend to have certain personalities and behaviors expected. Much of the common shifter-type behavior without them actually being shifters. This world is the setting for a lot of books from this author and while I like actual shifters I do appreciate an unusual take on the same sort of concepts. Because I've read other books set in the same sort of world I didn't have a problem understanding the uniqueness of the setting, but some new readers might since it wasn't really explained.
Like many other works by the author the omega was well-fleshed out and a great character. He was strong and independent, watching over his son and working hard. Everything one wants in a main character. The supporting characters were generally pretty good too, though the rapid personality change of one didn't make a lot of sense. The storyline was decent and well-written.
All in all, this book should have been pretty good. The issue that makes me like many of these books a lot less than I normally would is the co-main character. The love interest may not be perfect, but please, let him be redeemable at least. Everyone makes mistakes, and as long as they try to be better and apologize, they're not terrible people. But in this book as in many of them, the love interest is such a jerk that I almost wish they didn't end up together.
Why would anyone want to end up with Dave? Is it some sort of punishment? At times he's a nice guy. Towards the beginning he stands up for Jonah and he's friendly to the kid, then he completely blows it. Dave seemed more like a salamander than an alpha.
I wanted to like the book, and overall I guess I sort of did, but it really would be so much better if the love interests were good people.
Ryder Waites (named after the famous tarot deck) is trying to save his town of Gallows Grove. Like most small towns in rural areas, it's quietly vanishing, which is a shame since it's full of quirky characters and has a morbid sense of humor. This Kentucky town is home of Hanged Man Bourbon and Ryder decides to sell the recipe and rights to a larger company in hopes of stimulating the local economy.
Enter Adam Keller. Stuffy, overbred Adam must assess the town and the facilities to determine if the company will continue producing Handed Man Bourbon in Gallows Grove or if it should be moved to a larger and better equipped facility.
As Ryder tries to show Adam the town he knows and loves, they get a chance to get to know one another. But when it's time for Adam to go back to Lexington, will their relationship come to an end? And will Hanged Man Bourbon be taken from Gallows Grove and moved to some factory where it will be mass-produced leaving the town with nothing?
But how can Adam resist when:
"Ryder’s town history was a cross between an episode of A Prairie Home Companion and Welcome to Night Vale."
And how could Ryder resist Adam after:
“You brought it up. I was innocently asking about being a horse farm magnate, Adam. You’re the one who took it to the pony-play place.”
Whiskey Business is one of those types of books I love. Full of humor, word play, and cute love. Information about Kentucky and bourbon is scattered throughout the novela in a way that doesn't distract from the story but adds trivia and fun facts. It's was neat learning about Kentucky while reading the story and the story being so good made it all fit together perfectly.
Whiskey Business is part of the States of Love Book Series which each feature a state and some of the aspects that make it special as the backdrop to a mm romance. It's one of my favorite series because I really love learning little tidbits about each state in American while enjoying a cute story written by a resident of that state.
Crush is about a shy Alabama boy going to college. Trey arrives to find there was a mishap and his dorm room was assigned to someone else. Lost on campus and trying to make it to a mandatory orientation, he is panicking a bit and worried he will have to return home to his overbearing parents. Instead he meets a strange and amazing person, Co-Co.
C0-Co is quite fabulous and a bit of a steamroller. He reminds me a bit of The Kinks' 'Lola'. While quite upfront about being a gay man and not in drag, he isn't shy about wearing makeup and tall heels. His outgoing personality is a bit overmuch for the shy guy away from home for the first time, but even while trying to decide if he should escape their clutches, Trey is very curious about his new friend who is like no one he has ever met. Luckily for Trey, Co-Co thinks he is adorable and saves him by leading Trey to the orientation which is being run by Co-Co's boyfriend, Bryce.
Bryce is intelligent, taciturn, and a boxer. He is in love with Co-Co and often sits back and lets him manage things, acting like an anchor when Co-Co gets a bit too out-of-hand. He is from Maine and his mother died while he was young, so he was raised by his father, a lobster fisherman. Though his skin color is mentioned, there are no racial overtones, just a love of how different the three look from one another and a pointed avoidance of calling Bryce's skin the overused chocolate.
Once the couple find out Trey is staying in a motel Co-Co offers up Bryce's spare room until everything is worked out with his dorm room. Despite never having met any gay people before, Trey treats Co-Co and Bryce politely and works on learning to get along with the strange new world that seems so far from Alabama.
Co-Co has their own secrets, which causes issues in their relationship with Bryce.
Like any new freshman away from home for the first time, Trey must learn to do things on his own. Everything from getting a job and going to a college party is a bit confusing, but luckily Co-Co and Bryce take care of him. And when Trey starts questioning his sexuality, the couple is there to hold his hand, even when the results are shocking to them all.
“So, darling, tell us everything. Was it a magical, wonderful, beautiful first date?” Co-Co asked as they took my hands between theirs.
I laughed and shook my hand. “It wasn’t any of those. Instead it was awkward and weird, and I think I did something to make her believe I wanted more than I did. It was just… I dunno. Like she wanted stuff and I didn’t.”
The trio are just figuring things out when Trey's overly-religious parents visit from Alabama to see how he is doing and whether his roommates are the type of people they want their little boy around.
Trey is often timid and confused, but he is willing to fight what he sees as injustice. Crush is told from his point of view, so we primarily see the story through the eyes of someone just finding themselves and finding love.
Crush is a sweet romance without too much sex, featuring gay men, polyamory, bisexual or biromantic asexuality, and someone coming out as gender fluid. It finishes nicely with no cliffhangers and a happily-ever-after (HEA). There's no cheating, and the only trigger is coming out to parents as well as some minor mentions of things in the past.
I loved the coming-of-age, finding-out-who-you-are aspects of this book.
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