Review – It’s About Time

13 Monday Jul 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

It’s About Time

Blossom Peak #4

by Harlow James

Blurb:

Pretending to be engaged to my enemy might not be my brightest idea.

But it is definitely necessary.

On the brink of the biggest car show of my career, I start to panic because it’s the first time I have to see my ex since our break-up.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t clean or amicable.

Then when Elliot Thorne’s ex-fiancΓ© shows back up in town, I devise a plan for both of us to get what we want: a buffer from our exes with a dash of revenge.

The problem is Elliot takes his role to protect me too seriously.

He brings me food while I’m working to make sure I eat. He even silences the self-doubt I feel on a day-to-day basis.

And before I know it, he has me on my knees in my garage, and on my back on the hood of my car.

The hate I’ve harbored toward him melts away as fast as my panties, and I soon realize we have more in common than I thought.

Then he tells me a secret that makes me reevaluate our entire relationship.

Now I’m left to consider if something fake could be real…

And that maybe it’s about time I admit that Elliot isn’t my enemy after all.

Read the Blossom Peak Series here:Β https://geni.us/hPJqEO

(Will BEST be enjoyed having read the first 3 books in the series)

*****

Review:

I loved the hate-flirting between these two, especially the specialty messages on the desserts. And the way Dilynne supports Elliot after he’s left at the alter is perfect. She doesn’t coddle him but her brand of tough love is just what he needs and helps him put one foot in front of the other & move on. It also starts to change the way they see each other. Of course, their pretend engagement only complicates things further.

A bit predictable? Yes. Because of course they started catching feelings for each other. But was it enjoyable anyway? Also yes.

James does a good job of giving us hate-to-love with a reasonable transition and without the hate being mean. And I loved Elliot so much for all the patience and support he gives to Dilynne. He’s proud of her and wants everyone, including her, to know it. And I love that Dilynne isn’t willing to settle for being less that who she is.

We get a lot of spice with this one – gotta love a dirty talking man and a sassy woman who isn’t afraid to own her sexuality – but there are a lot of issues too that both of them have to work thru as well. It’s balanced well as the two of them learn to trust in themselves and each other and get to the point they are willing to take a chance on love again. I got this as an audiobook and the narrators do a good job of delivering all of those feels and tension and heat. Very satisfying ending as the last of this friend group finds their HEA.

~I’ve only read Test of Time (Book #3) but I didn’t have any issues keeping up with this one. If this is your first of the series, I think the biggest issue would be spoilers for previous stories because a lot of their issues are brought up here.~

Review – The Bull Rider and the Bookworm

11 Saturday Jul 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,


The Bull Rider and the Bookworm

Snow Creek Ranch series

by V.L. Locey

Blurb:

Sometimes the wildest ride isn’t in the arena – it’s falling in love.

Bull rider Hoyt Knox has spent his life chasing applause, adrenaline, and the next eight-second ride. With his body starting to break down and sponsors pulling out, he finds himself facing a possible life change. Confused and hurting, he heads to Snow Creek Ranch to try his hand at something a little easier as he heals while trying to figure out what’s left for him besides a sore back and a fading spotlight.

Enter Aubrey Lancombe, a quiet, bookish man who’s just moved to Chance to escape the city life – and the loss of his beloved grandmother followed by a bad breakup – and finally open the bookstore of his dreams. Aubrey has always preferred words to people, quiet to chaos, and certainly has no time for cocky cowboys with something to prove.

When their worlds collide over a shared love of poetry they strike up a friendship that teeters on the edge of something else entirely. But Hoyt’s not out and Aubrey is scared to fall again. As his time at Snow Creek Ranch passes Hoyt must decide if he’s ready to hang up his spurs for good – or risk his heart on the bookworm who’s rewritten everything he thought he knew about love.

The Bull Rider and the Bookworm is a 58K opposites attract, age gap, gay MM contemporary western romance with a weary rodeo rider, a shy bookhound, a ranch that heals all manner of hurts, a gentleman rooster, a plethora of romantic poetry, and a shiny as a gold buckle happy ending.

Content Warning: This story has references to past sexual abuse and death of a parent.

*****

Review:

These two are so sweet and gentle and understanding with each other from the start. And it is just the absolute sweetest!

Hoyt is such a contradiction, probably because he’s spent so many years hiding who he is. He’s had to stuff down any softness that could be used against him and it’s made him so closed off. When an injury forces him home, and puts him face to face with his abusive father and the brother he left behind … it’s hard.

Then he meets sunshine and happiness personified in Aubrey. Aubrey is all sorts of bubbly, with a loud wardrobe, a big vocabulary, and an even bigger heart. His love for the stray cat and rooster that comes with his little cottage in the woods is absolutely precious. I just adore him.

These two are so different but fit so well. Both have experienced abuse from someone that should love them. Both have a poet’s heart. And both appreciate the other for exactly who they are. Gah, it’s so sweet!

(I didn’t read Jesse’s story, but this one can stand on its own.)

Review – Bear Ink

11 Saturday Jul 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Bear Ink

Bear Ink #1

by CJ Pines

Blurb:

Two lonely men. One mind-blowingly fantastic night. Zero chance of ever meeting again…

Or, that was how it was supposed to go.

Never in his life did Dante imagine he’d be married, much less a widower before he’d made it past his twenties. Luckier than he deserved the first time around, who’d take a chance on a grump like him now?

The past two years haven’t been easy. Losing his muse, his sister urging him to move back to the reservation, struggling under a new boss, watching as the tattoo studio he’d trained in is run into the ground?

Yeah, Dante’s about to blow a fuse.

To top it off, now he’s getting dragged online by some faceless hack on the other side of town. It’s wrecking Dante’s reputation β€” and his clientele list.

Overworked, underpaid, and fed up with it all, what Dante needs is to find his center; someone willing to let Dante feel in control again, even if only for one night.

And look who just walked in…

Hello gorgeous.

Wes never felt comfortable in his own skin, even before the accident. Maybe that’s why he became a tattoo artist, who knows? He’d never bothered much with philosophy, focusing on his craft instead.

It’s harder than it was before. Wes can’t work the hours he used to; stuck taking more breaks, doomscrolling and lashing out at other artists way too talented to be wasted on the dreck they’re posting online. It’s a jerk move, sure, but he can’t seem to stop. It, like everything else in his life lately, all just spinning out of control.

So when he stumbles across a man with a cocksure grin; who measures Wes up with one look, eyes glittering with mischief as he demands Wes follow him to a nearby motel?

Wes may not be the kind of guy to ever score Mr. Right, but a one-night stand right out of his fantasies with Mr. Right-Now? Oh, yes Sir.

They didn’t even exchange names.

Perfect, it was perfect.

Until…

Bear Ink is an MM rivals to lovers tattoo artists romance.

Expect heavy elements of steamy open door MM romance, swearing, humor, angst, trust, communication, exploration, queer joy, competent characters, adorable awkwardness, and guys cooking breakfast together…

*****

Review:

I wish we’d gotten a longer story with this one. It’s a good introduction to a new series, leaving readers interested in each of Wes’s brothers. But I really liked Wes and Date, individually and together, and would have loved to have gotten more of their romance. There was so much to explore: Wes’s issues coming out of his accident, Dante’s moving on after his husband’s death, and the way their tattooing careers intersect. But what we are given is steamy and fun and emotion packed. There’s a hurt/comfort aspect as well as moving forward from trauma and it gives all the feels. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing more of them as we get other stories from Bear Ink.

(I was given an ARC and there are some continuity issues that may have been cleaned up in the final copy.)

Review – Endless Summer Nights

09 Thursday Jul 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Endless Summer Nights

Windy Harbor #4

by Willow Aster

Blurb:

A steamy, second-chance, small-town, hockey romance full of heartbreak, heat, and the one he could never quite let go of from USA Today bestselling author Willow Aster.

Running into Lola Donavan wasn’t exactly on my summer agendaβ€”not after she broke my heart in college. But there she is, at my family’s resort…with her new boyfriend. And not just any boyfriendβ€”my hockey rival. Perfect.

Seeing Lola again is a punch to the gut. She’s even more beautiful than I remember, and the second our eyes meet, I know my feelings aren’t as buried as I’ve pretended. I tell myself it doesn’t matter, that whatever we had is long gone. But one look at her and I know I’m lying to myself.

Then fate throws us into each other’s path againβ€”no boyfriend, no dissecting the past, just the two of us and a spark that instantly reignites. One night together proves the chemistry between us never died.

But desire is the easy part. Trust? Not so much.

She walked away once without a word, and it still haunts me. Now that she’s back in my life, I don’t know which is more dangerousβ€”letting myself fall for her all over again, or bracing for the moment she leaves and breaks me a second time.

Endless Summer Nights is book four in the interconnected, standalone Windy Harbor series.

Goodreads: https://geni.us/EndlessSummerNightsGR

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/EndlessSummerNights

Audible: https://geni.us/ESNAudible

Amazon Audiobook: https://geni.us/ESNAmazonAudio

Narrated by: Megan Wicks & Gideon Frost

*****

Review:

Oh goodness, every book in this series just gets better. We’re back with the angst as Tully runs into the one woman he hasn’t gotten over, the one who destroyed his heart. And it’s just as painful as you would expect. I love the way Aster gives us glimpses of their history as it plays into their relationship today. I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks but I felt this was really well done, helping to highlight their struggle and why their connection is so strong even after so many years.

But they have a lot to overcome. A lot of hurt feelings and heartbreak and more to address if they every hope to move forward. And it’s so satisfyingly done. It’s steamy in spots but it’s really the connection between them, the way they just fit together – from the first moment in college and even after years apart under difficult circumstances – that is the heart of their story. I just felt for them every step as they fight, first against their feelings and then for each other.

Aster is a must read for me and every new book just reinforces that. Endless Summer Nights is packed with heartbreak and second chances and sweet moments and heat. I love this family and it makes me so happy when each new couple finds their HEA.

Spotlight – The Bull Rider and the Bookworm

08 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

The Bull Rider and the Bookworm

Snow Creek Ranch series

by V.L. Locey

Blurb:

Sometimes the wildest ride isn’t in the arena – it’s falling in love.

Bull rider Hoyt Knox has spent his life chasing applause, adrenaline, and the next eight-second ride. With his body starting to break down and sponsors pulling out, he finds himself facing a possible life change. Confused and hurting, he heads to Snow Creek Ranch to try his hand at something a little easier as he heals while trying to figure out what’s left for him besides a sore back and a fading spotlight.

Enter Aubrey Lancombe, a quiet, bookish man who’s just moved to Chance to escape the city life – and the loss of his beloved grandmother followed by a bad breakup – and finally open the bookstore of his dreams. Aubrey has always preferred words to people, quiet to chaos, and certainly has no time for cocky cowboys with something to prove.

When their worlds collide over a shared love of poetry they strike up a friendship that teeters on the edge of something else entirely. But Hoyt’s not out and Aubrey is scared to fall again. As his time at Snow Creek Ranch passes Hoyt must decide if he’s ready to hang up his spurs for good – or risk his heart on the bookworm who’s rewritten everything he thought he knew about love.

The Bull Rider and the Bookworm is a 58K opposites attract, age gap, gay MM contemporary western romance with a weary rodeo rider, a shy bookhound, a ranch that heals all manner of hurts, a gentleman rooster, a plethora of romantic poetry, and a shiny as a gold buckle happy ending.

Content Warning: This story has references to past sexual abuse, death of a parent, and suicidal thoughts

Buy link: getbook.at/SnowCreekRanch2

Review – Hide and Seek

06 Monday Jul 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Hide and Seek

Appleton Falls #2

by Felice Stevens

Blurb:

I’m finally living the life I want as a deputy sheriff in the small town of Appleton Falls. I gave up my job as a cop in the NYPD to search for the truth about a father I barely know, except finding him brought me no peace.

But I’m happy. Really. I’d love to fall in love, but it just hasn’t happened. Yet.

Then he shows up to join our force.

My old high school nemesis, Dominic Starr. The gorgeous loner and the bane of my existence.

As well as my secret fantasy.

Why did he leave the NYPD? Was he running from his powerful father? Or hiding from him?

It’s not like he wants to forgive and forget and be friends. At every turn he’s in my face, taunting and teasing me with that stupid nickname he loves and knows I hate.

Starr should be careful, because he’s got secrets only I know.

And one of them is mine as well.

But when the past we both want to leave behind crashes into our presentβ€”with deadly consequencesβ€”neither of us can hide what we’ve been running from all our lives: The future we both seek is in each other’s arms.

If we make it out alive.

Buy Link:

https://a.co/d/0iKNLXBV

Available in KU

*****

Review:

I love Dom and Emerson together, and their enemies to lovers transition. It was a little insta-love once it got going but there was history there to help get them to that point. I think there was potential to develop on that even more, for a better understanding of their changing feelings, but I like them as a couple.

Stevens does add quite the suspense element to their love story and it packed a pretty big punch. We start with the shift from a strained association to something more and then BAM it gets hairy for Dominic, speeding us straight to the last chapter. I’d only read a couple of her hockey romances so this was a surprise for me. She packed in so much stress and fear and anguish to go with the love and steam and sweetness. And I ate up every page of it!

While I felt the evolution of their relationship could have used a little more something, the two were great together. The way they help each other create something that works for them and are there for each other when they need it. And I really got caught up in the suspense part of it. Not exactly what I was expecting (based on a very small sample size of two hockey books) but very much appreciated and I’ll definitely be looking for the next book in the series.

*****

Author Info:

Felice Stevens writes romance because what is better than people falling in love? Her favorite part of a romance novel is that first kiss…sigh. She loves creating stories of hopes and dreams and happily ever afters. Her stories are character-driven, rich with the sights, sounds and flavors of New York City and filled with men who are sometimes deeply flawed but always real.

Felice writes M/M romance because she believes that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Having traveled all over the world, she can safely say that the universal language that unites people is love. 

Felice has written in a variety of sub-genres, including contemporary, paranormal and has a mystery series as well.

Felice is a two time Lambda Literary Award nominee and the Lambda Literary Award winner for Best Gay Romance for her book, The Ghost and Charlie Muir.

Connect with Felice Stevens:

https://www.instagram.com/felicestevens

Spotlight – The City Boy and the Rancher

01 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

The City Boy and the Rancher

Snow Creek Ranch series

by RJ Scott

Blurb:

Sell the ranch or save itβ€”either way, someone’s going to lose everything.

Jesse Knox has given his heart and soul to Snow Creek Ranch. It’s not just dirt and cattleβ€”it’s family, legacy, and the only place he’s ever belonged. So when Lucas Barrett arrives with city clothes, sharp eyes, and a plan to sell everything Jesse loves, there’s no compromise to be had. Just a line drawn in the dirtβ€”and a promise that Jesse won’t back down, no matter what it costs. He only owns a quarter of the ranch, but it’s enough to stop anyone tearing it out from under him, and he’ll fight to the last breath to keep it.

When Lucas needed him most, his grandfather turned him away without a second thought. Now that same man has left him a majority share in a remote ranch he’s never seen. If Lucas lasts six months, he can sell and walk away with millions that will fund beds, safety, and second chances for kids with nowhere else to turn, just like he’d once been. Only, nothing about Snow Creek fits neatly into a spreadsheet, and the more time he spends battling Jesse, the more cracks appear in Lucas’s control. Because this ranch isn’t empty land. Secrets are revealed that change everything. And Jesse Knox is anything but a problem he can solve.

Six months. One ranch. Two men with everything to loseβ€”and no way to walk away unchanged.

The City Boy and the Rancher is a 69,000 word MM Romance. With hate-to-love, opposites-attract, forced proximity romance, found family, secrets, lies, passion, high-stakes legacy, and a battle between saving Snow Creek ranch and selling it. It is book 1 in the shared world of Snow Creek Ranch. Each book can be read as a standalone, so be sure to check out the entire series!

Buy Link

https://getbook.at/SnowCreekRanch1

*****

Author Info:

RJ Scott writes heartwarming, passionate stories about men who fight for love, even when it’s not easy. With themes of found family, trust, and second chances, every story leads to one promiseβ€”every man gets his happily ever after.

Review – Home Ice

30 Tuesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Home Ice

by Saxon James

Cover Design: Story Styling Cover Designs

Photography: Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: Jerrin

Discreet Cover Design: Emily Wittig

Blurb:

TAI

Ten years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life.

When Hawke left for the NHL and my hockey dreams went up in smoke, I ghosted my best and longest friend. It made sense at the time, but there hasn’t been a day where I haven’t missed him.

So when we run into each other again, and his only response is β€œDo I know you?”, I know I deserve it. But I refuse to let one mistake keep us apart forever. Especially when he has bigger problems, and I’m in a position to help him.

JENSEN

All I wanted this offseason was to spend my time relaxing–not getting an emergency phone call from Mom to come home. My hometown is full of too many memories of me and Tai so I avoid returning there as much as I can.

But now I have one more memory to add to the list: my high school girlfriend.

And the kid we apparently had together.

Kasen hates me and thinks I abandoned them, and my only way to get to him is through his coach. My ex-best friend. The friend that has been impossible to forget. No matter how much I’ve tried.

Add to Goodreads Want to Read Shelf

Get It Now

Read with Kindle & Kindle Unlimited

*****

Review:

I think, based on the blurb, that there is some expectation that this is ALL the angst buuuut it really isn’t there. It’s totally understandable that Hawke would be upset with Tai for ghosting him. And about having a son that apparently no one knew about. However if you are reading that and hoping for more, my apologies πŸ™‚

I really enjoyed it tho as Tai and Hawke find their way back to each other, sliding into their close friendship like no time had passed and coming to the realization that maybe it was always something a little more. And poor Tai, who has carried so much on his shoulders for so long, needing to let someone in again to be there for him again. It’s so obvious how much he loves his dad, who makes a great supporting character in the story, but there’s so much guilt and pain wrapped up in the situation for him. Good thing Hawke is stubborn because Tai’s not going to make it easy.

I’ll agree that there could have been a bit more development of Hawke’s relationship with Kason. The book concentrates more on the two MMCs but I did love seeing them grow closer and Hawke realizing what’s important to him. And Kason is such a cute kid with a smart mouth, hiding his hurt, which is totally understandable, and he’s definitely keeping Hawke on his toes.

I’ve only read a couple of James’s books but she is recommended so often and I see why. I love that she brings the feels, doesn’t scrimp on the heat, and delivers it all in a way that has me hooked to the end. It’s not dramatic but it also isn’t easy and full of issues that feel real and give us an oh-so-satisfying HEA when they finally figure things out.

*****

Giveaway:

Enter the KingSumo Giveaway

*****

Author Info:

Saxon James unapologetically writes happy endings for LGBT+ characters.

While not writing, SM is a readaholic and Netflix addict who regularly lives on a sustainable diet of chocolate and coffee.

Member of SCBWI.

Website: https://saxonjamesauthor.com/

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3BNVADV

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2QSVCmS

Reader Group: http://bit.ly/36slT1W

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2SYfPKU

Instagram: https://bit.ly/33m1XPb

TikTok: https://bit.ly/3AvMmha

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZXjp9C

BookBub: https://bit.ly/3fKt5MC

Review – Found in the Falls

28 Sunday Jun 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Found in the Falls

Devon Falls #4

by J.E. Birk

Blurb:

He rescued me in New York. I followed him to Vermont.

After Dr. Milo Warner saves me from humiliation in a hotel hallway, I can’t stop thinking about him. When I get the chance to hide from my problems and open a community center with Milo in a small town called Devon Falls, I take that opportunity and run. But now things between the two of us are heating up fast. Milo protects me from runaway gondolas, takes care of me when I’m injured, shields me from my trauma, and sees power and strength in me that no one else ever has. We keep making jokes about the two of us being the perfect alpha/omega pair, but honestly? I’m not joking.

The problem is that it’s becoming more and more likely our parents will soon run against each other in a high-profile political primary race. Milo and I have both been burned by the public spotlight before, and we understand the dangerous territory we’re wading into. When we uncover a secret that’s been kept from our parents, one thing becomes clear: Milo and I will both need to take some big risks if we plan to fight for each other.

Found in the Falls comes with an older doctor who struggles to suppress his protective side, a younger social worker who just wants to make the world better, a sweet rescue dog they accidentally adopt together, and the Devon Falls found family they both desperately need. This is the fourth book in the Devon Falls series, but it can be read as a standalone.

*****

Review:

There is a little Alpha/Omega play (Omegaverse?) here and since it’s not my normal type of read I can’t answer how well the author delivers it. But I felt it works for them as a couple and the dynamic they are developing. I love that Noah gains confidence thru Milo’s protection and their deepening relationship.

There’s plenty of humor and steam and, my favorite, a large dose of found family as Noah settles into his job in Devon Falls. I love how Birk finds a way to mix a light-hearted read, with the depth of trauma & hurt that her main characters bring. It’s an easy read but with growth & feels.

I read Fanboy in the Falls, book 3 in this series, and really enjoyed it. It really wasn’t necessary in order to read this one but I like the fact that Birk and this series are pushing me a little outside my normal reads. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what comes next.

Review – Surprise Me Always

28 Sunday Jun 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Surprise Me Always

Claimed On Sight #2

by Dani Elias

Blurb:

A single weekend. A quiet connection. And a choice that refuses to be forgotten.

PHILIP

I wasn’t supposed to meet anyone. My life is already mapped out. Safe. Sensible. Predictable. Then I meet Mark.
One impulsive decision turns into a weekend I already know has an end date. It’s meant to be simple. Temporary. But it isn’t. Somewhere between the slow touches and the way he looks atΒ meΒ like I matter, it starts to feel dangerously real. And real is exactly what I can’t afford. So I leave. Because IΒ alwaysΒ choose the life that makes sense, even when it feels like I’m walking away from something that could have been everything.

MARK

I didn’t expect Philip. I didn’t expect the way he gets under my skin, or how easily he lets himself feel when he forgets to hold back. He tellsΒ meΒ it’s just a weekend. I can see the walls he hides behind, the careful distance he keeps. I let him go anyway. Because some people need to make their own mistakes before they’re ready to choose something real. But when he leaves, he takes more with him than he realises.

Distance should have been the end of it. Instead, it turns everything sharper, clearer, harder to ignore. Because it’s one thing to make the sensible choice. It’s another to live with it. Some risks aren’t worth taking. And some feel impossible to walk away from twice.

Surprise Me Always is a standalone MM romance set in an interconnected world. It is written in British English and can be read independently.

*****

Review:

I really enjoyed this as an instalove story. The two of them have an amazing weekend together, one where they fall so very quickly. But that’s not how things work, right? It’s not sensible to change your entire life for someone you’ve only known for a few hours, right?

I appreciate that Elias had them separate instead of just spend two days together and live HEA. It works, especially with Philip’s personality, and gives them an opportunity to really reflect on their time together. To decide what’s real.

Surprise Me Always mixes humor and emotion and steam in a fun little package. It’s such an easy read and well paced, with enjoyable characters and an adorable little neurotic hamster that steals the show.