Some thrills you chase. Others blindside you in a red plaid skirt and combat boots.
Axel – It was probably a little stalkerish to follow him to this office and pin him up against the wall before knowing his name, but in my defense, red is my favorite color. And he made it look so good I found myself tempted to try eggplant for the first time.
Besides, itโs not like I was the only one looking. Heโd been not-so-discretely ogling me all afternoon, I just made the first move. And the second. And pretty much all the others until tragedy struck his hometown and he sought me out for comfort.
I knew after that first night one wouldnโt be enough, but when he turned to me in his moment of need, I was done for. Too bad forever is the one thing Lennon doesnโt believe in. Heโs spent years building a life he controlsโrunning his restaurant, protecting his heart, keeping everyone at armโs length. And me? Iโm a professional dirt biker with no fixed address and no idea how to stay still.
We donโt make sense. Not on paper. Not in real life. But when heโs in my arms, nothingโs ever felt more right.
He thinks our timingโs all wrong.But I think I finally found the place I want to landโand the man I want to stay for.
This spicy queer romance features a workaholic who channels David Rose’s fashion sense – and emotional neurosis; a daredevil who thrives on challenges – including his first-time attraction to a man; A+ dirty talk; stolen underwear; a restaurant that functions as part therapy space, part relationship bootcamp;and a quirky small town that’s got that nowhere-on-a-map vibe, but somehow becomes the place where people find themselves and fall in love.
*****
Review:
Persistent is all slow burn, with just a little bit of angst at the very end. It’s definitely not for everyone, her late in the third act breakups thing, but it works for me. I enjoy the interaction between the two, how they slowly go from hookups to something much more, and how they don’t let their issues ruin everything for them.
Axel is absolutely the best. Kind, caring, and supportive. He shows up again and again, proving that he’s in the relationship. I do wish he’d done a little more to communicate his plans to Lennon instead of … testing him, I guess. I get it, he wants to know where Lennon stands but a conversation would maybe have helped their issues later on.
Lennon is fabulous too. I love how confident he is in himself as a person, comfortable in his skin and persona, but also guarded due to his family issues. Which are totally understandable. And with some help from his friends, plus Axel’s, he does figure things out eventually.
Just like the other books in the series, Persistent is a good mix of steam & feels, with relatable characters and good pacing & plot. This series is all about the delightful found family/small town charm & satisfying HEAs and I’m looking forward to where she takes us next.
Ryder Vorhees was born to rideโuntil the day he stopped.
A tragic accident stole his brother, his will to compete, and any reason to step back on a snowboard. Now heโs stuck serving community service hours at the last place he wants to be: the mountain that haunts him. The only thing worse? The man in charge of babysitting him.
Hayden Chaulke lives for helping people rediscover what theyโve lost. Running a fledgling adaptive sports program is supposed to be his dream jobโuntil his newest โinstructorโ shows up hungover, bitter, and infuriatingly gorgeous. Hayden doesnโt do lost causesโฆ but Ryder isnโt just anyone.
Forced to work together on the slopes, sparks fly between the surly exโpro and the rule-following manager. What starts as hostility turns into something neither expectedโan attraction that feels as dangerous as it is undeniable. But Ryderโs ghosts are never far behind, and learning to let go might mean facing the one thing heโs fought hardest to avoid: forgiveness.
Because some mountains arenโt meant to be conqueredโtheyโre meant to heal you.
Wheeler Rankin isnโt here for romanceโsheโs come to Lucky River Ranch to visit her best friend, wrangle a business deal, and prove herself to everyone who ever doubted her. But when she collides with Duke Riversโresident heartbreaker, restless cowboy, and brother to her best friendโs new flameโsparks fly hotter than a Texas summer.
Duke has always dreamed of more than dusty trails and small-town life. Heโs itching to see the world, but one unforgettable night with Wheeler changes his course. When a blizzard and a business road trip leave them stranded together, their no-strings flirtation ignites into something deeper.
But passion brings complicationsโand unexpected news threatens to upend everything Wheelerโs built. As family pressures, old wounds, and new dreams collide, Duke is determined to stand by her side, ready to forge a future neither of them ever imagined.
Can two fiercely independent souls trust in love, face their fears, and find home in each otherโs arms? Or will the ghosts of the past keep them apart for good?
Welcome back to Hartsville, where family is found, love is hard-won, and every cowboy has a story worth telling.
Poor Wheeler is going to get all the negativity for this one, I think. Duke is just a big ol’ walking green flag, everything that you could ask for in a partner, and she just can’t get out of her own way. It’s understandable – between her dad & older brother and some poor past relationships (although she may be a little at fault there, she does have a habit of self-destruction & running away) she doesn’t have a lot of faith in herself and her appeal.
It just breaks my heart because she seems fun and loving and good hearted, everything that you would want for one of the Rivers brothers. And her first meeting “date” with Duke is just swooney. It may be a bit much for some because it does go on for so long, tho.
While she puts up a good fight, Duke isn’t going to let her go too easily. With patience, love, and grit, he’s willing to put in the work, to show not just tell, and prove to Wheeler that he’s genuine in his pursuit. And it is a beautiful thing to see. Those boys have been through a lot but they all grew up to be real good men. Dirty talking, big hearted, good men and I love every one of them.
Peterson delivers another fantastic entry to her Lucky River Ranch series. It’s a slow burn, but it does bring the feels and a deserved HEA. Just one more brother to go – we’re ready for you Ryder!
The hockey player, the figure skater, and the roommate situationโฆ
GUS
No one throws a party quite like I do. Technically, I could have graduated three years ago, but I love Smithton, I love hockey, and the team needs a good captain with a positive outlook. Thatโs me. I love this town, and it loves me.
Well, except for my roommate.
Rafe doesnโt like me at allโtotal mystery. Iโm a nice guy. Ask anyone. Heโs the one with stick-in-the-mud-itis. Or maybe the nonstop partying is too much for him. Itโs definitely taking a toll on me, and Iโm trying to do better โcause in a twist, Rafeโs not so bad.
He has a great smile, pretty eyes, cute dimples, andโ
Oh, man. I think I have a situation.
RAFE
This cannot be happening. Iโm a competitive figure skater with goals and big plans. How did I get saddled with a party-boy hockey-hero for a roommate?
Oh, yeah. I mistakenly assumed the captain of the hockey team would be goal-oriented. Wrong. Gus and I have nothing in common, and I have no idea how Iโm going to survive a year of this.
But oddly enough, weโre good together in a crisis. So good, Iโm beginning to wonder if we could be something serious. Something more than a couple of athletes playing the roommate game.
The Roommate Game is an MM light-angst, college hockey romance featuring a fun-loving captain, a serious figure skater, and a chance at forever.
Prior Reading: recommended but not essential Genre: contemporary, college, sports Tropes: Hockey, college, opposites attract, roommates
*****
Excerpt:
โOkay, wellโฆI got two ideas for you. Favorite karaoke song and best series youโve ever binged.โ
โThat sounds like โhow to look desperate in under five secondsโ advice.โ He made a buzzer sound. โTry again.โ
โNope. Iโve given you gold, Johannsen. Work with it. Everyone has a karaoke story and or a show they freaking love and canโt shut up about. Get him talking while youโre practicing your spins or something. I guarantee youโll have your opening to ask him out. How do you feel about sriracha?โ I held up a bottle.
โI like itโฆsparingly. Too much changes the taste of whatever youโre eating.โ
โTrue, but I like spicy food. I went to this karaoke bar where they served the hottest wings ever. Ty put my name on the list to sing a Britney Spears song. My mouth was on fire and I could barely whisper into the mic, let alone sing.โ
Rafeโs lips twitched with humor as he pushed the cart and perused chicken breasts. โWhich song?โ
โ โToxic.โ I was supposed to make my voice extra deep and Ty was gonna go high, but those damn wings lit a fire in my throat. I wonโt be ordering those any time soon. Itโs a great bar, though. Hey, we should go sometime. What are you doing next Friday?โ I winked. โSee what I did there?โ
He added chicken to our now half-full cart and grinned. โThat was impressive.โ
โThank you. If you need another pep talk, Iโm here for you, but Iโve got do-or-die playoff games next week andโโ
โIโm fine.โ
โI know you are. I believe in you, Rafester.โ
He blushed, then grumbled about the sodium in a bottle of soy sauce. I was a little insulted that he thought Iโd buy his faux-grouchy routine. Iโd been privy to the real grump, so I could tell the difference. But I didnโt call him out on it โcause whether heโd realized it or not, Rafe had let me in.
*****
Review:
Gus has been a pretty terrible roommate but he’s been using his party lifestyle to self-medicate, hiding his issues and his conflict over his future with drugs and alcohol. (I really want to know how he did so well in both his classes and on the ice all things considered.) But he’s finally at the point where things have to change and I really appreciate that Hayes had him getting professional help, not just powering thru on his own. That also has him becoming a better roommate to Rafe.
I don’t know how Rafe lasted as long as he did – the drunken parties, missing food, and messy house … but it’s good thing all around that he’s willing to give Gus another chance. Because it gives him a chance to see the funny, caring man inside. Even if he’s so clueless as to why Rafe may not be his biggest fan ๐
But Sober Gus takes all the enthusiasm of Party Gus and applies it in positive ways. He’s so fun and I love how he brings Rafe along on all sorts of fun adventures, working to help him get out of his head for a bit. And it doesn’t take long for a crush to form. Who can blame him tho the way Gus throws himself full body into everything and that includes being a friend, then friend with benefits.
The newest from Hayes is a slow burn, low angst, sweet “enemies” to lovers situation. I loved these two together – Gus with his big personality & even bigger heart hiding his issues and Rafe with his quiet support and self doubt. Once again Hayes shows finesse with characters, plot, and pacing, delivering a feel good read.
*****
Author Info:
Lane Hayes lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesnโt mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, whoโs pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write. Sheโs been telling stories about sexy, funny, sometimes geeky and quirky men who find love for a dozen years now and loving every minute. In her previous life, she sat at a desk and dealt with numbers, so yesโฆromance is much more satisfying! Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolateโฆin any order. Add a book and sheโs set!
Romantic Reads and Such 