Author Archives: romanticreadsandsuch

Review – A Puck Between Friends

03 Friday Apr 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

A Puck Between Friends

Gods Versus Monsters Hockey #3

by J.R. Gray

Blurb:

When my best friend offers to come as my date to my sister’s wedding to get back at my sister for breaking his heart, I agree thinking it will be hilarious. What I didn’t consider was that I’ve been in love with him half my life, and all the consequences of us fake dating. 

My family demands I bring my new boyfriend to her shower first, and things only go downhill from there. My sister is marrying the goalie from our rival team who immediately is up in arms about us dating. 

Fair, but I don’t have time to dwell on it as things quickly get weird with my best friend. Wolfe is straight, it shouldn’t be weird right? It’s fake after all. But I’m so wrong.  He kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before, and then we both realize we have to keep this up for months until the wedding. 

Between the unexpected sexual tension, hockey, and the secrets we are keeping. I don’t know how we’re going to get through the season. 

Buy Link:

https://mybook.to/APuckBetweenFriendsGVM

Available in KU 

*****

Review:

Wolfe takes his confidence & golden retriever energy into basically every part of his life and his bi-awakening isn’t any different. I love how he takes it all in stride and is so sure & so proud of his sexuality. It takes Angel a little more time to really believe in it but Wolfe isn’t above putting in the work.

And I felt for Angel, loving his best friend and having to see him with first his sister & then years of one night stands. I adore a good best friends to lovers romance but these kinds can just break your heart. It’s totally understandable for it to take Wolfe a while to stop doubting the truth of their new dynamic. Years of deep friendship and a closeness like their’s would be hard to risk.

This is my first book by Gray and I really enjoyed it. The friendship between Wolfe and Angel, developed over years of closeness and some trauma, morphs so well into something more. And Gray doesn’t scrimp on the emotions or the steam as they find their new footing & what their futures might bring.

(Can be read as a stand alone but there were a few things from previous books that were a little confusing. Not related to the main plot tho and just a vagueness that I would probably understand if this wasn’t my first book in the series.)

*****

Author Info:

Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.

Connect with J.R. Gray:

https://www.instagram.com/hipsterwriter/

Review – The Wild Card

02 Thursday Apr 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

The Wild Card

The Dugout #2

by Piper Rayne

Blurb:

Getting pregnant after a one-night stand with my brother’s best friend was never part of the plan.

We’re talking about Foster Davis here.

Chicago Colts closing pitcher.
The broody king of one-word answers.
And the man everyone knows keeps one foot out the door.

Surprisingly, when two pink lines turn my world upside down, Foster doesn’t run. He steps in, he shows up, and he insists we do this together.

Pretending we’re fine is easy. Pretending this is just about the baby? Not so much.

Because Foster is gentle when no one’s watching.
Because he looks at me like I’m something worth protecting.
Because the walls he’s built start to crack—and I’m the one he’s letting inside.

Our arrangement was supposed to be simple. Boundaries were set. Co-parents and no catching feelings.

Okay, maybe a few sex lessons were added in too. Bad idea, I know.

Because the more time I spend with Foster Davis, the harder it is to remember why I ever thought he was the risky choice.

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3IWsHxd

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://books2read.com/twc

*****

Review:

**maybe some minor spoilers**

Foster is probably one of my favorite Piper Rayne characters. I love his swagger and his issues and am really intrigued by the dynamic with his parents & brother. (Definitely looking forward to finding out more in Decker’s book.) And Callie’s sass – girl wasn’t taking anything lying down in The Hotshot 🙂 No wonder that the two of them together create sparks!

A lot of the times in accidental pregnancy or forced proximity tropes the reasoning is a little forced but I found that it works well here. I liked the two of them living together and taking the opportunity to get to know each other better. The secret of the baby and the way things play out was good too.

The sex lessons tho … I understand why they go there and how it might have worked in relation to just the two of them but I’m pretty sure a guy like Foster has a few tricks up his sleeve. Yes, part of the point was that he wasn’t exactly the guy that everyone thought he was. And that men sometimes think they are more amazing in bed than they really are but he had regular partners, not just bunnies or one night stands …

The relationship between the two of them, as well as the found family aspect of the teammates, sells it for me. Piper Rayne always delivers on her characters and both of them just got me in my feels. I was rooting for them every step of the way to figure out how to communicate their needs and concerns so they could figure out a way to support & truly love one another.

Review – Extra Credit

29 Sunday Mar 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Extra Credit

The Boys of Elmwood U #1

by Hayden Hall

Blurb:

Look, I’m not stupid. I’m just really, really bad at Statistics.

Bad enough that Coach is threatening to bench me if I don’t pull my grades up. Bad enough that Professor Colby assigned me a tutor from the Thinkers’ House: a nerd who actually enjoys calculating standard deviations.

Enter Bennet Marlowe: certified genius, overpowered paladin in shiny armor, and the most annoyingly attractive guy I’ve ever failed to impress. He’s all sharp edges and sharper wit, hiding behind oversized sweaters and reading glasses that have no business making me lose focus during study sessions. He’s also completely off-limits. It’s hard to learn anything when all I can think about is whether he’d let me kiss him if I got the answer right.

And yet, I keep finding excuses to see him. Crashing his D&D night. Convincing him to see a movie with me when my date bails. Walking him home and standing too close on his doorstep. Kissing him clumsily near said doorstep.

And somewhere between pivot tables and probability, I’m starting to think maybe I’m not just bad at Statistics. I’m catastrophically bad at keeping my hands to myself.

I’ve got one semester to pass this class and keep my scholarship. Falling for my tutor is definitely not the kind of extra credit I signed up for.

Extra Credit is a gay college romance pairing a hopeless nerd with a cocky jock. If you ever needed a book that felt like a cozy hug, this is the one. It’s the first novel in The Boys of Elmwood U series, but it’s complete with low-angst vibes, spicy lessons, and a happily ever after.

Buy Link: https://getbook.at/BoysOfElmwoodU1

*****

Review:

These two goobers are so sweet together! It feels so real the way they dance around their emotions and their issues. Hiding and waffling because they are so scared of showing who they really are and what they really want. It just feels like a situation I easily could have found myself in at college.

And while the nerd/jock trope is pretty common, as is the different-than-you’d-expect thing that Jason has going on, Hall makes it work for him. Jason is charismatic, well liked, and hot. But he’s also using his charm to hide his insecurities and doubts, to keep people at a distance. He can’t with Bennett tho once they start spending time together. Slowly letting him see his true self, even as he’s afraid that it’ll chase him away.

Bennett is your typical nerd. Super smart and a little awkward, not very experienced or popular, and sure that he and Jason have absolutely nothing in common. But as he lets his assumptions about Jason go, he discovers someone that he really likes. Someone that might like him back, if he can let his insecurities go and believe in what’s happening.

The writing may be a little awkward in spots, especially at the beginning, but the story and characters hold their own and kept me going until that oh-so-adorable epilogue. It’s low angst and a slow burn and I was there for every moment. Looking forward to seeing what else Hall has for us at Elmwood U!

Review – Hell or High Water

26 Thursday Mar 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Hell or High Water

Toronto Thunder #3

by Beth Bolden

Cover Designer: Ozark Witch Cover Design

Model: Joel Ros

Photographer: J. Ashley Converse Photography

Blurb:

Come hell or high water, Nate’s gonna be Ramsey’s perfect (fake) boyfriend . . .

The night Nate Bishop met Ramsey Andresen, he didn’t know who he was.

Didn’t know he was a hockey player. Didn’t know he’d be sticking around in Toronto. Most definitely didn’t know they’d hook up and Ramsey would walk right out of his life. Leaving him aching for more and hating that he can’t forget him.

They meet again at a Thunder team party and Nate’s not only shocked by Ramsey’s presence, but the way he acts like he belongs. He’s gorgeous and perfect and unobtainable, his existence rubbing Nate’s face into everything he can’t have.

He knows his teammates aren’t happy they don’t get along. But the last thing Nate expects is for Ramsey to suggest a plan to get them off their backs.

Not a fake friendship, but a fake situationship.

As they spend more time together—at first a necessity because of the charade, and then because they can’t stay away from each other—Nate starts to learn more about Ramsey’s secrets.

And each shadowy corner that Nate shines light into makes him like Ramsey even more. Until like slides easily into love, and fake becomes something real. Something precious. When they shatter the illusion, can they face the reality that they want each other, completely and forever, after playing pretend for so long?

Tropes: fake relationship, enemies to lovers, football player x hockey player, bad boy settles down

Available on: Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, paperback (model & discreet), and audio narrated by Darcy Stark (est May)

https://readerlinks.com/l/5210107

*****

Review:

Right away, we find out what happened before the season started and why there is so much tension between Nate & Ramsey. And I loved getting their POV, giving us glimpses into their own issues and the way they connect with each other & develop an understanding of what makes the other tick.

I love the two of them together. The way they truly get one another, supporting & appreciating each other. Being solidly there. With patience, they build trust & a safe place to be themselves. Especially Ramsey who has someone that sees him and appreciates his brilliance and his emotional intelligence, loving the complicated man he hides under his suave exterior.

I came into this one with all kinds of faith in Beth Bolden’s skills because enemies-to-lovers and MCs that are averse to emotional involvement usually aren’t my favs. Typically they have more than their fair share of angst but I’ve never been let down by Bolden so I gladly dove into this one. And OH MY GOSH, so good!

Review – Hot Axe

21 Saturday Mar 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Hot Axe

Axford Brothers #2

by May Archer

Blurb:

Falling in love with my straight best friend? Tragically inevitable.

Telling him? Completely out of the question.

Everyone in Winsome knows Robbie and I are a matched set. A package deal. Ames and Robbie, Robbie and Ames.

He’s the calm to my chaos. The sun shining through my rain cloud. The guy who convinced me to be a firefighter. The man who’s known every single thing about me since we were thirteen…

Except for the teeny, tiny, inconsequential fact that I’ve been in love with him for years.
I planned to take this secret to the grave. Robbie’s straight. He’s engaged. And I’m finally–finally–ready to move on.

But one uncontrollable blaze, one daring rescue, one inconvenient injury, and one heavily-medicated, wildly inappropriate love confession later, my plan’s up in flames.

Suddenly helpful, perfect, shirtless Robbie is bathing me, dressing me, and nursing me back to health. And if being around my gorgeous bestie 24/7 wasn’t torture enough, it seems I’m not the only one having un-platonic thoughts.

But there’s no way I’m letting myself fall into the fantasy again. Because if I let myself believe this is real and it isn’t, it won’t just break my heart… it’ll break us.

And I refuse to risk our friendship, no matter how tempting the man’s hot axe might be.

https://getbook.at/AxfordBrothers2

*****

Review:

My heart hurt for Ames being in love with his engaged best friend. And just as much when it seems like maybe Robbie isn’t straight after all. It has to be hard for Ames to take the chance on something more with him. If things go wrong he could lose everything and having something of Robbie is better than nothing, right? Although, really, we know that would eventually eat away at him. He was already struggling with the engagement.

But Robbie’s feelings are real and he goes all out to convince Ames that he’s totally in this. And I thought Robbie’s realization of his true feelings for Ames worked. He’s been in therapy and it has him evaluating his life. Throw in the possibility that he could lose Ames forever and he’s more than sure. He just has to be patient with Ames. Very patient.

This is the first of Archer’s books for me and I really enjoyed it. While I think I would have loved to see more of the Axford sibilings, and will be adding Kiss My Axe to my TBR, this one pretty well stands on its own.

Review – It Started with a Text

20 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

It Started with a Text

Queer Ways to Fall in Love Series

by Jax Calder

Blurb:

NICK

Okay, so making a viral video mocking my celebrity crush’s pretentious apartment tour isn’t exactly a strategy for finding love.

But when some random guy slides into my DMs claiming to be Anthony Devine—Grammy Award-winning pop star, LGBTQ+ icon, and owner of cheekbones that should be illegal—I assume he’s a forty-five-year-old catfish living in his mom’s basement.

However, we start chatting, and it’s the most real conversation I’ve had in ages. One month and approximately five thousand messages later, AntD has become my favorite person to talk to. He sends me funny memes, asks about my assignments, and actually listens when I rant about my cheating ex. And him insisting he really is Anthony Devine has become our running joke.

Hilarious, right?

I need to stop catching feelings for a guy whose real name I don’t even know, but meeting AntD would mean risking everything we’ve built.

What if he’s not who he says he is?
What if he is?

It Started with a Text is a swoony MM novella about finding real connection in the digital age, featuring a broke college student with too many posters on his wall and the one catfish who might actually be the real deal.

https://geni.us/ItStartedWithAText

*****

Review:

*sigh* This was the sweetest, cutest, funnest thing I’ve read in a long time. I loved Anthony and Nick together – the banter (over text and in real life, so adorable and funny!), their thoughts & fears & inner workings & vulnerabilities & *ugh* everything! Granted it’s a novella, but I started it and didn’t put it down until I was done.

Nick is sassy and smart and the biggest Anthony Devine fan. And while Anthony may be a big star, he’s struggling with his muse and the new normal that fame has brought him. There is something freeing for both of them to make a connection behind a screen, even though (and maybe especially because) Nick doesn’t believe Anthony is who he says he is. We know and it is a delight to see the relationship between them grow and deepen all the way until they are brave enough to meet for real.

The only thing keeping this from a full 5 star read is that I wanted more of them actually together. I got the bonus epilogue from Calder and that helped a lot, loved loved loved Anthony meeting Nick’s family, but the story jumps from them first getting together to 3 years later. I wanted to see more of them together in the same space, how they went from falling in love to in love to HEA. Because I adored them to the ends of the earth and I needed more!

Review – Love Pucktually

14 Saturday Mar 2026

Posted by in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Love Pucktually

Melting Ice #3

by M.M. Phoenix

Blurb:

I wasn’t planning on making out with him. I’m straight. I just…got bullied into it by a talking parrot, okay? Please, you have to believe me…

ACE

None of what happened was my fault, and I’d rather not explain how I ended up in Devon’s bed.

First, I’d have to tell people I’m straight, and that would already raise questions. Then I’d have to explain why I set his bar on fire, and then got bullied into making out with him by a talking parrot, and—

You can see how that would be an awkward conversation.

In my defense, it was all for charity. The making out part, I mean. Pucks for Paws and all.

Well, technically it wasn’t, but it was during this thing for charity. I didn’t actually have to make out with him, I just…

I’m not really making my case, am I?

DEVON

Some say December’s the busiest time of the year, and it definitely is for me.

This one started with two dozen oversized penguins (also known as a hockey team in formal wear) trashing my bar. And by “my” bar, I mean a bar I work at. Since—checks watch—earlier today.

But that’s okay, because I got to lie on top of one of them (the hottest one, thank you)for a minute, so all is well in the universe.

Speaking of hockey players… Have you seen a warm-up skate? Because if you haven’t, you definitely should. The way they drop down on the ice, spread their legs, and pump their—

Actually, I can’t talk right now. I have an animal shelter to save, a parrot to thank, a warm-up to catch, and an unfairly hot hockey forward to try to convince to let me lie on top of him again.

Like I said, December’s super busy.

Low Pucktually is a low angst, high-heat bi-awakening Hockey Romance. It’s a part of Melting Ice series and can be read as a stand-alone.

https://getbook.at/MeltingPucktually1

*****

Review:

Devon is hilarious – both with his inside AND his outside voice. He’s sassy, with just a smidge of a filter 🙂 And he’s a good match for Ace, who doesn’t take but about 3 days to realize he might not be as straight as he thought he was. With a little (respectful) teasing from Devon, and a few too close encouters, he’s re-evaluating his romantic past. And ready to explore his new feelings with Devon.

Was it the most believable of stories? No. Was it fun? For sure, yes! It was kinda like the hallmarkiest of Hallmark movie in book form. The characters are entertaining, the romance is sweet, and the whole saving an animal shelter thing was a great way to bring a HEA for Devon & Ace. When you throw in a few shelter animals with interesting personalities to mix with the equally interesting human ones (the rest of the guys are a hoot & a half), a good time was had by all 🙂

Spotlight – Only for Him

13 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Only for Him

Only For series

by Natasha Madison

Blurb:

Nothing could prepare them for what was to come.

KYLIE

I learned early in life that love isn’t just given, it’s earned.

Now I’ve decided love isn’t worth it.

At least that type of love.

Until him.

He was broken.

It was safe.

But then I went and did the unexpected. 

I fell in love with him, knowing he would never love me back.

KNOX

I thought I had it all.

I was playing hockey in the NHL.

Three beautiful kids and a wife who loved me.

Until I walked in on her in bed with my brother-in-law.

Everything I thought I had was a lie.

She was everything I thought I didn’t want, and when I least expected it.

I just hope when I finally figure it out, I haven’t lost her for good. 

https://books2read.com/Only4HimNM

Available in KU

*****

Author Info:

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

Connect with Natasha Madison:

https://linktr.ee/natashamauthor

Review – Protected from Evil

11 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour, Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Protected from Evil

Blade & Arrow Shadow Team series

by Gia Cobie

Blurb:

A terrible betrayal cost me everything.

My home. My job. My reputation. My so-called friends.

Scared, hurting, the life I’d worked so hard for in shambles, there seemed no better option than to leave.

After years of city life, the idea of escaping to the small town of Williston seemed appealing. So I picked up and moved there to take a job at the local diner. It might not have been what I’d trained for, but I came to enjoy it.

Something else I enjoyed? Talking to Webb—my favorite customer, the most handsome man I’d ever met, and a man I might have considered dating if things were different.

Ever since I met Noelle at the diner, it’s become my favorite place to visit.

And if she gave any sign of being interested, I’d ask her out in a second.

As we grow closer, I can tell she’s keeping a secret. I’m worried, but I don’t know her well enough to push. Not until I find her hurt and and humiliated and crying in the diner bathroom, that is. Not until I find out the truth of why she left her old life behind. 

Noelle needs someone who believes in her. Someone who’ll do anything to protect her. And with the help of my Blade and Arrow teammates, I intend to do just that.

Protected from Evil is a steamy he-falls-first story featuring a former Night Stalker, a scared but strong heroine, a team of Army veterans, found family, forced proximity, thrilling twists, and a guaranteed HEA. Can be read as a standalone.

https://a.co/d/05RJEbxH

Available in KU

*****

Review:

**minor spoilers**

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite of Cobie’s stories, which was disappointing because I love Webb & Noelle. Things were a little awkward in places. While I love the idea of Webb being a little uncertain, a little less confident going into his first serious relationship, I would have preferred for him to get more comfortable in his wooing a little quicker. Is it realistic? Yes. Is it what I would expect from this kind of story? Not so much. You imagine these guys to be a bit more take charge and assured.

And like the last one, if you find your bad guy at about the 2/3 mark there’s going to be another at the end 🙂 So it wasn’t a surprise that something else was coming, which was a bit of a bummer. But I was engaged in the mystery itself. I was pulled in, especially in the last third, and I felt like Cobie did a fantastic job of keeping things suspenseful and the danger level high for me.

But even if they sometimes seem a bit formulaic, I really look forward to Cobie’s stories. I like her characters, and there’s plenty of opportunity to get to know them as they spend time together while they work to figure out whatever suspense element is involved. And so far, all of those parts have worked for me. The bad guys make sense and she does a good job of giving a feeling of risk. I’ll definitely continue to add all of her books to my TBR as soon as I find them.

*****

Author Info:

Gia Cobie is an award winning author living in upstate New York with her husband and small zoo of animals. She loves writing about protective heroes and the strong women they fall in love with.

In her spare time (when she has any!), Gia enjoys reading and spending time in the Adirondacks, and also has a weakness for reality romance shows, wine, and buying way too many books!

Follow Gia for updates on her latest releases!

https://www.giacobie.com

Spotlight – Breaking Strings

06 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Blog Tour

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Breaking Strings

Chords & Courts, Book 1

by Becca Seymour

Blurb:

Rafe Ortiz should be focused on the music—on the gigs, the grind, and the industry eyes finally turning his way. Instead, every lyric he writes leads back to one Oliver Marshall, the golden-boy basketball captain with a body built for highlight reels and a secret smile meant only for him.

Behind the court and the stage lights, they burn.

In the shadows, they fall.

And no one can know.

Ollie has a reputation to protect and parents who expect perfection. Rafe has a band depending on him and a career poised to explode. Rules say they should walk away. Desire says they won’t survive it if they do.

When March Madness collides with a life-changing showcase opportunity, their stolen nights and breathless encounters become a crossroads—love or legacy, truth or secrecy, each choice carrying consequences that could break them.

Or bind them tighter than ever.

BREAKING STRINGS is an addictive, emotional, steamy MM romance about two men fighting for dreams, for each other, and for the life they’re terrified to admit they want.

getbook.at/BreakingStrings

*****

Author Info:

Becca Seymour is a British/Aussie author and the #1 gay romance best seller of the True-Blue series. Known for “steamy and endearing” and “emotionally profound love stories” (InD’tale Magazine) her books have been nominated for multiple RONE Awards.

Becca has a sweet tooth for marshmallow-hearted monsters, swoon-worthy supernatural studs, and everyday guys and basketball players with hearts of gold. If you like your MM romance sweet, spicy, and occasionally action-packed, slip into stalker mode and fall hard for her True-Blue and Minnesota Eagles men—and maybe a shifter or monster two.

*****