Cozy and steamy, this is a small-town contemporary romance of forced proximity and one snowed-in night, where a sharp-tongued librarian and the town’s newest bad boy get stranded in the dark together.
Hazel Anderson braves a blizzard to check on the library’s resident tortoise, but being snowed in with Evergreen Cove’s newest bad boy was not on her BINGO card…
Lynx Dane is no one’s hero. He’s in town for a fresh startโand a fresh cup of coffee, which is when he bumps into the town librarian. Hazel’s sharp tongue, red hair, and freckles sweep every thought from his head. Before Lynx knows what hit him, he offers to see her safely to her destination.
Hazel knows Lynx’s brother, so trusting him to escort her for a few snowy blocks shouldn’t be a big deal. But as the storm worsens, the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark library together until morning.
Between flashlight confessions and shared drinks, the night heats up faster than a malfunctioning generatorโleaving them to wonder whether what they found in the dark was ever meant to survive the light of day.
Perfect for readers who โ Snowed-in forced-proximity small-town romance โ A sharp-tongued librarian and a reformed bad boy โ Cozy, steamy, one-night-to-forever heat โ Fresh starts and second chances
*****
Review:
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Lemmon book and this one was a good pick to jump back in. It was short (a little too short but only because I enjoyed it & wanted more), fun, and satisfying. I liked that Hazel was sassy and smart and willing to give Lynx a hard time. I liked Lynx who is ready to grow up and find himself, wanting to step out of his brother’s shadow and make his own way. Drawn together at first sight and forced to spend the night together when they get snowed in at the library, they have a chance to explore that connection. While I would have loved more – more of them learning about each other, more of them discovering themselves, more of … well, them – I enjoyed the glimpse we’re given. Maybe we’ll see more of them in future books ๐
Ten years ago, my world shattered when I lost not only my best friend, but the man I loved. Coltโs brother was my best friend, and his death took two people from my life in a single moment. One I lost to tragedy, and one I lost to grief.
I waited for Colt to come home and grieve with the rest of us after his brotherโs death, but after the first year passed, it became painfully clear he wasnโt coming back to River Falls.
I did what I had to do to keep moving forward. I pushed every thought of Colt out of my mind. If only my heart had known how to loosen its grip on him. Instead, I poured myself into building a career as a farrier, supported my familyโs ranch, and watched one sibling after another find their happily ever after while I stood still, holding on to someone who wasnโt there.
Eventually, I realized that if I was ever going to find my own happiness, I had to stop waiting for it. I had to take control of my future.
And just when I finally believed I had everything figured out, Colt returned to River Falls, and my carefully built life fell apart all over again.
Colt
After ten years away, Iโm back in River Falls, not entirely sure where I fit anymore.
I left after my brother took his own life, drowning in guilt and convinced I was responsible. I couldnโt face my family. I couldnโt face Ensley. So, I ran and stayed gone far longer than I ever intended.
I told myself time would make it easier. It didnโt.
The moment I see Ensley Wilde sitting in a chair beside my fatherโs hospital bed, everything I buried comes rushing back. Including the guilt Iโve never managed to outrun.
For years, weโve all carried our own version of what happened to Grady, and the guilt that came with each version. But when the truth finally comes to light, will it be enough to heal whatโs broken between us, or will it destroy whatโs left entirely?
Can I earn my parentsโ trust again?
And more importantlyโฆ is there still a chance to win back Ensley Wildeโs heart, and the life I left behind? Can I finally give her the future sheโs always dreamed of?
Dear Reader,
Before you begin this story, I need to let you know that it deals with the sensitive subject of suicide.
If you need emotional support or have a loved one you think may need it, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
There is also an organization to help as well called, Reasons To Stay.
(Wilde Hearts is the fourth book in the Love is a Cowboy series. While each book can be read as a stand alone, I highly suggest reading them in order for a better reading experience.)
This was a such a fast read for me. It sucked me in and before I knew it I was almost done. I totally was in with Ensley on the mad-at-Colt train because that man did her dirty. I get that he was young and dealing with a lot of grief and guilt and all but running out on her … whew. And once we get his side of things, it makes it a little better but I’m not sure I would have been so quick to forgive ๐
They were dealing with a lot of heavy things tho. And, as someone who hasn’t experienced it that closely myself, I felt like it was handled with care? I see every POV, including Grady’s, and it is heartbreaking. I do wish that there had been discussion of getting professional help, even at their current situation, because I feel like there needed to be some resolution for a lot of their feelings. But they are there for each other and help every way they can.
I appreciate the big, loving family that is the Wildes. They are supportive and caring and open. The love and advice they give each other is powerful and I like that they believe in Colt enough to give him the chance to explain things. But now I am definitely looking forward to Gatlin’s story because even with his big heart there’s a bit of an ornery streak and I gotta know who is gonna bring him around!
Tropes:ย Childhood crush, star player x physiotherapist, secret injury, forced proximity, forbidden workplace romance, jealousy triangle
Spice level:ย High / explicit
Blurb:
My childhood crush is my injured captainโฆ and Iโm the physio secretly keeping him on the pitch.
Rafe Calder is everything I learned not to want: flashy, reckless, adored, and far too beautiful. He is also hurt, lying about it, and somehow mine to fix.
I catch the limp no one else sees, then make the dumbest deal of my life. Private rehab, locked rooms, my hands on him daily, and one rule I keep pretending still matters.
At first, he pushes because he hates being handled. Then he listens when pain scares him, lets me see the lonely man under the captainโs armband, and looks ready to break when Donovan Reid makes me smile.
Somewhere between treatment lights, late-night checkups, and one reckless after-hours mistake that turns into more, I fall. Not for the fantasy I used to worship, but for the man who finally stops performing.
Then his injury truth explodes, and protecting him could cost me everything.
I watch every second of that embrace. Her face when he lifts her off the ground, her laughter, the ease of it. Nothing between Tess and me has ever been easy.
He was a good player. I said that myself. But tonight he saved the game in my place, and thirty thousand people cheered him while I stood there feeling like a man who had started the match and somehow still lost it. Then I see him holding Tess, my Tess, and sheโs smiling up at him like she doesnโt know exactly what that does to me.
I find her in the hallway outside the locker room. She doesnโt slow when I fall into step beside her, but I catch the way she worries at her lip.
โGreat game,โ she says.
โIs that what you said to Reid when he had his hands all over you?โ
Her head jerks toward me. โI thanked him for the hug, yes.โ
I stop her with a hand around her wrist. โI saw the way he looked at you.โ
โHe was thanking me. I cleared him to play on a calf knock.โ
My throat tightens. โI saw the way you looked at him.โ
Her expression hardens. โAnd what about you? What about the pictures of you with that woman? So itโs fine for you to do whatever you were doing, but I canโt accept a thank-you hug from a player I treated?โ
โThat was weeks ago,โ I snap. โBefore you and Iโโ
โI saw you at Halo.โ Her voice goes cold. โThe night after I came to your house.โ
I stare at her. โI was with the lads. We go for beers all the time.โ
โFrom where I was standing, you had a woman on your arm. Then you went off with her afterward. And youโve got the gall to stand here and act jealous over three seconds in a football stadium?โ
โWhy were you watching me at Halo?โ I demand.
โI was out with Donovan and Layla,โ she says sharply. โI wasnโt stalking you.โ
The room seems to tilt. โYou were out with him?โ
โWith him and Layla. As friends.โ
That lands like a punch. She steps closer and jabs a finger into my chest, and I let her. โBesides, you have no claim over me. You said mine into a mirror after a quick fuck in the gym and then showed up in the press with some other woman. And you know what? Youโre right. Weโre nothing, officially, so donโt stand here making me feel guilty for doing my job.โ
โDonโt say nothing,โ I say.
โWhat are we then?โ
The anger in her face cracks for a second, and thereโs fear underneath it. โIโve been lying to my employer about you. Iโve filed false assessments. Iโve let you into places that were supposed to be professional, and youโโ
โI havenโt touched anyone else,โ I say. โNot since you.โ
That stops her.
โThe photos were nothing,โ I tell her. โWhat you saw at Halo was nothing.โ
Tears gather at the corners of her eyes. โYou told meโโ
โAnd I meant it.โ
I cup her cheek. โYouโre mine, Tess.โ
She shudders when I kiss her. She lets me pull her against the wall, lets me kiss her hard enough to make the hallway disappear. But then she presses a hand to my chest and pushes back, just enough to stop me.
I break away, breathing hard. โI havenโt wanted anyone else. Not once.โ
Her jaw tightens. โYouโre injured, Rafe. Publicly now. I have to file a real assessment this week, and whatever this is, I canโt let it affect that report.โ
โIt doesnโt have to.โ
โIt already does,โ she says quietly. โEvery decision I make about your hip, your minutes, whether you play the Foundersโ Cup or Donovan doesโitโs all compromised because I have feelings. About both of you. And I canโt fix that, so I need you to give me some room.โ
Room. For him, too.
I take a step back. Then another.
โOkay,โ I say.
Her face flickers. โRafeโโ
โI heard you.โ I keep backing away. โDo your job, Montgomery.โ
She turns and walks off, leaving me standing in the corridor with the feeling that Iโve just done the right thing, and somehow lost anyway.
*****
Author Info:
Trading boardrooms for bedrooms (of the fictional kind!), Peyton Lux is now fully dedicated to writing steamy workplace romance that leaves readers utterly satisfied.
Her former life in marketing taught her how to craft compelling narratives โ a skill she now devotes entirely to her steamy workplace romance novels.
Peyton lives and breathes romance, infusing her stories with undeniable heat and fiercely earned happily-ever-afters.
She isnโt supposed to care about a ranch. She definitely isn’t supposed to fall for the foreman. And his six-year-old son is absolutely, definitely not supposed to capture her heart.
Lainey Brown is not ranch material. She’s a city girl who landed on the legendary Wallace Ranch to give the place a fresh coat of brandingโand get her career back on track. She’s got no interest in cowboys, cattle, or the infuriatingly gorgeous foreman who clearly wants her gone.
Colton Wallace has spent every day since losing his wife building something worth leaving his son: a spotless reputation, a thriving operation, and a life with no room for complications. The last thing he needs is a firecracker from Austin with a sketchbook full of big ideas and a smile that makes him forget every reason he swore off wanting things he can’t keep.
But somewhere between their very first fight and a Texas night sky that stretches on forever, something shifts. Lainey stops counting the days until she can leave. And Colt stops pretending he wants her to.
The ranch has always been the Wallace legacy. But Colt is starting to wonder if the best thing that’s ever happened to itโand to himโjust walked in wearing city shoes.
There were parts I really enjoyed and some parts that I wished we could have seen a little more of. I appreciate that Lainey came to terms with her family dynamic but I felt like maybe we need some actual resolution with them together. She accepts herself and what that means in relation to how different she is from her parents but I really wish there’d been a conversation at least with her mom. I do like that both Colt & Lainey have a therapist because I think that positive mental health rep is important in these kinds of situations. But I feel like we don’t really know where she stands now with her family.
You can’t beat the positive example that the Wallace’s show her on a healthy family interaction tho. They love each other big but that includes fighting big too. And then making up. Because even when they are hurt by each other, it make take a little bit, but they come back together to address it. Which reinforces that disconnect that Lainey already feels with her own family.
Colt has some hurt that he is carrying still. Those that read Ryder know how upset he was by his sister’s relationship with his best friend (although it isn’t really required reading because we get enough of Colt’s side to understand) and it takes him a little bit to come to terms with it. But that’s because he’s been lied to and betrayed in the past and that’s a pressure point for him. Totally understandably so and it makes him react poorly at first. His past also makes him prickly sometimes and unfortunately Lainey gets most of the fall out from it.
Lainey isn’t one to take it lying down tho and she goes toe to toe with the super hot, super grumpy cowboy. It is more dislike than enemies and there’s definitely a sense of foreplay to their interactions because as much as they argue they also are enjoying it. Sometimes a little too much … a little hate f-ing sure does seem to do them good ๐ But before long, that dislike turns to something more as they spend time together and start to share a little of themselves with each other.
This is a slow slide from butting heads to lust to falling in love. Loved the banter between them, their version of flirting, and the way that they carry that through even once their feelings start to change. Peterson definitely brought the spice with this one but she also gives readers cute moments & emotions as well. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series and seeing the other Wallace’s get their HEA.
Thereโs nothing Ethan Barnes has wanted more than to play hockey with his brothers. Avery, Charlie and Ethan have been dreaming about uniting the Barnes brothers on one team since they were barely old enough to hold a hockey stick.
Starting his rookie season on the New York Bandits, Ethanโs finally going to get the chance to play with his brother Charlie. But while Charlieโs greatโa fantastic roommate, a better teammate, and a damn good forwardโit turns out the guy Ethanโs really interested in doesnโt have a last name of Barnes.
Hank Tuckerโs been working his ass off for two years to make the Bandits opening roster as one of their starting defensemen. What he needs is determination, hard work and focus.
What he doesnโt need is a rookie forward with a famous last name, who, since the first time they met at development camp last year, has permanently moved into his thoughts with his rumpled curls and magnetic smiles and killer body. No matter how grumpy Hank is or how determined he is to shake him, Ethanโs sunshine ends up buried deep under Hankโs skin.
Hankโs always been sure he was straight. But Ethan tempts him and entices him and ultimately, makes himself so irresistible Hankโs got no shot at holding back.
Especially when it turns out that Ethanโs not just been working hard to make a spot on the Banditsโ roster but in Hankโs bed, too.
Tropes: double bisexual awakening, player x player, black cat x golden retriever, grumpy x sunshine, pining/yearning
There’s a connection between Ethan and Hank from the moment they meet. And they slowly build on that as they go their separate ways for the season. Because Ethan is going to do everything he can to get his guy and I love that for him. Not that Hank is exactly adverse but it’s definitely Ethan that gets things going.
It has a real feel to it tho as Hank especially comes to terms with their sexuality. They go at a pace that works for both of them which doesn’t involve jumping right in to anything sexual and keeping their evolving relationship private. It’s so much slow burn and so much yearning as these two spend a lot of time separated due to hockey ๐
It’s also the first in a new series so we get some time being introduced to the world inhabited by the Barnes siblings. I think it’s going to be more of a mood read because you kinda have to just sit back and let the story come to you. But I did enjoy Ethan and Hank and I liked the glimpses of the other Barnes siblings we get, their dynamic and the pressure they are under to be no just good but extraordinary.
Ten years ago, his brotherโs best friend left Cameron behindโnow, the only person who can save the day is the one that got away.
To support the family dairy farm, Cameron Frost opens up his dream ice cream shop. Creamsicle Day is right around the corner, the perfect time to unveil a large mural and cement Frostyโs Creamery as a Sleighbell Springs institution.
Mere weeks before the event, the muralist he hired ghosts him.
Now a talented fine artist, Nico Galanis, makes an unexpected post-breakup return to Sleighbell Springs and offers Cameron a trade. Heโll paint the mural if Cameron will be his fake date to his upcoming solo show in Bostonโat the art gallery run by his ex.
Cameronโs resentment toward the man who broke his heart is still ice-cold, but he wonโt let a past flame get in the way of his dreams. The longer Nico is in town, the more Cameronโs grudge thaws, and the line between pretend and reality starts to blur.
Will they repeat the mistakes of the past, or will they decide that this love is worth melting for?
Worth Melting For is a second-chance MM romance set in the shared world of Sleighbell Springs, following the local residents of the Christmas-themed town in Vermont once all the tourists go home.
Worth Melting For is based around a kitschy Christmas themed small town with an adorable little ice cream & dairy shop owned by Cameron. Enter, or re-enter I guess, Nico who is back home to help Cameron by painting him a mural. Which gives both of them a chance to put some old ghosts to bed. And maybe start something new.
I definitely understand why Cameron has been avoiding Nico for so long. The way things happened when they were younger would definitely cause some hurt, especially at the age & stage they were. And while Nico doesn’t understand exactly what went wrong, he’s going to take this chance to put things right. It just takes a little to get there, for both of them, because it’s hard to risk being hurt again.
If you are looking for something syrupy sweet & fun with plenty of spice, West has you covered. She manages to weave steamy moments and a second chance romance together nicely. Is it predictable? Yes. Is it Hallmark level cutesy? Yes. Is it enjoyable because of that? Oh, yes.
Like drag my grieving son from Chicago to a queer-friendly ranch in Colorado.
I just wanted River to find himself again. I didn’t expect Beau, the ranch’s handsome, gentle giant of a youth coordinator, to make me question everything. Or for my son to actually like him.
Besides, we live a thousand miles apart. And my one college experience with a man could best be described as experimental and vaguely disappointing.
But my son is starting to smile again. And so am I.
Hereโs hoping I donโt accidentally leave my heart in Colorado.
The CEO and the Mountain Man is a 51-k word contemporary mm cowboy romance featuring hurt/comfort, size difference, first times, and found family. It is book six 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!
Tropes:ย hurt/comfort, size difference, first time, city boy/country boy Trigger/Content Warnings:ย trauma from car accident, homophobia.
*****
Review:
Oh my gosh, this was just the sweetest and funniest thing I’ve read in a while. The banter is seriously on point and I actually caught myself giggling out loud throughout the book. And I could not have loved River any more – he’s carrying so much pain but even when he lashes out, his snark is funny, not cutting. They obviously love each, it’s just there is a lot of trauma to get thru.
Then there is Clark’s relationship with Beau. It’s no surprise that Beau finds himself enchanted by Clark because he feels big but also knows how to roll with what the world throws at him. He’s not afraid to laugh at himself or to show how much he cares. Beau is solid, both in body and constitution, very calm and caring. The two connect so effortlessly and once they realize their feelings are mutual, they don’t waste any time falling into bed. Their time is limited and they aren’t wasting any of it ๐
While there are issues to work thru, which are taken seriously, Fox doesn’t make it too heavy. It’s a journey back to each other for father & son, a chance to heal, and a chance to find happiness and love again. It’s heartwarming and touching, while also full of humor and spice. I’ve read only one other book by Fox, which I loved as well, so after this she is going on my must read author list.
Everyone calls me Hollywood because I look like a leading man, but I didn’t expect the starring role of single father….
When my ex-girlfriend, Carrie, is injured in an accident, I take sole custody of my two-year-old daughter overnight. I’ve wanted to be Ruby’s father for a long time, but my ex–and her family–haven’t forgiven me for going to prison.
This is my chance to get to know Ruby and prove that I’ve changed. I leap at the chance, even though I’ve got no idea what I’m doing.
Thankfully, my former best friend Tex shows up and sticks by me. He’s a natural with kids and instantly calms the panic setting in. One night of support turns into another and another. Bit by bit, Tex is moving into my life and making himself a second father to Ruby.
But he’s bailed on me before. Three months ago, he ran from the feelings growing between us. He couldn’t handle the idea of being bisexual.
Now he’s here, plucking all of my heartstrings and making me love him all over again. Ruby is head over heels, too. He’s everything I want in a partner. For me. For my daughter.
But will Tex return the love this time–or will he break both our hearts?
*****
Review:
Hollywood finally gets the chance to get to know his daughter but it means that he has to become an instant dad, with none of the know-how. You can feel how much he wants this chance but how scary it is to find himself responsible for a little girl and having no idea what he’s supposed to do. Luckily he’s got friends on his side, especially Tex.
And Tex is going to take advantage of this opportunity to make up for running away and hurting Hollywood. It takes a little bit to come to terms with his sexuality but he knows how he feels about him is special. As is the family they are creating together, both with Ruby and their Redemption Ridge friends.
And I couldn’t love that any more; found families is one of my favorite tropes and Jamison does it well here. These guys are here for each other, supporting each other, checking in and stepping up when someone needs it. Sometimes they just need to get out of their own way and accept the help in the manner that it is meant, to realize that they are worthy of such care.
While not quite as angsty as Knight, I loved seeing Tex and Hollywood get together. And them getting the opportunity to form a relationship with sweet, little Ruby … oh my heart. There is just so much with the feels and the slow slide to a HEA for them. So while it isn’t necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one, returning readers will love that opportunity to find out exactly how things work out between these two. We got just enough of a teaser before that I was rooting for them from the start. And we get just enough here to have me anxious to get my hands on Joyride!
Two rivals. One mistake. A shot we never thought we’d take.
Being a professional golfer has always been my dream. But there are parts of the job I hate.
Interviews. Tournaments that make me wear skirts. Being nice to Beau Devereaux.
I hate that oneโand himโthe most.
Since we were kids, he’s had a special way of getting under my skin. As adults, itโs only gotten worse.
My best friend’s brother will always be the most infuriating man on the planet in his bright, tight, and outlandish golf shirts and his stupid beard covering his annoyingly chiseled jaw.
Which is why itโs my worst nightmare that Iโm paired with him for a golf tournament in Las Vegas. But I’ll do it if it means I get my career back on track after my injury.
Good PR can’t hurt, right?
โShelby LeBlanc, Beau Devereaux get in fight on 16th green.โ
โDid Shelby LeBlanc and Beau Devereaux get married in Vegas?โ
Yes, we did.
And yes, we did.
I don’t want to stay married, but I said I wanted good PR, and somehow this is giving it to us.
It’s fine. This marriage isn’t for love. It’s for our careers.
Except the looks he gives me now are filled with heat, not disgust. The childhood nickname he calls me doesn’t have the same bite.
And seeing him shirtless around the house? A woman is only so strong.
Now I’m starting to hate how much this feels right.
Because this marriage might’ve been unexpected, but now I’m wondering if Beau and I were always meant to be.
*****
Review:
The drama, so much drama! First there’s Shelby who sometimes just can’t get out of her own way. She’s got quite the chip on her shoulder with her default setting to come out swinging. And her favorite target is Beau. There’s a lot of bad blood between them (of course, much of it is hiding some unresolved sexual tension – duh) but there are also 20 years of hurt there as well. We know there has to be more to that story, and if Shelby gave it a half a chance she would too, but it all comes out in the wash. And does it do it in spectacular fashion. Just when you think things can’t get any more outrageous Sloan says hold my beer ๐
Of course, the heart of the story is Shelby and Beau realizing what their fighting has been hiding all these years. Forced to team up at a tournament, time (and a lot of alcohol) has them falling into bed … and into a wedding chapel. When it’s decided that staying together means good PR, they find themselves enjoying their new relationship more than they expect. And I love that for them. They blend so well, when they aren’t sniping at each other, elevating each other’s games beautifully. Their lives blending smoothly, understanding each other in ways only they can.
I loved Unplanned Play for it’s lack of angst but this one definitely made up for it! Once Shelby lets her guard down, lets Beau in, she is so fierce and funny and confident in herself. And Beau supports her and lifts her up, showing her everything she can have if she lets people help her. Together these two could take on just about anything.
The last two and a half years have been all about living life to the fullest, enjoying my time at college, the glory years and all that, but that doesn’t mean I’m a jerk.
I’ve always considered myself to be a decent person, but a few conversations with my new debate partner, Porter Johnson, are enough for me to realize how self-centered I’ve been.
I like who I am around him, and I’m determined to show him I’m not as bad as he assumed I was, that maybe we could even be friends.
Porter
When my heart was broken by a man who wasn’t ready to come out of the closet, I promised myself I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
I will not be falling for another emotionally unavailable, self-identifying straight man.
And I absolutely won’t be falling for my inconsiderate debate partner, Will Carter.
No matter how attractive he is or how charming he seems to be now that he’s decided he wants to be my friend.
I am stronger than that.
Probablyโฆ
Tropes: Strangers to lovers, bi awakening, slow burn, athlete x barista, spicy dares, light “daddy” (no age play), lingerie, class difference
Lexi is an American author who is obsessed with queer happily ever afters. Most of her time is spent with her two kids, but if they’re asleep, then she is either reading, writing, or watching hockey.
Professionally trained as a nurse, Lexi decided to start writing when she became a stay at home mom and the characters in her head haven’t stopped talking since.
Lexi also loves Diet Coke, traveling, and Halloween. Her house is probably obnoxiously decorated for whatever holiday is next because she thinks that little things that make people smile are important.
Bec Benson is based in the Northeast, lives for the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, and genuinely believes emo music can make you happy. She’s obsessed with mgk, a good uninterrupted writing session, and queer romance novels.
Promotion support provided by Foreword PR & Marketing for Romance Authors, specializing in reader-focused book launches and long-term author visibility.
