Sell the ranch or save itβeither way, someoneβs going to lose everything.
Jesse Knox has given his heart and soul to Snow Creek Ranch. Itβs not just dirt and cattleβitβs family, legacy, and the only place heβs ever belonged. So when Lucas Barrett arrives with city clothes, sharp eyes, and a plan to sell everything Jesse loves, thereβs no compromise to be had. Just a line drawn in the dirtβand a promise that Jesse wonβt back down, no matter what it costs. He only owns a quarter of the ranch, but itβs enough to stop anyone tearing it out from under him, and heβll 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 heβs 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 heβd 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 Lucasβs control. Because this ranch isnβt 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 loseβand 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!
RJ Scott writes heartwarming, passionate stories about men who fight for love, even when itβs not easy. With themes of found family, trust, and second chances, every story leads to one promiseβevery man gets his happily ever after.
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 hasnβt been a day where I havenβt missed him.
So when we run into each other again, and his only response is βDo I know you?β, I know I deserve it. But I refuse to let one mistake keep us apart forever. Especially when he has bigger problems, and Iβm in a position to help him.
JENSEN
All I wanted this offseason was to spend my time relaxingβnot 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 Iβve tried.
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 π
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.
A single weekend. A quiet connection. And a choice that refuses to be forgotten.
PHILIP
I wasnβt 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. Itβs meant to be simple. Temporary. But it isnβt. 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 canβt afford. So I leave. Because IΒ alwaysΒ choose the life that makes sense, even when it feels like Iβm walking away from something that could have been everything.
MARK
I didnβt expect Philip. I didnβt expect the way he gets under my skin, or how easily he lets himself feel when he forgets to hold back. He tellsΒ meΒ itβs 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 theyβre 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 itβs one thing to make the sensible choice. Itβs another to live with it. Some risks arenβt 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.
Duet Narration by: Connor Crais & Christine Lakin Also featuring: JF Harding, Sean Masters, Teddy Hamilton, CJ Bloom, Erin Mallon, Willa Jaymes, Meg Sylvan & Austin Stone
*****
Review:
Oh my goodness, daddy Easton is a dream – love me a single dad and reformed playboy mixed together! Even freaking out he’s swoony π Also love how supportive the Baileys are (no surprise) and my heart goes out to Hadley for not having that growing up. I would have liked to see more of her with the other girls because she needs more positivity and support in her life. But Easton definitely shows up for her. Ooof, then there’s Tanner’s mom resolution … Glad they all have created a little family unit together, to be there for each other because there were definitely times they needed it. (Found family like this is one of my favorite things in books.)
My only real complaint with this one is I would have loved a little more of Easton and Hadley from before. They seemed like they had a bit of a connection, not friends-with-benefits but maybe more benefits-with-a-friend. They develop a lovely little unit, pretty quickly, and I would like to have seen some hints of that before, ya know?
Piper Rayne delivers some delicious single dad, fake marriage, close proximity, single bed tropes with this one. I’m sad to see this group of friends go but I really enjoyed how they all got their HEA. And that epilogue not only ties things up wonderfully but definitely gives us a taste of what’s to come & I can’t wait!
Beyond staring down the barrel of my weapon, we barely know each other.
The handsome, stoic man has no reason to help me beyond protecting the land we both love so muchβ¦
Yet from the moment we share our first kiss as husband and wife, this fake marriage starts to feel very real.
With each heated lookβ¦
Every lingering touchβ¦
We grow closer.
Until the only thing Iβm afraid of losing is him.
Grab this small town romance featuring a feisty veterinarian heroine who doesnβt want to need anyone else and a reclusive man who has never let himself want who find love in the wilderness and hope in each other.
Wolf is on the spectrum but Molly appreciates him for who he is and I love that for them both. They struggle a little trying to figure out how a relationship between them works, neither having any real experience being in a couple. Add in some childhood trauma & insecurities on both their parts and it isn’t a smooth road.
But I’m so proud of Molly for her patience and willingness to understand Wolf but to also push when it’s needed. And Wolf for asking for help and stepping up when required. They are just so sweet together, fully embracing each other and slowly creating a home that fits them both.
There’s a bit of a suspense element towards the end, but really the story is about these two falling in love and I could not have asked for anything more. This is the first book of Parker’s that I’ve read but it is a delightful introduction and I can’t wait to see where she goes with Wolf’s brothers.
*****
Author Info:
Natalie Parker resides in the Seattle area with her husband and two rugrats, but is originally a Michigan girl.
She always enjoyed writing and noticed she had a knack for it while earning her Psychology degree and has always been an avid reader, but never thought of becoming an author until one day there seemed to be a story to tell.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, reading, reading to her kids, drinking coffee, reading, occasional yardwork, reading, listening to music, reading and writing.
Iβve never met anyone who bothers me more than Chad Sinclair.
Heβs always smiling, always happy β excited about life in a way I truly cannot comprehend. A spoiled city guy who acts like heβs never heard the word no before.
I canβt believe I drunkenly married him in Vegas.
Or that he showed up at my farmhouse, ready to give up his whole life to play happy husbands with me in the middle of nowhere.
Chad might have convinced himself weβre meant to be, but I gave up on that kind of future a long time ago.
CHAD
Iβve always believed things work out for me β and getting my husband to admit he wants me is no exception.
John Sullivan might be grumpy, closed-off, and determined to pretend this means nothing, but he still chose me. He married me. He said I do, and Iβm not ready to let that go just because heβs pretending he is.
He can say thereβs no way we can work, but Iβm stubborn enough to stay and keep proving him wrong.
A grumpy/sunshine MM romance about a woke-up-married couple navigating life after loss, small-town living, and the kind of heat that burns slowest when youβre trying your hardest to resist it.
Please note that this is a standalone spinoff of their Love Without Labels series and that it does not take place on the reality show. It can be read solely on its own.
Tropes: Grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, woke up married, trust fund x blue collar, city x small town, pierced/tattooed MMC, secret relationship, βno emotions just s*xβ, kink/bdsm exploration (shibari, sensory deprivation, temperature play, dom/sub, restraints/bondage, marking, c*ck-warming, edging, praise, toys), processing grief, only one bed, first times, caretaking, pining
*****
Review:
Chad is the brightest of sunshine-y, golden retriever, sweetheart characters. He’s so kind and positive and happy, the complete opposite of John, but he’s also confident in their relationship. He sometimes comes off as naive so I wish we’d gotten some more of their interactions in Vegas because I would love to see why he is so very convinced about John’s feelings. We get glimpses and I definitely admire Chad for how sure he is of their connection but I wanted even more. (Plus they are adorable together when John lets go and embraces everything Chad.)
That enthusiasm for pretty much everything brings humor & lightness and is a good foil for John’s reserve. He’s a very private person, keeping his feelings close, separating himself from friends & family and dealing with his grief alone. But even he isn’t able to resist Chad. I’m glad we get John’s POV because I think it would be hard to be understanding of how he treats Chad without it. He’s not cruel but he can be pretty curt. (This is another place where I think more of their Las Vegas interactions would have helped.)
Wanting My Husband is spicy & funny & emotional as Chad helps John address his past & look towards a possible future together. John may be in charge in the bedroom but Chad is a rock for him as they lean into their growing feelings. The way that Chad understands and takes care of John as he shows him that it is OK to love again, to be happy again, is just … *sigh* so sweet.
*****
Author Info:
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 theyβre 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 havenβt 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. Sheβs obsessed with mgk, a good uninterrupted writing session, and queer romance novels.
A risk prevention specialist with a tight grip on his heart meets the prince of pandemonium who wants to set it free.
For Rayden James, love means devastating loss, so he focuses his energy on growing his private security business and avoiding romantic entanglements at all costs. His dedication pays off when his company lands its largest account yet. But the ink is barely dry on the contract when a chaotic charmer crashes through his defenses and makes Ray crave things he shouldnβt want.
Atticus Livengood is not living up to his name after a teeny-tiny mistake costs him his career, his home, and his dignity. With his self-esteem circling the drain, Atticus makes overhauling his life the top priority. A new job offers the perfect fresh start until a hopeless attraction to the head of security threatens to trip him up.
Sparks fly from the jump, and each new encounter fuels a physical and emotional connection that refuses to be ignored. But surrendering to their desire means making themselves vulnerable to one another and a fickle universe that takes just as quickly as it gives. Will Ray and Atticus stand and deliver for a chance at love or play it safe and walk away?
Tropes: Tortured hero, grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, and a little forced proximity
*****
Excerpt:
Rounding the side of the building, I saw a hooded figure wailing away on a grayish hatchback car with a crowbar. Heβd already knocked out one of the windows on the side I could see and had likely knocked out one on the opposite side too. I ripped my walkie-talkie off the belt and radioed for help as I willed the stupid golf cart to go faster.Β
βAre you fucking kidding me?β came Archerβs tinny reply.
βNo, damn it. I need backup at the community recreational building. Call the police.βΒ
βPolice? Whatβs going on?β
βJust get here.β Thinking of the sabotaged batteries, I added, βBetter drive our SUV.β As if to prove my point, the electric motor sputtered and whined. βShit.βΒ
Clang, clang, clang. Crash!
The assailant was too busy bashing the rear quarter panel and window on the poor car to notice my approach. I wanted to keep it that way.Β
βWhatβs that noise?β Archer demanded.
βAn assault on a vehicle. Get here.β
βIβm already on my way. Almost to the SUV. Should you approach this perp alone?β
βSo far, the assailant has only brandished a crowbar. I can survive that.βΒ
The electric golf cart battery died, and I bit back another curse. The hooded assailant jerked his head up, noticing me for the first time.Β
Launching myself out of the cart, I commanded, βDonβt move.βΒ
The assailant froze like a deer in headlights for all of two seconds before he turned and ran. I pumped my arms and legs fast in pursuit, smiling to myself because I had done my homework, and his chosen path only led to trouble. Sure enough, I rounded the building and saw that the perp had trapped himself between the building on the right, an eight-foot stone wall on the left, and a six-foot privacy fence in front of him that surrounded the outdoor pool, where the occupants jammed to seventiesβ disco music. The only real escape was for this asshole to get past me, and that would not happen.Β
βTogether. Spread βem. Together. Spread βem,β called out a man on the other side of the fence.Β
The assailant raised his crowbar as if he might charge me, then launched it over the poolβs privacy fence instead. He took two steps back to get a run, then leaped toward the top of the fence, landing in the middle with an awkward splat. The guy somehow held on to the top of the fence and dug his toes into the wood to climb the rest of the way. His slow progress allowed me to hit the fence directly behind him. My lead foot landed in the middle of the board, and I used the momentum to propel me up high enough to see over the top. Gripping the fence, I flung my body over the boards, eyes scanning the surroundings to see where the man with the crowbar had gone. My gaze landed on a bare-chested, hot guy balanced on the edge of a chair with his toned legs extending in front of him. He was stuck in the spread βem position as he gaped at me, which sent my mind to places it had no business going under the circumstances.Β
Awareness sparked and sizzled in my brain as familiar eyes locked on me and widened in surprise. I still couldnβt tell if they were green or brown. The world around us faded away, and my descent seemed to slow. Keeping my attention on Atticus was stupid and dangerous. I needed to survey the rest of the area, but I couldnβt tear my gaze away from him, not even when I landed on the concrete with a jarring thud.Β
That momentary distraction allowed the assailant to take a swing at me with the crowbar. I felt the air move and ducked just in the nick of time, so the blow glanced off my shoulder instead of hitting me in the head. I lowered my shoulders and rammed them into his gut, lunging forward with more strength than was necessary to make the tackle. One minute, my feet were on solid ground, and the next, I was falling through air and splashing into the water. My attacker squirmed in my grip, but I wasnβt about to let go. I wanted to take the fucker down to the bottom of the pool and alligator roll him until he stopped moving. But a cooler head prevailed, and I dragged the assailant to the surface of the pool.Β
*****
Review:
There were lots of times that I smiled at this book and even giggled a few times. Kit is so eager and earnest and he fits in so well with the residents of Silver Maple. I love him for all his clumsy, enthusiastic glory and I love Ray for his steadiness & his appreciation of what makes Kit Kit. They are great together, with Ray helping Kit get his self esteem back and Kit helping Ray to let go of some of his guilt. Both of them have a lot of trauma to address, and a therapist is mentioned but no one actually sees one. I’m hoping that maybe that comes up more as we move through the other books because both of them deserve to be, and love as, their unabashed selves.
And I’m looking forward to the next books because I love the idea of the RAVEN guys. Found family / Band of Brothers type series are some of my favorites and there is so much potential here. These guys have traumas that they need to face in order to be able to truly live again, which means there is a lot of potential here. Unfortunately we didn’t really get to know them all that well. We’re introduced to them and given little hints but maybe we’ll have to wait for their individual books to really get to know them. Which is fine, but it just loses a little of that something special.
As a first book in a new series, taking on the work of introducing a new world, Walker does a good job with Stand and Deliver. It’s spicy and funny but also pulls at the heartstrings as both Kit and Ray, and later his friends, have to address past hurts. It’s a slow burn with a pretty obvious relationship issue that they have to get past, but I like the way Walker handles things and I have faith that she’ll take us somewhere good.
*****
Author Info:
Aimee Nicole Walker is an international bestselling author of Male/Male contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. Her stories guarantee hunks with bigβ¦hearts, lots of humor and heat, and the occasional homicide. Aimee is a lifelong dreamer, an avid reader, and an off-key singer. Only two of those traits help her craft captivating characters and charming communities where everyone is welcome. She uses the other quirk to entertain her pets during writing breaks.Β
Aimee has loved the same guy for over thirty years. Her husband is the reason she can write romance novels, and heβs possibly inspired a fictional murder plot a time or ten. They share three adult children, two adorable grandsons, and a menagerie of pets that donβt include goats or donkeysβ¦yet. Love inspires everything she does, books keep her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
Can you believe this? Havertonβs football hero is opening a bagel shop next to my pizzeria and heβs sellingβwait for itβpizza bagels. The nerve!Β
And Rob Vilmer isnβt above using his fame to attract clients. Itβs annoying and yes, Iβm feeling a little crusty about the situation. My temper has gotten me into a few binds, but a pizza-bagel war? This is a first.Β
Iβm gonna crush him.Β
ROB
After years of playing in the pros, Iβm beat. All I want is to open a bagel shop in the town that gave me a shot at the big time. Iβd love some peace and quiet too, however, I wonβt be getting that with Mateo Cavaretti next door.Β
Geez, I canβt believe I had a crush on that guy in college. Sure, heβs still incredibly good-looking, but heβs a grouch. And while I like my business partnerβs idea of settling our dispute with a classic bake-off, Mateo and I canβt be in the same room without fireworks exploding.Β
Okay, some of those fireworks are extra sexy and that might be a problem.Β
Or is all truly fair in love and pizzaβ¦and bagels?
Allβs Fair in Love and Pizza is an MM grumpy/sunshine, small-town romance featuring former teammates, a culinary challenge, and a HEA worth fighting for.Β
*A portion of All’s Fair in Love and Pizza was originally included in the Delicious Anthology. This new version has doubled in length to over 40k words and a whole lot of bake-off shenanigans!Β
βWhoa. Wait up.β I held my hand like a stop sign and stepped into his space. Bad move. I had to tilt my head to meet his eyes now, and that was weird. I was six oneβnot exactly a small dude, but that asshole had sprouted at least another two inches since college. Iβd bet he was six foot six. And yes, he was an asshole. I hadnβt thought so until a minute ago, but nowβ¦ βYou canβt sell pizza bagels next to a pizza parlor.β
βI canβt?βΒ
βNo, you canβt. Itβs brand assimilation or something. Itβs illegal.βΒ
βIllegal?β he scoffed. βI donβt think so, Mateo. Bagels are bagels, pizza is pizza. But I was only kidββ
βYeah, but a pizza bagel is a piece of dough thatβs dressed up to look like something it isnβt. Itβs shady advertising, not to mention blatant customer poaching. Sell all the bagels you want, but donβt sell pizza bagels. Thatβs a great way to get off to a rotten start. You know what Iβm saying?βΒ
Rob regarded me for a long moment. βAre you threatening me?β
βThreaten is a strong word. Iβm suggesting you do the right thing.β
βOr what?βΒ
I snort-laughed in my most derisive, supremely irritating fashion. It was the kind of insincere and dismissive gesture that had pissed off opponents on the field years ago and still probably got under my cousinsβ skin. Nothing to brag about, but heyβ¦Iβd learned how to play with the big kids early. Rule number one: Never show fear. Rule number two: Never back down or give someone else the upper hand.Β
βI βspose youβll find out.β I turned on my heels, tray clenched to my chest as I sauntered next door.
Yeah, yeah. Look, maybe Rob wasnβt the enemy. Maybe it was a quirky act of fate that heβd happened to lease the property next to mine. The one I wanted.
Fortune had shined upon him and that was nice and all, but Boardwalk Pizza was an institution in this town. We were the experts, we were the ones with decades of experience, and we werenβt going anywhere.Β
So Rob could shove his goddamn pizza bagel up his ass.
*****
Review:
I love Lane Hayes’s books. Her name on the cover makes it an automatic read for me but honestly I struggled a little at the beginning of this one. It’s set up as an enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers story but I just didn’t get why Mateo was so antagonistic to Rob from the beginning. I had faith tho and kept going and I’m glad I did. Once I got a little further, I loved the two of them together, and individually, and it made for lighthearted fun.
Teo is all sorts of prickly and sarcastic but he loves big and loud. And he’s surrounded by a family that loves just as big and loud and I love that for him. I need more from them because they are a hoot. While Rob may be a little quieter, he loves big too and he adores every bit of Teo’s grouchiness.
I do feel like there was an opportunity to go a little deeper into their issues – Rob’s anxiety and Teo’s reasons for putting up walls. It was originally a novella in an anthology so I’m wondering if maybe the additions just didn’t mesh quite as well as they could have.
Mixing a bit of fun with a dose of family love and some heat, Hayes gives us a nice, comfortable read. It’s not angsty, more a quiet slide into a HEA.
*****
Author Info:
Lane HayesΒ lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesnβt mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, whoβs pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write.
Sheβs 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 yesβ¦romance is much more satisfying!
Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolateβ¦in any order. Add a book and sheβs set!
Gracie Reynolds and I have been best friends since we were kids. Sheβs smart, kind, funny, beautifulβand one of the best parts of my life. When Gracie walks into a room, people notice. I always notice.
But when she moved across the world with a guy I despised, it felt like Iβd lost a piece of myself. I missed her in ways I still canβt explain.
Now sheβs backβ and sheβs crashing at my place for a couple of months while she figures things out. Sheβs single and ready for a fresh start. Iβve always had her back, and that hasnβt changed.
What has changed? The way that she looks at me. The way I canβt stop looking at her. So, when Gracie makes me a once in a lifetime proposition–obviously, I’m all in. But this isn’t your average gray area–it’s a full-on, sweat-inducing, five chili pepper detour we never meant to take.
Gracie has big dreams though, and Iβd never be the guy to hold her back. Even if all I wantβ¦is to be the reason that she stays.
Order now and receive the stunning DELUXE FIRST PRINT RUN while supplies lastβfeaturing gorgeous detailed sprayed edges, custom designed endpapers and an exclusive bonus scene, only available in print.
I think that this one had a few things going on from the start. Returning readers were waiting to see what Beefcake all grown up would be like and he’s just as emotionally confident as we could hope he would be. He’s got swagger but with the big heart to back it up. Love Cutler as an adult, his parents and uncles and godfathers really did a great job of helping him grow into a stand up human being.
There’s also a lot of pressure put on their story because of the long friendship between Gracie and Cutler. I mean, it’s been obvious to everyone around them that their connection had the potential to be so much more. There was no way their little arrangement wasn’t going to lead to a HEA for them. They just needed to get out of their own way to see it.
But it did lead to some issues caused by lack of communication. For two people who know each other SO well, there were times that they had no idea that they were on pretty much the same page. And I get how scared you might be to ruin a friendship with someone that means that much to you … it wasn’t going to be an easy change to make. It involves minimal drama or angst but a lot at stake for them both to go down that path.
This obviously sets up a new series of books with Cutler and Gracie’s friends but it didn’t feel like too much to be introduced to a new set of characters and a new town. Pavlov gives us just enough to be intrigued by each of them, and of the little family group they’ve made together, but not be overwhelming. Definitely looking forward to what comes next with each of them.
My Forever Girl has the slow burn feels and steam and connection that I’ve come to expect from Pavlov’s books. There’s all sorts of small town charm, found family closeness, and plenty of heat. Cutler has grown into a fantastic book boyfriend – supportive and caring and confident – and it was so enjoyable to see him and Gracie finally realize they were meant to be together.
My world turns upside down when Iβm thrust into single parenthood to my day-old son. Coming from a home where hatred and resentment thrived, Iβm terrified of messing up my kid. Just when Iβm at my lowest point, on the brink of drowning, a stranger shows up at my door and somehow, he makes it a little easier to breathe even as he makes the guilt in my chest a little louder.
TYLER
My world turns inside out with the loss of my sister – my best friend. Iβm hours too late to say goodbye and by the time I get to the hospital, her newborn has already left with her fiance. Tracking them down isnβt as difficult asΒ notΒ falling for him. Everyday this man makes me fall a little harder as I search for the answers my sister took with her to an early grave.
This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.
This is my first book by Reitan and I’m not sure where to start. There are some trigger warnings so I would make sure that you read those to make sure the book is a good fit. It also discusses kinks pretty bluntly so make sure you’re OK there too. I’m kinda like Tyler, more on the slightly salted vanilla side of things, so while it’s not my thing personally I do appreciate where they are coming from and I feel like Reitan explains things well.
She also knows how to deliver the heat because Denny and Tyler are hot together. HAWT hot! While they bring the spice tho they also bring tons of emotions. I mean, Denny hits us right from page one with his guilt and his anxiety and his fear of the future. Then when Sally dies … ooof, it’s a gut punch. But Tyler comes at a time when he’s needed and they slowly get to know one another, drawn together by the miracle of a little boy and the impact from the loss of his mother.
And I love them together. I understand their hesitation considering who Sally was but they work together seamlessly. It’s pretty low angst while also being complicated, steeped in the problems that come from childhood trauma. It’s not easy, and probably could have used the advice of a professional, but I do like that all of them are willing to recognize that they may need to explore further to understand who they are.
Being my first book there is a lot of history in this world and within this friend group that I don’t know or understand. I enjoyed Denny’s story without it but I think I might have a better understanding of their dynamics and their needs with that background. Because these guys truly love each other, making a little family together that does everything they can to support one another.
They are there for Danny even before Ty’s birth and especially after, when he is barely keeping his head above water. Respecting his wishes while also recognizing that he’s not going to always ask for the help he needs. And that respect is extended to each one of their little group, doing everything they can to support and provide the care that each one of them needs. I would love to see more of this play out and am very much looking forward to seeing it in other stories.
*****
Author Info:
Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. All of her RH relationships end up being heavily polyamorous – meaning itβs not just all the men for one woman. Thereβs also some M/M action going on. When she canβt fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center – and utterly swoon-worthy! Donβt ask her how many book boyfriends she hasβ¦
When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (donβt even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!
Romantic Reads and Such 