My husband died one year after our wedding, casting me as the charity case in my small Alaskan town.
Since then, everyoneโincluding my big familyโtry to keep me busy as if that will stop the haunting memories from resurfacing.
Do I know itโs time to move on? Of course, but thatโs easier said than done.
Then Van Adler rides into town. His bad boy vibe complete with his motorcycle and tattoos causes my body to fill with need for the first time since my husbandโs death.
To make matters worse, heโs the one who answered my ad for a roommate. Sharing the close quarters of our two-bedroom apartment means I have to set some ground rules like keeping his rippled abs covered. Soon we become friends, heโs making me dinners, and weโre binge-watching television shows all night.
The more our lives intertwine, the more I start to fall for him. Leaving me wondering, can you find the love of your life twice in one lifetime?
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I feel like this one needs a little bit of a warning. As I moved through it, I felt like I’d missed out a little by not reading a lot of Piper Rayne books. Not so much from missing the first in the Lake Starlight series but The Baileys series. This is a HUGE family and there is a lot that has happened to get to the point where this generation is finding their own HEA. It’s not required reading but I will say I felt a little confused by some of the references to how the misc parents got together. If that’s going to bother you, I’d suggest adding a few books to your TBR pile ๐
Having said that, I did enjoy getting to know Van and Brinley. Brin has been a little stuck since her husband died four years ago. It doesn’t help that she lives in a small town so it’s hard to escape the label of “widow”. She’s not really put herself out there, but she’s definitely not been pushed. Until Van.
Van isn’t the bad boy that the title implies – he’s caring, brave, and dedicated to his job. He’s patient when Brin needs it but he’s there to help her to be more daring, to be more herself and not who she thinks she should be. His support and encouragement of her is pretty awesome.
But while I liked the two of them, there was something just a bit missing for me from what I expect in a Piper Rayne story. The characters are interesting, their romance works, and I love all the assorted side characters … I don’t know. It’s a darn good story, it’s just not spectacular and that’s the norm when I pick up one of their stories. Others seemed to have loved it so maybe it was just me … regardless, it’s definitely worth a read no matter what.
*****
Author Info:
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
He leads the league in scoring. My heart won’t give him another shot.ย
He leads the league in scoring. My heart won’t give him another shot. I swore I’d never come back to Denver. I’d never trust the wrong man again. But here I am, back in the same place as the bad boy athlete who broke my heart. Clay rules the basketball court, and now he’s gunning for redemption. But I’m not the same girl who fell for the man behind the all-star image and reputation. He made me want him like I’ve never wanted anyone. He made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered. A single look can make me ache. A whispered promise in his gruff voice makes my chest tight. Clay’ll do anything to prove we’re worth another shot.
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I am NOT a fan of books that end on cliffhangers. Well, at least not if I have to wait for more books to be released before I can get to the end ๐ I picked up Game Changer without knowing that it was a part of a trilogy, and I almost didn’t give it a shot but by the time I put it down I was so glad I did. Shot Taker picks up basically where the last book left off and we get to see what happens when Nova comes back to Denver & into Clay’s orbit.
While this is definitely the middle part of the story, without the excitement of the introduction or the satisfaction of a HEA, I enjoyed getting to know both Clay and Nova better. Nova is still that mix of sunshine & vulnerability, but she’s also developed a bit more grit. The implosion of her relationship with Clay really hurt her and she’s using that to her advantage. She’s going after what she wants with her art and she’s also going to make Clay work for another chance if he wants one.
Clay’s connection to Nova has changed him as well. It has him looking at more than just his goal to get to LA and has him evaluating the man, friend, & teammate he has been up to this point and whether that’s who he wants to be going forward. I’m really enjoying seeing him grow into a bit more than the grumpy (as$) baller that Nova first met.
Being the middle of the story there is a cliffhanger leading us to the last book, but I was really pleased with the lack of serious angst in this one. While there is some work that has to be done to get Clay & Nova back together, it wasn’t drama for drama’s sake and instead moved us forward to what will hopefully be a HEA. I’ll be interested to see where Lawson goes from here because I feel like, to get a full third book, there is going to have to be more drama to come. I have faith though that she can make it work.
*****
Author Info:
Piper Lawson is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of smart and steamy romance.
She writes women who follow their dreams, best friends who know your dirty secrets and love you anyway, and complex heroes you’ll fall hard for.
Piper lives in Canada with her tall and brilliant husband. She’s a sucker for dark eyes, dark coffee, and dark chocolate.ย
When Harper Shawโs life falls apart, she knows itโs time for a change. She removes everything that doesnโt spark joyโfrom her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making listsโand sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldnโt feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery. With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace sheโs never experienced sinceโฆwell, forever. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secretsโฆ
When those secrets explode, it changes Harperโs new world, and sheโll learn, itโs never too late to start over, itโs never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, itโs never too late to let yourself believe in love.
*****
Review:
Harper has been hurt in the past, let down by those who were supposed to love her, so she decides to go back to the last place she was truly happy. To open a bakery and live a life that her mother could be proud of her for. She’s a little prickly, a lot wounded, but she craves the love that the people of Sunrise Cove can give her.
Ivy has been let down by her own mother more times than she can count so she runs away. A pitstop in Sunrise Cove has her reevaluating her plan … and, with the help of Harper, Bodie, and all their friends & family, maybe making choices that she didn’t plan on.
I really enjoyed getting to know the big, boisterous, oh-so-loving Campbell clan. They can be loud and pushy but also have big hearts and only want the best for those they care about, family or not. I kinda wish there’d been a series about all the brothers because I’d love to see more of this group.
With her newest, I think Shalvis straddles a line between women’s fiction and romance. While I really enjoyed Harper and Bodie getting to know each other and learning to open up, to take a chance on giving away their hearts, The Sweetheart List is really a family story at its heart. There’s a lot here about finding the place you belong and the people who will support you.
(Part of a series but … not really? I think these are more like unconnected books set in the same place.)
Itโs hard to keep a big secret in a small town . . .
When Paige Hollister discovers her โMr. Rightโ already has a โMrs. Right,โ she swears off men forever. Even moreย humiliating, she suddenly finds herself labeled the other woman and out of the teaching job she loves. So Paige does whatย every unemployed single woman staring thirty in the face does: ย She hightails it to the beach. Bad luck like hers is hard toย outrun, however. Her getaway is stalled when her car breaks down in a small-town chock full of meddling, nosy residents.ย The worst of them being the local sheriffโnone other than her estranged father.
Finally on top of the golf world, Tanner Gillette is poised to show everyone heโs not just an entitled playboy coastingย through tournaments on his pedigree. That is until his life is turned upside down by a little girl who shows up on hisย doorstep with a birth certificate inexplicably bearing his name. Complicating matters more, the kid isnโt talking. When theย stress of caring for a child whose mother is AWOL gives Tanner a bad case of the yips, heโs forced to enlist help from the oneย person in town who canโt wait to leave.
Sticking around Chances Inlet and her fatherโs shiny new, รผber-successful family isnโt on Paigeโs to-do list. Especially whenย sheโd prefer to keep her embarrassing incident under wraps. Yet she canโt walk away from the troubled little girl. Or theย sexy Australian golfer who just might make her want to take a chance on trusting her heart again.
Tanner was already halfway to her when his brain kicked in, reminding him that this was unwise. He was supposed to be avoiding Paige. He couldnโt be trusted around her. But he couldnโt retreat now. Not when he could feel the eyes of every woman at the pool tracking him.
Make that every woman except Paige Hollister. She was too engrossed in her book to notice.
โWhereโs Whitney?โ he practically barked when he tossed down his towel onto the chaise next to her.
Paige jolted at the sound of his voice before pulling her sunglasses down and eyeballing him. โShe and Emily went joyriding in your golf cart.โ
โNot funny.โ Her snark had him relaxing. He neednโt be worried about Whitney. Paige took her role very seriously. Likely, she was off with Kate and Emily somewhere. He stepped out of his slides before lowering himself down to the chair.
โWhat are you doing?โ she asked.
โThat should be obvious.โ He let out a satisfying sigh, crossed his bare feet at the ankles and closed his eyes.
Paige huffed beside him. โFine. Kate is taking the kids for lunch after visiting the sea turtle rescue hospital.โ She shoved her book into a canvas bag. โIโll just finish my book on the porch at home.โ
Let her go, his brain screamed. The rest of him wasnโt listening, however. Without opening his eyes, his fingers reached between them, finding her wrist, gently encircling it.
โStay,โ he heard himself saying. Opening his eyes, he turned toward her. โPlease,โ he whispered, not liking the pleading tone of his voice one bit.
Paigeโs eyes leapt from his hand on her wrist, up to his face, only to drop back down to where her skin was scorching his. Judging by the wary expression on her face, she thought it was a bad idea, also. Still, she sank her teeth into her bottom lip before nodding.
Relief raced through him. He brushed the pad of his thumb against the pulse throbbing at her wrist. Time seemed to stand still.
โIโve got your lunch, Mr. Gillette,โ a voice from above announced.
Paige yanked her hand away. The server was holding a folding table, but he seemed unsure where to put it until Paige gestured wildly to place it between them. She grabbed a fry from the plate and popped it into her mouth before heโd even set it down.
โMmm. Do you have any ketchup?โ
The server produced several packets from his pocket. โAnything else, sir?โ
Paige picked up half the club sandwich and unabashedly took a bite.
Tanner sighed. โApparently Iโm going to need another one of those.โ
โAnd an Arnold Palmer,โ Paige mumbled around the food in her mouth.
Tanner held up two fingers. The befuddled server nodded and disappeared.
โEnjoying yourself?โ
โMmm,โ she replied. โYou might have mentioned lunch was part of the deal. I wouldnโt have been in such a rush to leave.โ
He shook his head to avoid laughing at her cheekiness. โThank you.โ
She paused mid-bite. โDoes that mean lunch is on me?โ
This time he did laugh. โNo. Thank you for staying.โ
Her eyes darted away. Despite her outward bravado, she was skittish around him today. Not that he blamed her. He turned into a fool whenever he was near her.
The server brought their drinks. Paige swallowed half of hers in one gulp.
โI doubt you would have been lonely too long,โ she said.
โPrecisely what Iโm trying to avoid.โ
She lowered her sunglasses again. โAre you telling me Iโm the . . . what? Some sort of decoy?โ
โItโs been my experience that women wonโt approach me if Iโve got a beautiful woman by my side.โ
Paige choked on a fry. Tanner leaned over to slap her on the back. She glared at him when he let his hand linger too long.
โPuh-lease. Iโm no competition for those women.โ She waved a hand in the direction of the co-eds shimmying to an R&B song blasting from one of their mobile phones.
Was she kidding?
How could this woman not know she was a stunner? He let his eyes wander down her torso, lush and full in all the right places. Her legs were sturdy and toned right down to the purple nail polish on her toes. But it was the challenge in those pale blue eyes of hers that always seemed to draw him in. That and her saucy, sinful mouth.
โWhy do women always do that?โ
โDo what?โ
โPut themselves down. Find fault with their appearance no matter how gorgeous they are.โ
Her mouth opened and closed twice. โWellโโ
โNo,โ he argued. โDonโt you dare shame your body, Paige Hollister. Itโs magnificent just the way it is. You are beautiful just the way you are. Any man who doesnโt see that is a damn fool.โ
*****
Review:
(warning: maybe some slight spoilers)
This is the first in this series that I’ve read so that may have something to do with it, but I really didn’t quite understand Paige’s bad feelings toward her dad. I get that he wasn’t there for her growing up, but I felt like I was missing something that would explain why she was so against getting to know him. Maybe it was explored more in his story. I also was a little lost on why she was so adamant about keeping quiet what was going on in her life. I get why she’d be a little embarrassed, but she seemed to take it a little far.
I did like her with Tanner though. I found them to be amusing & entertaining as they flirted and danced around their attraction. They were fun together and their obvious affection for Whitney endeared them even more.
Speaking of Tanner, he’s dealing with a lot. I felt so bad for him, with his childhood and then losing his brother. That’s a lot for anyone to handle but throw a surprise kid in the mix and it’s a good excuse to be a less than stand-up guy. Not our Tanner though. He’s there to support Whitney (and Paige) in any way he can and as all the details come out, he’s does the best he can for everyone involved, every step of the way.
Family drama mixes wonderfully with a little bit of a mystery, a small-town HEA romance, & meddling busy body family creating a delightful beach read. If the rest of Solheim’s books are like this one, I’ve got quite a few titles to add to my TBR pile!
*****
Author Info:
USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually best-sellers. The books, not the men. When she’s not writing, she’s practicing her curling. . . bottles of wine, that is. She’s been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she’d rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough. (See the note above about cooking.) Check out her romantic suspense series featuring the Men of the Secret Service–shirtless, of course! See what sheโs up to at http://www.tracysolheim.com
Jalen Daniels loves his job as a hockey coach to kids in the Philadelphia Powerโs youth league. Coaching in the same league he played in and volunteering his time to a charity that brings the game to underserved communities takes up a lot of his time. The rest is filled with playing hockey in a rec league and bouncing at a nightclub. Meeting Leif Larsson, star player for the Power and father of one of the kids he coaches, knocks Jalen’s busy life off balance and leaves him craving Philly’s favorite Swede.
Philadelphia Power defenseman Leif Larsson has devoted the last four years to being a dad and a hockey player, in that order. Focusing on being the best dad for his daughter and the best teammate and player for the team was all that mattered. But when he sees Jalen at a charity event, their connection is strong enough to push his heart into pursuing the talented, surprising, handsome man.
Amid the bustle of hockey season, the sparks between Jalen and Leif ignite into something bigger and brighter than theyโve ever experienced. But navigating a relationship when their conflicting schedules make meeting up close to impossible is harder on their hearts than they anticipated. Can they find a way to score a win for love?
Nudging an elbow into my side, Ryder inclines Strikerโs giant head in Sawyerโs direction with a sly smile. “I was thinking about bringing a backup turkey to Thanksgiving.”
As expected, frustration flares in Sawyerโs features, and he huffs a heavy sigh. “My dog snatches the bird off the table one time and itโs all you guys can talk about.”
Grinning, Axel zips his bag shut and takes over stowing away Sawyerโs gear for him. “Donโt forget, his yanking the tablecloth also lost us the stuffing and green beans.”
“The cranberry sauce was still edible.” Frustration fades under the amusement brimming in Sawyerโs eyes. “Donโt worry, Iโve already had a talk with him about being a good guest and I am bringing a backup turkey just in case.”
โShould I bring one too?โ Blue eyes brimming with laughter, Calder rubs a towel over his damp blond hair. โOr stick with apple pie?โ
โI love pie.โ Axel hooks his arm around Calderโs shoulders. โDefinitely more pie.โ
โIf you had your way, weโd exclusively be eating pie for dinner.โ Laughing, I canโt resist the pull to turn my attention back to Jalen. For the first time all afternoon, heโs alone.
“Go talk to him,” Axel advises, and Sawyer, Calder, and Ryder nod in agreement.
Desire to go wars with fear of rejection and the worry I imagined our earlier connection. “What, right now? With you all watching?”
Axel fixes me with the no-nonsense stare reserved for the occasions when our team needs to be called out. “Youโre one of the most fearsome defensemen in the league and a formidable champion of LGBTQ rights. Are you really going to let a little thing like us scare you away from talking to the first guy to ever captivate your attention? Donโt be such a baby.”
A baby? I immediately bristle with the need to prove Iโm not one. The satisfaction on Axelโs face reveals his intention. He knows me too well.
“Fine.” Anticipation, embarrassment, and determination jangling my body louder than the music coming from the arenaโs speakers, I stand. My teammates do the same, and for a second Iโm afraid theyโll tag along.
Axel slaps my back. โThatโs my boy.โ
“Good luck, Leafy,” Sawyer adds, before tugging a ball cap with Strikerโs image over his dark hair.
Ryder gives me a gentle nudge forward. “Make us proud, man.”
โYouโve got this.โ Calder busts out two thumbs up.
“You guys suck.” But they just grin at me, and I smile back. Iโm lucky to have friends who will goad me into being brave in the one area Iโve shied away from since the birth of my daughter. Being a dad has always come first, so I havenโt let myself indulge too far into romance. But thereโs something about Jalen, and if I donโt act now, I know Iโll always regret it.
Nerves buzzing stronger than before a championship game, I head in his direction.
*****
Review:
Against the Rush is a slow burn romance between two guys who have a instant and strong connection but who have to figure out how they can make it work. Both are extremely busy with professional and family commitments that take up quite a bit of their time. But when you meet someone that you are drawn to so completely, you’ll just have to figure things out.
I liked both Jalen and Leif – they are sensible, giving, and loving. They approach life and relationships with careful thought and hard work. Are there bumps along the way, sure, but that’s pretty much life. Plus, they wear their hearts on their sleeves and it’s just the sweetest.
I will say my only complaint is that some of the writing is a little …. flowery? The similes and metaphors got just a bit out there for me. It only happened in a handful of places but if a reader is anything like my husband that’s going to be a big nope right out of the gate so I wanted to throw it out there.
Overall, though, readers who likes a slower paced, realistic love story will enjoy Leif & Jalen’s story. It’s full of real-life moments, relationships, and issues. There’s hardly any drama or angst, just a couple slowly getting to know each other and falling in love.
*****
Author Info:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Susan Scott Shelley writes stories with heat and heart, where love always wins. Her romances give readers lighthearted escapes into happily ever after, celebrate the fact that love is love, and that everyone, regardless of how they identify and who they love, deserves to be accepted and cherished for who they are. In addition to crafting stories, she is a professional voiceover artist and enjoys lending her voice to a wide range of projects. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and loves sports, science, running, and reading. Visit her at susanscottshelley.com.
Chantal Mer never set out to write books. Yet here she is, and sheโs having a blast. Happily ever afters for everyone makes her heart sing. When sheโs not writing, Chantal can be found walking her adorable dog, going to musical theater with her daughter, observing the night sky with her husband and his telescope, and learning about the latest advances in video games with her son. Give her a book and a glass of wine and sheโs in her happy place. Chantal lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband, two teens, and her sweet pup, Miss Toffee. Visit her at chantalmer.com.
RULE #1: Do not catch feelings for the man who doesn’t believe in love.
Four months. That’s how long I’ll need to pretend to be Steele Cunningham’s doting girlfriend.
I agreed to this insanity only to save my restaurant. He’s doing it because he needs someone outside his “social circle” to stick it to his meddling parents and clingy ex.
Ruthless and emotionless in both his personal life and his career, Steele’s ego rivals his net worth.
Operating on joy and positivityโand a healthy bit of feistinessโI challenge him at every step.
He’s a tin manโheartless and cold. Falling for him would be a colossal mistake, because there’s no chance he’ll ever love me.
He can’t.
After all, he’s the man with an armored heart.
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Ella delightfully shakes up Steele’s world when she storms in trying to convince him to save her restaurant by plying him with food … well, before she starts throwing meatballs at him instead. She’s spunky and caring and just what he needs to break him out of his cold existence. And it’s great, for a while. Then the hot/cold routine got a little old as I waited for them to figure things out. I enjoyed the characters enough though that I was more than willing to be patient with them. And it was worth it. Steele was his typically bumbling self when it comes to things like emotions, but he’s got a good heart under all that armor and the ending (and epilogue) more than made up for the twisting path to get there.
Readers, give these two a little grace & understanding, especially Steele (with his background, he needs it). Their story is both amusing and frustrating, filled with great secondary characters, a heroine with a too big heart, and a hero whose softer side is hidden but known to those who are close to him. It may take them a while to figure things out, and there is more than one wrong turn and some serious assumptions & miscommunications, but they are worth the wait.
*****
Author Info:
RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.
If youโre in the mood for some killer mojitos or canโt recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, sheโs your girl.
So either I was reading the wrong NA books or they’ve come a LONG way since I last read any because I enjoyed the heck out of this one. I remember looking at the characters from the POV of someone well beyond their college years and just finding them too naive or inexperienced. Not so with Jenshak’s newest.
Felix and Dahlia are adorable together. I liked the fact that Felix had a thing for her before the video hit, that they’d been kinda dancing around each other at parties, so it wasn’t so weird that he’d want to help her. Not that a caring person wouldn’t feel for her in that situation, but it helps to provide a little more connection between the two.
Dahlia is adorably awkward, especially around Felix, but she’s willing to put herself out there in her fake relationship, embracing Felix’s ideas, getting to know his friends, and trying new things. Felix is still a little burned from his last relationship, which he’s fine with since he’s super focused on getting into the NFL. It does lead to some complications when his connection to Dahlia becomes a little more real that their fake relationship was meant to be.
As a series about Dahlia’s friends, they are guaranteed to play a big part of the story and they support Dahlia beautifully. It makes me interested in reading the other books to see a little more about each of them. I also liked Felix’s friends. They may be a little more childish than her’s, but they are fun.
**spoilerish** There were a couple of things that stretched believability, most especially Dahlia’s thing with the rockstar. Maybe the connection came from a previous book that I hadn’t read, but it seems strange that he would contract with a college student to make him a pair of pants, fly her to LA, go all out for her while she’s there, and then let her use his plane … it was one outfit out of a wardrobe of clothes. I think there was something else but this one was the one that made me go “really?” while reading it. I still really enjoyed the book but just thought I’d throw that out there.
Jenshak helps to remind me that maybe I’m not giving NA romances the attention they deserve, and I’ll be keeping my eye on her & adding some of her books to my TBR pile. With enjoyable characters, a sweet love story, and an ending that left me happy, Scoring the Player will appeal to romance readers of all ages.
*****
Author Info:
Rebecca Jenshak is a USA Today bestselling author of new adult and sports romance. She writes sexy, feel-good stories with lots of swoon-worthy moments.
Rebecca lives in Arizona. When she isnโt writing, you can find her cheering on local sports teams, hanging out with friends and family, or curled up with a good book.
He’s a shy hockey heartthrob. She’s not afraid to ask for what she wants. Can these two find a neutral zone?
To my fans, Iโm known as Ivan Fitzgerald.
To my teammates, Iโm just Fitz.
And to the girl Iโve been talking to online, Iโm ShootsAndScores.
Thereโs no doubt in my mind that the woman on the other side of the screen is completely out of my league. Why wouldnโt she be? Sure, Iโm a professional hockey player, but that doesnโt mean anything when Iโm shy and awkward in the most basic social situations and sheโs a fiery vixen who oozes sex appeal.
No matter how badly I want her, I canโt have her. Because the woman I love watching so much? The one I might be slowly falling for?
Sheโs not just some stranger on the internet. Itโs Rosie, the woman who serves me coffee and donuts every morning.
And she has no clue itโs me.
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I’ll be honest, I really didn’t like what Fitz did to Rosie at the beginning. Maybe it would have helped if I’d read the rest of the books but to me Fitz just had a little bit of a self-confidence issue when it comes to women thanks bad reactions from them in his past. He’s not all that awkward, but definitely a bit shy because of it. But that definitely doesn’t excuse his actions and I pushed through it because the series is well liked on Goodreads & the mains were cute together. I’m glad I did because once they got past Fitz being ShootsAndScores it picked up. And showed that Fitz isn’t the only one coming into the relationship with some baggage.
I love how Fitz and Rosie complement each other so well. How Fitz praises and supports Rosie is a total relationship goal as is Rosie’s complete and effortless acceptance of some of Fritz’s preferences (which were not so well received by women in the past, leading to some of his issues). They make a great couple; I just wish that Fitz had taken one of the multitude of opportunities provided to him to tell Rosie who he was to her.
Readers have to be ok with a bit of lying, even by omission and out of fear for how it would be received, but if they stick it out they will be rewarded with a delightfully fun and well-suited couple.
*****
Author Info:
TEAGAN HUNTER writes steamy romantic comedies with lots of sarcasm and a side of heart. She loves pizza, hockey, and romance novels, though not in that order. When not writing, you can find her watching entirely too many hours of Supernatural, One Tree Hill, or New Girl. She’s mildly obsessed with Halloween and prefers cooler weather. She married her high school sweetheart, and they currently live in the PNW.
Kieran Sullivan is broken when he arrives at Redemption Ridge. A wrongful conviction and twenty months in lockup will do that to a man. The ranch is a place for second chances and fresh starts, but for him, itโs an opportunity to discover who set him up. Get in, get answers, and get out. The plan sounds easy enough until Kieran meets an equine specialist whose sunny smile could warm the coldest heart.
Finley Ashe is a sucker for bruised spirits and sad eyes. The horse whisperer and broken-boy magnet is six months into a hiatus from love when Kieran, the king of emotionally unavailable men, gets assigned to work under his supervision. Mutual attraction is gasoline on proximityโs flame, testing Finleyโs resistance in new ways.
Priorities shift, shields come down, and truths get exposed. Will the inevitable combustion redeem Kieran and Finley or consume them?
Guys Like Him is book one in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Guys Like Him contains mature themes and is intended for adults.
Thick gray clouds hovered overhead, rolling like the anger churning inside him. For the past year, heโd expressed his eagerness to put the past behind him and start fresh. Thatโs what the prison counselors and the people with power over him wanted to hear, so that was the bullshit he fed them. But privately, Kieran tended to his bitterness like a stew on the stove. He knew when to adjust the heat and which ingredients to add to the pot to keep his resentment sharp. And the fucking drab sky and clouds only antagonized him more.
For twenty months, his entire existence had been grayโthe floors and walls, the food, and the pallor of the inmatesโ skin. The only break in the monotony were the prison scrubs. He would happily go the rest of his life without seeing the color orange again. Kieran had foolishly allowed himself to daydream about the vibrancy heโd see on release day, but heโd just gotten more of the same. Everything around him was wet and shiny from the rain, but it was more of a piss on his parade than a refreshing, clean slate. Kieranโs olfactory senses zeroed in on the motor oil brought to the asphaltโs surface by the shower. It was a scent he knew all too well, and it became a match to his pilot light. Rainwater splashed up on his feet and shins as he walked, but his wrath made him impervious to the chill. Kieran reached inside the padded envelope, removed the wallet, and stuffed it into his back pocket. Then he tossed the envelope with the cell phone into the trash bin. The device was dead, the contract canceled, and there was no one on the contact list he wanted to speak to anymore.
A slight breeze stirred the air, and Kieran closed his eyes and tipped his head back. Yeah, heโd enjoyed fresh air during breaks in the yard, but they never lasted long enough and were controlled by someone else. Heโd lived long enough like a marionette, and there was no better time to embrace free will. The weather wasnโt what heโd hoped for, but he got to enjoy it outside the fences, and that was a victory heโd stop and embrace.
A rumbling engine caught his attention, and he opened his eyes in time to see a black king cab truck with a silver Redemption Ridge logo stop in front of the facility. The guy behind the wheel wasnโt a chauffeur, but he was there for Kieran just the same. A year ago, he set a plan into motion, and Cash Sweeneyโs presence proved it had worked.
Kieranโs good behavior had gained him access to the K9 programs at Arrowhead, where heโd met Cash and his dogs from Redemption Ridge. The front passenger window rolled down, and a familiar black-and-white head poked out. Patsy, a border collie, was the first dog heโd met during the program, and it had been love at first sight for them. It turned out Kieran had a sixth sense when working with animals, especially the shyest ones. His talents had captured Cashโs notice, and heโd offered Kieran employment and housing on his ranch, where he rehabilitated horses and dogs. Kieranโs participation in the program and the subsequent employment opportunity hadnโt been divine intervention or luck; it was all part of his carefully orchestrated plan.
*****
Review:
This one is a slow burn, low angst romance and while it’s a complete romance it’s also an introduction to a larger storyline that will go over a couple more books at least. I think knowing that helps because some of it feels unnecessary and other parts are kinda left hanging. Definitely a standalone-but-not kind of situation ๐
Kieran, just out of prison, has one thing on his mind when he gets to Redemption Ranch – get revenge on the people who send him to jail for something he didn’t do. And then he meets Finley. The draw is undeniable, but Kieran tries so hard to keep in mind why he’s really there.
Finley has always been drawn to men who are not good for him – the broken ones – and no one fits that bill more than Kieran. But past relationships have left Finley with a bruised heart and he’s not too anxious to do that again. If only he can resist his new ranch hand.
There’s a lot of fighting their feelings, inner dialogue moments in the early parts of the story so it takes a while for these two to finally give in to their attraction but it’s worth it when they do. (It also gives readers a chance to get to know a little bit about the ranch and everyone who lives there.) **Slight spoiler ahead but just a teeny, hint of one** Part of that includes the two of them trying to get more info on what happened with Kieran’s past. But a lot of the resolution of it happens offscreen, which I think some readers were frustrated with. I’m going to give the author the benefit of the doubt and hope that it comes into play more in a later story.
This is only the second of this author’s books that I’ve read and I’m looking forward to more. Her mains are likeable, interacting well together with a good combination of humor & heat, and she does well at giving us intriguing secondary characters. Finley’s mother, stepfather, and sister are a hoot, but the love between them is there for everyone to see. And the others at the ranch all seem like good guys, with pasts that could be a hotbed for complications & depth, and I’m so ready for more about them. Bring it on Ms. Walker!
*****
Author Info:
Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titlesโwife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
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A sexy and emotional story about how two best friends secretly fall in love but struggle to keep a heartbreaking secret from tearing them apart.
When I met Greg Foster, the straight tight end for the Portland Pirates, the rookie needed a friend to bring him out of his shell. There was more to the shy twenty-two-year-old bookworm than met the eye, and I was the perfect person for the task. My roommate and best friend, Christian, was involved with the Pirates QB, so a new friend to hang out with was good.
I pushed down my attraction to him and became the best friend he ever had. We bar-hopped all over Portland and played video games in our apartments. We even loved the same indy band from Seattle.
Then we fucked up when we fell in love. And by fucked up, I mean we got married even though we knew our marriage had to remain a secret.
No one knew about us. Not even our closest friends. And every time they asked, we gave them the same line… we’re just friends.
And ultimately, the reason for that secret would tear us apart. Now, here I was three years after meeting him, and wasnโt sure how to survive without him. He was the love of my life, and I was his.
Ineligible Receiver is a friends-to-lovers and bi-awakening story and Book 5 in The Package Deal Series.
โSo, Texas Tech, huh? Did you finish your degree, or leave early for the pros?โ
Greg took a sip of his beer, then nodded. โYeah, I got my degree.โ
โWhat is it?โ He was going to make me pull it out of him.
โEnglish Literature,โ he said, running his big hand over his head.
โYou like to read?โ I was intrigued.
He nodded again. โYeah, I love it. Kinda fits my personality.โ
โThe quiet one?โ
He smiled, but not so shyly this time. โYeah, that one. Iโve never been a partier or anything like that. Iโm weird and like to stay home.โ He rolled the bottle between his long fingers.
Interesting. โThatโs not weird. What else do you do to relax?โ
Greg chuckled. โThis feels like an interview.โ
All I could do was smile. He was so fucking adorable.
โWell,โ I said, turning toward him, โjust so happens I have a spot open for a new friend, and you seem like the perfect person to fill the position.โ
Our eyes met, and my pulse sped up a little. The small smile that crossed his face forced me to smile. He was breathtaking, with green eyes, tanned skin, and that thick light blonde hair. I was really going to have to work to tamp down my lust for him.
โWell, I guess I better finish the interview then.โ
I waited. And waited some more.
โWell?โ
โThatโs a deep subject.โ He tried his damndest not to smile.
My eyes widened. โYouโve got dad jokes!โ I pushed his shoulder. โWhat else you hiding in there, rookie?โ
Greg laughed and visibly relaxed in front of me. This was good.
โNothing, I swear.โ He took another drink of his beer. โGo back to your interview.โ
I had to smile at him. โWhat do you like to do other than read? Thatโs not something we could do together. Although, I guess we could. Maybe get a couple of velvet dinner jackets, some armchairs, and pipes to smoke. Would you like that?โ
I watched his throat as he laughed at my suggestion. That beautiful smile and a tiny bit of his warmth was beginning to show.
โUh, thatโs not necessary. But it would make a cool picture to send to my brother.โ
Okay, he has a brother.
โBrock is almost fourteen. Heโs my best friend.โ
I smiled. โWell, until now.โ
*****
Review:
I was so looking forward to this story and while I loved finally getting Cooper & Greg’s side of things there were a few parts that bothered me enough that I’m regrettably going to have to give this one 3.5 or maybe 3.75 *s. I personally don’t like stories told as flashbacks. It’s disconcerting and stops me from being able to fall completely into the story but I kinda understand why it was done here since we are getting their side of stories that were already told during the previous books (and as such you probably need to have read the rest of them to really enjoy this one). It’s awkward, though, and I think it really doesn’t give them the time their story needs so the idea of them hiding things for so long doesn’t resonate as much. And because of the staccato pacing I didn’t feel for Cooper’s situation as much as I did for Greg’s and so when trouble came I wasn’t on his side like I probably should have been. I think if I had really felt the time passing maybe it would have been different.
Now saying that, while it is a ding it’s not an unforgiveable one and I loved seeing these two fall in love – there are all sorts of feels and heartbreak going on as they make their way to a HEA. Like all of the books up to this point, it takes a little help from their friends for them to get there and it’s a beautiful thing to witness. The support and encouragement that these guys show each other is amazing and exemplifies their closeness as a family. You wish that Greg truly understood that earlier but once his past comes out you can understand why he feels the way he does. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t trust Cooper and the guys more but on the other hand Cooper does enable that a bit as they go along. And they do show Greg that they are there for him when it truly matters.
A rollercoaster ride of emotions, Ineligible Receiver gives readers, especially those that have been there from the start, a satisfying resolution for two of our favorite people. There may be tears and frustration and even a little anger, but there is also humor and silliness and a whole lotta love. The authors know how to give their readers characters to get behind and keep them coming back for more. (Speaking of, I’m definitely going to be there for Roughing the Kicker! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Jesse and Dominick ๐ )
*****
Author Info:
For as long as she can remember, Rheland’s had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else’s creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.
Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.
She’s just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.
Rheland would love to hear from her readers and learn more about y’all. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.
Emerson Beckett is new to the publishing world. As an avid sports fan and lover of well-written M/M romance books, Emerson loves her new career as an author of gay romance. Itโs even more fulfilling for her when she can combine the two.
The journey to becoming an author started with an idea while reading on the sofa. That idea became an email that ultimately resulted in Emerson using those teacher skills to edit novels for three phenomenal MM romance authors. The third referral led to an opportunity to co-write a book series with one of the most genuine and kindest people sheโs ever had the pleasure of knowing- Rheland Richmond. Emerson is the co-author of The Package Deal Series, which includes The Quarterback Keeper, Pass Interference,Unnecessary Roughness, Two-Point Conversion, Illegal Motion, Ineligible Receiver, and one more upcoming book in the series. She plans to release her first solo book in 2023.
Besides being a retired teacher and author, Emerson lives in North Carolina and has been married to the same man for 32 years. She is the mother of three beautiful adults, one of whom is proudly part of the LGBTQ Community and completely responsible for her addiction to MM Romance. Even though the kids no longer live at home, they filled the empty nest with an Australian Shepherd, three cats, and a cute bunny rabbit.
Emerson would love to hear from her readers. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.
Romantic Reads and Such 