Annery
This is a nice final entry in a series that has kept a consistent tone in telling the different love stories for some SEALS stationed in San Diego: strong family dynamics and friends that are like family.
Renzo Bianchhi aka Rooster, he of the Health & Fitness IG, turns out to be a sensitive soul. He's 28 and more than ready to enter into a more adult stage of his life. He's also cautious of personal involvements as he's been burned.
Canaan has left behind his early avocation as a drummer in a moderately successful band (they're famous in Europe) to take care of his grandfather and become a nurse. He also works at smoothie bar where he can ogle all the SEALS he wants but his favorite by a mile is Renzo.
The initial coming together of Renzo & Canaan comes about as a fake boyfriend thing which I don't hate but also don't love. I can never take it seriously. Luckily Canaan isn't shy about talking and he drags Renzo out of his shell. They quickly acknowledge that there is something real worth exploring and that they both want to take a chance. Renzo's hangups and fears can't withstand Canaan's “can do spirit”. The boy is fearless when it comes to sex and he's pretty brave with the emotional stuff too. Renzo is a lucky guy but also very deserving of that luck.
The sex is smoking but, as usual with this series, it's the emotional intimacy that wins out. Though they have loving families Renzo & Canaan are each other's home. It was sweet.
I've rarely been so conflicted about rating/reviewing a book, but this has stumped me. Let's see how it goes.I'm not too diligent about reading blurbs, I may skim them a bit to get an idea, but quickly forget them. I'm also not a stickler for tropes, genres, or whatever the categories are. I'm perfectly happy with a HEA, HFN, bi-sexual characters, PWP, light-kink, heavy kink, TPE, murder mysteries/procedurals, pure romance, PNR, sci-fi etc. I just want a story (it doesn't even have to be original) well told, good writing, and narrative drive. I came to this story because I'm always looking for new narrators, and this was on Audible Escape, which is the Audible version of KU. I really liked [a:Alex Alvarez 744192 Alex Alvarez https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration. The pacing could use some tweaking, but that's a fix for the producer. Overall a very good listen and I'm sorry he doesn't seem to have any more titles, at least not in this name. The book? Issues. The blurb (which I just read) is pretty true but also misleading. I usually don't like to do spoilers, even with tags and I'll try not to do so here but I'll give prospective readers an idea of what not to expect: a romance of any sort. Maybe that's one problem. For some reason it's marketed in the romance category which it's not. I don't even think it's MM or even gay fiction but I'm shelving it as LGB because at least three of the MCs are gay. So there's that. This could more accurately be described as a coming of age story though the leads are in college. Mike Sloan is 24 y.o. senior at IU, a champion swimmer, and contemplating furthering his education through a dual MBA & Law degree. Mike's college has been largely underwritten by Paul Sturgess, a local Bloomington businessman, friend of Mike's parents and he doubles Mike's age (he's 50) and he's Mike's lover. (Not a spoiler, the book opens with Mike & Paul having sex.) I have zero problems with age-difference relationships however IMO Paul is a creep and a predator. He saw Mike grow up, took up the slack in Mike's upbringing including his education when Mike's philandering Dad bailed on his family. When Mike gets to college Paul starts a sexual relationship with Mike. Sure at this point Mike is of age and being a young gay man is more than happy to be with Paul. Paul lets him live in an off campus house free of charge away from crowded dorms. Paul introduces him to the finer things in life, which is fine and dandy, except for the fact that Paul expects in Mike's own word recompense. That's just wrong and unacceptable. Sure he doesn't DO anything to make Mike comply just the sad puppy eyes and guilt trips. Mike isn't repulsed, he feels affection, pity, and gratitude towards Paul. He likes having sex. Win-win, right? It rubbed me wrong. Mike doesn't see Paul as a villain, he's a young man who's basically been groomed to this tit for tatrelationship. What bothered me was that the author seems excuse Paul's behavior because he loves Mike, because he's older, because he's lonely. I call BS. He's a lascivious creepster gorging his sexual appetites on younger men in a predatory way and the author doesn't call him on that. The other MC is Hank Schechter, a transfer student and fellow swimmer who Mike takes an interest in. Hank is “different” and Mike makes it a point of easing his way with the swim team. There also seems to be more to what they can be to each other but that story line is summarily dropped like so many others and that is my GIANT gripe with this book. Potentially interesting storylines are broached and then just left blowing in the wind: what does one owe a benefactor? what are the ethics of a “normal” person having a romantic/sexual relationship with someone “different”? what does the future look like for a gay man living an essentially heterosexual relationship? I'd be interested in ALL of this but the book just stops with zero satisfying resolutions to any of these threads and it's an absolute pity. I liked the non-cookie cuter direction of this story. I generally liked the writing. I liked the flawed characters, their possible missteps unprotected sex everywhere and the mostly unromantic approach to sex. It's just sex, separate from love. But then it's as if the author suddenly got tired, bored, or had no idea how to end this. It just stops in a We'll See What Happens moment. I'm tired of myself ranting too. I'll stop here. I'll just add that despite everything I'm glad this book exists and that I read it. Maybe it will nudge other authors in interesting directions.
3.5Micah & Josh are perfect examples of what I've come to think of as [a:Felice Stevens 8432880 Felice Stevens https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442982853p2/8432880.jpg]'s specialty niche: nice NYC Jewish boys (men), mostly professionals with varying degrees of success, who find themselves flailing through adulthood until Eros brings them that special someone. Their tales happen in and around New York and it's such a relief to read stories realistically rooted in time and place. The other aspect is the beneficent presence of family, particularly grandmothers who are relentless in their love. All good things.Josh abandoned a successful law practice in Boston along with a cheating ex. He's taking a sabbatical and working as a barista while he regroups. One day the personification of arrogant doctor comes to Josh's coffee shop in the body of Micah. The Fates further bring them together having both their grandmothers as residents of the same assisted living facility. The relationship develops as you might expect. There's a physical attraction and I loved how the bedroom dynamics were not what you'd expect. What I wasn't so down for was that though he has “reasons” Micah went overboard in his dickish behavior one too many times and I thought Josh was far too tolerant of his tantrums having known him for such a brief period of time. Micah needed to grovel a bit or have some humble pie. But that's just me. I have a black heart. The AB is by [a:Sean Crisden 4531094 Sean Crisden https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] and he does his usual cool thing.
3.75 for the story. The audio is maybe 2.00, if I'm being generous, but the less said about it the better.Sorry. I had to go get a drink to cut a bit of this treacle pudding. I like pudding but I'm partial to a bit of tart, however this being Christmas I'll be nice. It's not a chore. Not really.If you read the blurb (I didn't) you pretty much get the gist of the story, except Kit's whole elfdom is not really all that. He was working as a seasonal elf/Santa helper and left for home straight off work which is why, when he meets Nick, he's still wearing his elf garb. He's not wearing it for long. As for Nick you'll guess pretty immediately what his plans are when he crosses paths with Kit. Keaton “Kit/Kitten” Jeffries is 22 and seems to have sprung from some idyllic pollyanna family (think Kenneth from “30 Rock”), apparently they don't even have cell phones?!?! his speech is peppered by “gee-gosh”, “poopie”, and “golly” but he's not a pushover, he's cool under pressure and a very talented artist. Oh and did I mention he's also a V-card carrier? Nick St. George, yep that's his name, is 32, owns an art gallery and IMO is a bit of a whinny baby. He did have some BAD things happen to him vis-à-vis his parents, and I do feel for him, but it would seem to me he also had some good fortune along the way, both financial and with people in his life, so maybe he's just having a moment of crisis? Let's hope so. Both MCs are having a fairly emotional day. Like in all Holiday novellas everything happens pretty quickly, in this case like a day, which is a bit much for the life changing events that transpire, but what do I know about the human heart? I did like that the ending is more of a hopeful HFN, which is believable in relation to the time span of the story, and the message of acceptance, particularly of oneself, never goes amiss. As for the sexy parts there really aren't any, aside from kissing, despite the MCs being naked in a bed at one point. Everything happens off page. I didn't mind. I would recommend this as an uplifting & positive Holiday read but I would absolutely caution AGAINST the the audio edition. The narrator is [a:Donald Tursman 13763061 Donald Tursman https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], new to me, and I don't know that I'd try him again on the strength of this outing. He does the story no favors. On the technical side it seemed to have been recorded in a bathroom or someone's closet. On an unrelated note: I'm not a fan of the cover. It makes this seem more like a romp and it's not really, particularly not for Nick.
UNPOPULAR OPINION COMING UP // YMMV
I wen't into this because apparently I must finish series and this is part of the Camassia Cove universe which I've mostly enjoyed. I'm also drawn to age-gap = ✅ and gorgeous covers = ✅, so what happened? I'll try to keep it brief.
There wasn't much visiting with the people we've come to know from Camassia Cove, except for Lincoln & Ade, and they're now basically just parents.
Since I came later to this series I'll just say that [a:Gregory Ashe 1179529 Gregory Ashe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1561907752p2/1179529.jpg] is unerring in his laser-like observations about relationships.The overarching mystery of The Slasher, which was set up back in Bk.1, and the expected/foreshadowed rotten apples in the police force play out in satisfying and expected ways. We're even left with a taste for what the next cycle in the series will gear towards but I'm happy to see that North & Shaw are left on firm ground going forward. It's true that no one can hurt us quite as much as those we love and the same goest in return. And I don't just mean romantic partners. In this installment Shaw & North do the dance and at times come close to falling off the edge. It was painful to witness but necessary to any kind of growth. At least for Shaw. I suspect that North will be the one having to face unnamed demons going forward. Overall I was happy with this. It delivers on the premise of the first book and doesn't sugar coat or cut corners. Tears are shed, hard truths are faced, and promising steps are taken for a plausible & sustainable HEA. This may all sound very dour but it's not or mostly not. The banter and snark between Shaw & North is as sharp as ever and their moments of tenderness are all heart. I'm not sure that I'd continue to employ Pari or care all that much about Truck so it's clear North & Shaw are better people than myself. I'm okay with that. I read the paperback aided by [a:Charlie David 2895612 Charlie David https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461856493p2/2895612.jpg]'s excellent narration. Highly recommend.
2.5 rounded down disappointment stars
Scrolling through the shorties in my Kindle I found this. Frankly I'm kind of confused ... this isn't a short story or novella, it ends right when it's getting started. It's more like like the beginning of a story, one that I can see being porny fun or maybe more. As it is? I'm wondering why it was published.
Rather than just a random PWP scene (which I wouldn't frown upon) the writer fills in character background, particularly the narrator, and hints at more than just porntastic fun but it doesn't come. The story just ends. Too bad. IMO it should've been one or the other.
Audio bliss!Happy New Year to me! I've been on audiobook roll and this one by [a:Callum Hale 7980648 Callum Hale https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] will certainly be on the winning list. This is billed as a prequel to [a:A. L. Lester 21126837 A. L. Lester https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s LOST IN TIME series and perhaps it is but it can certainly be read as a satisfying novella all on its own. I'd seen this floating around GR and even picked it up a while ago but hadn't dived in because I'm not a huge paranormal reader. The AB was the push I needed and I'm happy I listened.Matthew Webber has come back from what was then known as The Great War aka WWI. He's hoping to return to some sense of normalcy after existing in the trenches of mud and death. It's not to be. Not right away. Matty comes home to the reality that his older, bookish brother Arthur is wasting away in body and mind. The illness is mysterious and irrevocable. Luckily Rob, a longtime farmhand at the Webber farm, is also back from the war and willing to help shoulder the burden. Of course it helps that Matty and Rob were childhood friends, bosom buddies, and each had yearned for something more even if they hadn't verbalized it even to themselves. The immediacy of war and death have changed all that.More on the blog and later hereA copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
**RE-READ 5/4/22 **
This is best enjoyed without too much analysis. The way Cris snares Nick is nowhere near close to the much touted consent in BDSM circles but probably truer to how thing work out for some people. Still I would've liked another book in which we get Cris's perspective, what he wants, what his intentions are, why Nicky, how did he cage him the first time etc. but it never came and I think this writer (at least under this name) isn't active anymore.
Small joys and all that
[a:Roe Horvat 16958818 Roe Horvat https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1498125222p2/16958818.jpg] continues to gift us with Walter's “notebooks” in which we get glimpses of the clients he helps during their heat. Walter is scrupulously professional and caring for his clients and their needs, respecting boundaries at all times. If guiding a couple through the process cranks his motor he takes care of it in private. He's a good guy. Thank you Roe for these little gifts!
3.5I'm being kind of lazy so I'll just say this was ... fine? [a:Kale Williams 15569309 Kale Williams https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]'s narration is aces. Jamie becomes a nurse for Ronan's medical practice. Ronan is a doctor who caters to members of the BDSM community, particularly gay men, and he's a member of both groups. On some Friday afternoons, after office hours he entertains and plays with friends, usually indulging in some medical kink. One day Jamie accidentally discovers these activities, later returns on purpose and confirms that he in fact has a voyeuristic kink and perhaps others. Ronan is glad to help him explore them. Ronan and Jamie embark on a relationship with Jamie having questions but being very clear on the fact that he only wishes to be submissive in the bedroom and that made me like him immensely. Ronan is ... a very SSC kind of Dom though he starts calling Jamie boy right of the bat and uses some humiliation dirty talk without any conversation about it, the kind who always says and does the right thing and it was, I said, fine. I just wasn't excited about him. He has the usual blah, blah, back story but Jamie seems to love him so I'll be happy for them. Will I continue with the series? Maybe. As audios. I'm not in a rush.
4.5Jimmy Kilpatrick is 23, waiting tables at a cheap diner, and two years into recovery. Our Jimmy is a meth addict, is being the operative word. Everyday is a new day to choose not to use though the lure is always just around the corner. On a Monday morning, his past and a possible future come knocking in the form of 39 y.o. Marc Kelly. If you're expecting some kind of Daddy story think again. This is so much better. It's real. This is my first dance with [a:Rick R. Reed 5965 Rick R. Reed https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1495807514p2/5965.jpg] and I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. If you're in the mood for a low key, sort-of second chance this little gem hits just the right notes. Jimmy and Marc's story, in the space of the book, takes place over the course of a week but they have history, a bit sordid, which Marc at first is slow to pick up on and which Jimmy would love to erase. It turns out that during his time as a tweaker, Jimmy would hook up via dating apps and steal from his tricks. Marc was one of them. (None of this is a spoiler. It's all in the blurb.) It's now two years later and the sores-riddled, dirty, scrawny, dread-locked Jimmy has emerged (thanks to recovery) from his chrysalis into an attractive, healthy, and outgoing young man and Marc is smitten. Meanwhile Jimmy is on tenterhooks wondering when/if Marc will remember or when/if he should tell him because Marc, or more accurately the memory or promise of Marc has been living, quiescently, in his soul since that ill-fated date. This is absolutely a love story, but more importantly and more definitely a story about recovery, the hard earned self-love required to survive in a world that's not always kind, particularly for those who color outside the box, and the people who make this journey possible, even when they're not physically present. Jimmy's day-to-day struggles with his sobriety and the harsh reality of the scorched earth devastation that is meth addiction in the gay community isn't glossed over with rainbows & unicorns, but the author also imbues this story with hope and even a touch of mysticism, which didn't read as treacle. Sweet. It's also nice that Jimmy isn't the only one with issues. Marc is an almost 40 year old gay man who's dealing with aging in the gay community, questioning if his life of hook-ups (sometimes dangerous ones) have led him to a future of being old, alone, and lonely. They're both looking for what we all want: someone we matter to, connection, and acceptance.The more I think about it the more I love this story. I love that it's about ordinary people dealing with real issues. No blindingly beautiful super humans, Masters of the Universe billionaires, or superheroes, just two guys trying to find a safe place to land. Also their larger issues aren't solved by the glory of love or magic D. How refreshing. Whenever you're in the mood for a quiet but moving romance about recognizable humans this will leave you satisfied.
I read this a few weeks ago and I really loved it. To my mind it solidified Topher & Simon as a couple and it gave me all the warm fuzzies.
Okay this isn't really a book. It's an amuse bouche to get you from [b:Orochi no Kishi 32810216 Orochi no Kishi Itoshi https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477828405s/32810216.jpg 25892398] and [b:Orochi no Yaiba 32810252 Orochi no Yaiba Itoshi https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477828758s/32810252.jpg 53409902]. Beautiful and poignant if you've read the first book and quite a tease for the second. Yums.
The shorfest continues at mi casa!!!
The length doesn't matter. This is brief but it perfectly achieves its goal with minimum fuss. You'll be clutching your pearls while sighing in satisfaction.
Nicki's a thirty something year old guy, a go-to-swap-meets car enthusiast, leather scene fetishist, and an enthusiastic sub. He's found his dream counterpart in Jeremy, a 6'7” Dom that shares his passions, all his passions, and then some. See? I got all of that from a couple of pages. That's good writing.
With an economy of words but wealth of information the author gives us a day (not even a whole one) in the lives of two people and yet I can extrapolate how it is between them and how (employing my romance reader optimism) it's going to go.
review for all parts in [b:Letting Go|52923270|Letting Go (Daddy Bear #5)|B.J. Smyth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562309782l/52923270.SX50_SY75.jpg|71787604]
2.75 for the story /// 4.5 for the narration
I'm confuddled as to how to rate this. Basically it's a YA, which is not my jam, but despite certain issues I was liking it until the last chapter when ... nothing happens and a bunch of running plot points are left unresolved! This has led me to complain about things that, with a better resolution, I would've shrugged off. Ugh. Below is my list of grievances:
Why is the story set in some alternate universe/time, when everything is essentially the same as current earth? I'm guessing the author thought it'd be best to address issues without naming recognizable people, places, or things but ... I felt like it added nothing to the story.
Why must the author perpetually refer to main characters, Kaleb and Taylor, as “the darker man” and “the blonde” or “the blonde boy”? According to my Kindle search it was 71 times and 329 times respectively. Wow!
Why did the whole soul crest thing figure so prominently and then ended up meaning not much at all?
If Taylor's mom is meant to elicit pity, for this reader it was the contrary. I hated her. Who leaves their child with a mentally deranged person, even if it is his father? Also, are there no social services in this alternate world?
While I appreciated the slow evolution of Taylor & Kaleb's relationship, from enemies to something more, I could've done with like 50% less. Maybe if this was originally serialized, I could see that working, but as a novel, it could've used judicious editing.
Though a big part of this story was Kaleb & Taylor getting close, and eventually feeling an attraction, which apparently had no precedent in this world, it really didn't come to the fore until the last 30%? maybe? and then we get zero about what it meant to anyone else or even themselves. The boys have no instance of self reflection, which I would expect, being that same sex attractions or bondings are unheard in this society. When they finally get together it's not even romantic. There's barely some kissing. The book simply ends, and you'd think maybe there's a sequel, but there isn't, and a postscript from the author doesn't even insinuate that there will be one, nor that it was even an intention. Bizarre.
Anyway ... I won't go on as I can see this working for a teen and maybe that's the target audience. It has good intentions.
Despite the ultimate fizzling out of the story, my rating reflects the kick-ass narration by Jonah Scott. Despite some pacing issues, which are really in the domain of the producer, I. LOVED. IT. Sadly this seems to be his only foray into the narration field. Might he work under a different name? If anyone knows let me know. Please.
This is a sequel and though it can be read as a standalone why would you deny yourself the pleasure? Aside from enriching this story, some of the events from the first book find a measure of closure here. Go ahead and read it, I'll wait. Post [b:Aftercare 40909927 Aftercare (Ever After #1) Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532311605s/40909927.jpg 56343944] Syed is still reeling, trying to find a way of going on, of living again. [a:Tanya Chris 15067939 Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477705931p2/15067939.jpg] does an excellent job of showing someone, realistically going through the stages of grief and loss while remaining authentic. The story develops during the course of a year, during which Syed goes from feeling physically ill at the sight of BDSM play to finding a whole new, yet equally satisfying, way to be a Dom, which he will always be. His counterpart in this journey is Dashiell, sweet, self effacing, and convinced that he's somehow unlovable. He's been smitten with Syed from day one but can't fathom why anyone would want him, and though curious, wonders if he could be in a D/s relationship:“Doms gave orders and doled out punishments. They commanded rather than seduced. Why would anyone even want a Dom? Dashiell wanted someone to love him, to keep him, that was what he wanted.”Meanwhile Syed recognizes a sub who can bring him to a new life:“... Dashiell had continued to respond to him in that particular way that called out Syed's dual-natured desire to both protect and crush. There was something about taking a man who would let you do anything to him and then treating him very carefully ...”The author perfectly captures the journey from absolute loss to being able to walk and breath again, in a life that, while different from the one you thought you'd have, is just as beautiful. Thematically, in both of these books [a:Tanya Chris 15067939 Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477705931p2/15067939.jpg] sensitively and accurately explores mourning as an ongoing process, and not something with a hard and fast beginning and end. It brought to mind [a:Max Porter 13807841 Max Porter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1428676362p2/13807841.jpg]'s [b:Grief Is the Thing with Feathers 34601020 Grief Is the Thing with Feathers Max Porter https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489577679s/34601020.jpg 45070849]:“Moving on, as a concept, is for stupid people, because any sensible person knows grief is a long-term project.”The fact that Syed and Dashiell are wading into a relationship never erases Jamie. Syed can't allow it and Dashiell doesn't want it. “Syed had loved Jamie. How could Dashiell not love Jamie on his behalf even as he envied him for the way Syed loved him?He didn't expect Syed to ever love him more than he'd loved Jamie - how could he? - but he's happily settle for just as much.”But worry not, Syed is very much in the here and now with Dashiell and who he is:“... I don't care where a sub's boundaries are as long as I can take him there. And he can bring me there with him.”That was the crux of it, he realized. When he was with Dashiell, he escaped into Dashiell. ... He could go to a BDSM club. He could go to a gay bar. He could spend the rest of his evenings curled up on a couch in his apartment. He could wear a wool suit or black leather pants or pajama bottoms. He could string a man up by his wrists or tie him down in four point restraints, could tickle him with a feather or bleed him with a crop. It didn't matter so long as he took his partner so deep that he lost himself there too.”I loved how the author, in both books, doesn't shy away from representing multidimensional Muslim characters in the full spectrum of their humanity. I'm hopeful for a follow up book, perhaps featuring two characters that left their mark in my psyche Casey & Bhupati? and maybe getting to visit with Garrett, Aayan, Dashiell and Syed. fingers crossedOn a side note I have say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the author for getting NYC right and also the legal & court system. Eternally grateful for small mercies. Anyway ... I'll stop. Read this even if you're not into BDSM. It's not really about that. Also it ends on one of the most hopeful & romantic notes I've read in a while.
We already met Sheriff Hunter in [b:The Tin Star 87272 The Tin Star (Ranch Series, #1) J.L. Langley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388518662l/87272.SY75.jpg 84238] where to my mind he was a much more interesting character. I wanted to know more about him. However when we meet him here he's become functionally alienated from his parents & home because he's been carrying a torch since he was a teenager for Shane Cortez, the ranch foreman. Due to reasons as a teenager Shane was kicked out by his family and the Hunters took him in when Grayson was eight. Since then a hero worship develops into a crush & lasting love for Gray. It's secretly reciprocated by Shane. Because of the dreaded miscommunication the MC are separated & have minimal to no conversations during eight years. After a family emergency Shane & Gray come together in the biblical sense and it's non-stop shagging. The problems are external and not entirely unrealistic. They get resolved in a fairly satisfying way.Overall I enjoyed this but preferred the first book in the series.
3.75... and here is where I'm revealed to be a horrible person. It's true. Can't deny it.On paper this is exactly the kind of books we bemoan there aren't enough of. Stories about mature MCs who are ordinary people, with everyday jobs, bodies that, while good for their age, aren't stopping traffic due to their hawtness. They're also dealing with RL issues. [a:Lynn Lorenz 1496392 Lynn Lorenz https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1510681708p2/1496392.jpg] delivers two men, Travis Hart, a police Detective and David Delaney, a landscape designer, who at 40 have come and gone around the block and are ready for a real relationship. The ‘baby' and ‘honey' come pretty quickly, but I didn't mind. Both MCs are at a stage of their lives where they recognize a good thing when it's starring them in the face, and are also smart enough to know that they don't have oodles of time to fritter away. The hitch in their story is David's father, David, Sr. who, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, is living with David, and on a pretty precipitous downward spiral, making David's time for a new relationship limited. That, coupled with David's guilt, relegates the budding thing between him and Travis to late night phone calls. It turns out to be a blessing in disguise, as they get to know each other down to brass tacks foregoing, at first, the physical. Those middle-of-the-night phone calls are an open space for Travis to unburden his soul of the darkness he witnesses everyday, and David gets the hope of something more than his father's the horror of seeing his father disappear before his eyes. I liked all of this. It felt realistic, true to life. So what was my problem? I hated David's father, didn't care what happened to him, actually felt it was a bit of a comeuppance, and I'm not even a tiny bit sorry. Why?Alzheimer's has closely affected my family, and it's a crushing experience. I felt for David, who's a sweet and kind man. His father? Not so much. Yes, David loves him, and having lost his mom at a young age, his father was his main care taker. David thinks of him as a good man, because he himself is one, but I'd beg to differ, and the evidence would support me. David, Sr. does have Alzheimer's and it disinhibits his inner monologue and his behavior. The senior Delaney is a homophobe and a racist. These are not newly acquired views. He just hid them better when his mind was intact. In fact, pre-illness, he never accepted David's ‘life choices', and yet poor David feels a duty to him, reluctant to commit him to a care facility, even though David, Sr.'s grasp on reality is hanging by a thread. His presence in the book, or rather David's accommodations for his attitudes dampened my enjoyment of the story, but that's solely on me. I don't think that sickness or aging cleanses our slate. Travis & David's romance is sweet and rooted in RL. I liked it and wish them well.
REREAD 8/9/21 – 8/13/21Yes, I'm still in love with this one. I sipped it and enjoyed every painful scene. How each man, independently, wonders or suspects that the other has smoothed things over. How Hazard, due to his history, desperately doesn't want to be alone and makes excuses for Nico.How Cora has to lay out the truth for Somers, one he thinks is a secret, but it's really not. And this scene: "Hazard remembered shifting during the night and feeling Somers inside his arms, and he remembered the heat from his body - not sexual, not completely, but not brotherly either - and he remembered at the edge of consciousness, in the moments before oblivion, that this was home, that this was maybe the only home he would ever know." that just goes with the spoiler in my original review. They perfectly bookend each other. swoonps. I was remiss in praising [a:Tristan James 14756687 Tristan James https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s amazing audio version. He embodies Hazard & Somers and does a fantastic job of voicing all of the characters that come into the story. Just perfect. ****************1st read **11/24/19 - 11/27/19*HEART EYESTake all my money [a:Gregory Ashe 1179529 Gregory Ashe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1561907752p2/1179529.jpg]! After having put us, and his characters, through the literal and figurative wringer he delivers on the promise of the first book in a spectacular, and yet suitably quiet way. Hazard & Somers once again find themselves in the midst of an investigation that made me think of [b:Murder on the Orient Express 853510 Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486131451l/853510.SY75.jpg 2285570], how the plot manages to touch on many of the characters and overarching stories in the series. I was a happy camper. For those who are here for the romance ahem you can take a breath. I'm not saying that Hazard has suddenly developed observational skills or finesse, but he does comes through when it counts. As for John-Henry I just want to swaddle him in cotton batting for a spell, he's been living on tenuous ground, but that last scene?"Somers studied the room around them one last time before closing his own eyes. He'd been seeing an apartment, yes. And now he saw a home." If that doesn't pierce you to the bone are you even alive?The rest is as follows: *Nico, please develop a personality, be a little less self-centered, and stop trying to hold on to someone who clearly isn't into you. *Thank you Gregory Ashe for the character of Cora.
After the events of the last book our Sean is sitting pretty ... until he isn't. Belfast in the 80's will do things to a body and our boy is one of those who only learns the hard way. Like we all do.
Needless to say I'm all in with this series and I'm on to the next book. Audio of course.
As an aside if you need to restock your music library Sean is your man. He's got impecable taste.
I usually don't like reviewing bundles because duh? they're a mixed bag and the rating ends up being rounded out. I'll try.This is the story of four brothers who own an insurance brokerage office and also belong to a BDSM club for gay men called Bound and Controlled and how they each find their special someone. Generally I liked it, mostly because I did this as an audio/book combo and [a:Kenneth Obi 17596815 Kenneth Obi https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has a perfect pitch for these stories, though he does seem to give the subs in D/s stories and almost childlike tone, or is it the story? Dunno. But I don't hate it and his voice works for me. I paced these out over the last week and it wasn't a chore, on the contrary. It was a nice and soothing way to ease in to the New Year. These are the MOST vanilla BDSM stories. They're kind of like a Disney or Hallmark version of a kink lifestyle complete with parents who were in a D/s relationship, and sons who not only each grew up to be gay, but also kinky. What are the odds? We get a little bit of everything. A buffet of kink lite.Here is a less than scientific or exact rating for each book:The Owners 0.5 3.00Nothing earth shattering but it does it's job well, which is to set up the other stories without being too expository. We get to see or meet the principals of the next books through the eyes of Ben and Conner, the owners of Bound and Controlled, and it kind of makes you curious about their story. “Garrett” Bk.1 3.75Wyatt is a furniture designer, specifically kink furniture and he has the hots for Garrett, who he's been eyeing at B&C (Bound and Controlled). Garrett is a Dom but he's pretty oblivious to things that aren't hitting him over the head, which kind of gave me pause to believe in his Dom abilities. But that's just me. Wyatt is pretty shy and skittish but he does the brave thing and goes after his man in the only way he can. He purchases small business insurance from Garrett's company thereby letting him know what he's into and voilà, the big lug figures it out. After that we're off to the races. Both Wyatt & Garrett are on the same page that they want a more “lifestyle” D/s relationship and it's just a matter of Wyatt trusting that Garrett won't balk or find his neediness too much. As a plus the other brothers and they're friend Calen, hovering in the background, provide comic relief and moral support. A running gag throughout the books is the men/boys' fear of their meddling mother, their absolute inadequacy in the kitchen, and the fear of one brother stealing the other's munchies. It's cute. “Brent” Bk.2 2.75I didn't hate this. I just didn't believe in the romance or the roles of the two MCs as D/s. A pity because a good, long time friends to lovers story always has room to explore relationships that were once one thing and in time have turned, even without our conscious thought. This missed the mark. Brent is another of “the brothers” and for variety's sake he's a sub, except he doesn't have or affect a twink vibe, body, or persona. In his personal life he's rather take charge, deliberate, and in control. Calen is a friend and colleague and also a particular kind of Dom. Their relationship could've been the most interesting given Calen's preferences and the aforementioned friendship, but I just never believed the sudden love. The attraction? Maybe. If I'm being generous. But I don't know that I trust the long term viability of the relationship, which I don't mind, but is what we're being sold. shrug In any case this installment does move forward the previous story and pushes along the next one so ... no harm done. “Grant” Bk.3 3.75Carter was introduced in Bk.1 as Wyatt's friend. He owns and antique store and is plagued by a bevy of old cronies who know way too much about “alternative lifestyles” and loving nothing more than to gossip and matchmake. Carter is also an unabashed femme boy who wears make-up and clothing from the women's section and looks gorgeous doing so. He's been interested in a D/s relationship, though not lifestyle like Wyatt, but has never tried anything and doesn't even get to date much because his dates seem to be turned off by his external presentation. They want the femme boy but only in the bedroom. A##holes. The romance Gods are on his side because via Wyatt he meets Garrett's siblings, among them Grant, who looks like a biker but has a predilection for “pretty things”. They're a match made in heaven. The crux of the book is Carter learning to trust that Grant really wants him exactly as he is, in public and in private. Reader, he does! I really liked this but I would've wanted Grant to be perhaps a little more Dom? I know he was easing Carter in but maybe just one more notch in the belt and it would've been a solid 4. There was perhaps a bit too much of the “funnies” with the food business. But Carter was gorgeous. hearts“Bryce” Bk.4 4.00Because you can tell this series was plotted and thought out in advance, we end the series with Bryce's story, which was already been hinted at in the prequel, and alluded to in the other novellas. Ladies and Gents enter Fantasy Island. happy dance Bryce is a switch and he's found his perfect balance with Troy and Oliver, an established D/s couple, who've been looking for a third! What better for Bryce than to be able to submit to Troy, a kind of Norse God, thankfully not gorgeous, just built, and have Oliver, who's a bundle of energy in need of two masters. Heaven. I really liked this final installment, partly because I think we, the readers, had been getting glimpses into this growing relationship so it doesn't feel like it sprang from nothing. Personally I can see how Bryce, though being a Dom, albeit on the lighter side, would need that space to just be carefree and Troy fits that bill. He's dominant but utterly caring. This book also brings full circle Garrett & Wyatt's story and some extras too.