Review of Rock my Heart by Garett Groves

by Garett Groves

2.5 stars

A jaded singer. A guitar prodigy. A rock 'n' roll romance.

Jamie “Blaze” Cameron has seen and done it all. As the frontman for the hard rock band HEX, he’s toured the world for the last 20 years — and as a result has managed to avoid coming to terms with his troubled past and the one thing he’s spent his career singing about: love.

At 25, Darren Greene’s ambition and skills at guitar playing have led him to do more in the world of music than many musicians twice his age, but it hasn’t been enough to put his name in bright lights. Without a big break, he’s terrified he’ll wind up stuck in his hometown with nothing but his broken dreams.

When HEX’s guitarist is removed from the band unexpectedly right before the first leg of their 20-year anniversary tour for their first record, Blaze and his bandmates find themselves in dire need of a replacement. The band holds open auditions and Darren rocks their socks off — and his life hits a high note when HEX hires him.

As the group adjusts to performing with their newest addition, Blaze and Darren realize it’s not just their chemistry on stage that’s making their hearts sing. Can the two navigate fame, unresolved grief, and their growing feelings for each other to bring the band into a new, golden era? Or will their budding romance and the controversy it stirs up in the media push them off the charts?

Hmmm, we actually don’t know where to start with the one.  We love Garett Groves, and Rockstars, so think this should have been a big win for us, but it really left us scratching our head.  They were together, they were apart, and so much angst…….

What did we enjoy?

- The Band:  We liked how the book shied away from the crazy rock star lifestyle and instead focused on the band.

- May/December Romance:  This is a great example of a May-December romance that works.

- The beginning:  The beginning of this book was so good.  It is fast-paced and engaging.  But somehow it just looses it’s magic.  The second half drags and we lose the momentum of the first half.  And although it is only 285 pages long it feels so much longer.  

What was the not-so-good?

- Blaze: We are not Blaze fans.  He runs hot and cold.  He worries and internalizes so much, that we actually started skipping his internal monologues.  He loves Darren, hold on, does he just love the idea of Darren and loves love? Ugh.  So much back and forth, round and round.  We were no fans.

- Angst:  Kind of mentioned in the above, but the angst.  OMG so so so so SO much angst.

- The sub-plot:  So there is a serious subplot of Blazes sexuality and a magazine article that’ll be released outing him, but with all the build-up in the end it is anti-climactic.  And don’t get me started on the sub-plot of Darren and his dad?

- Falling in Love:  I get insta-love, and I guess that is what this was, but we missed the journey into love.  All of a sudden Darren and Blaze were life partners in love.  Maybe we missed the chemistry between them?

We so wanted to love this book, but Blaze was a major problem for us, his attitude, his internalizing and really just him.  There were lots of ideas that started but never really came to a conclusion, and it really left us scratching our head.  Sorry to say this but all in all, we felt that Rock my Heart was a big miss.

Review of The Half of Us (Family #4) by Cardeno C.

by Cardeno C. 

4 Stars

If short-tempered Jason can open his heart and life to optimistic Abe, he might finally find the family he craves.

Short-tempered, arrogant heart surgeon Jason Garcia grew up wanting a close-knit family, but believes he ruined those dreams when he broke up his marriage. The benefit of divorce is having as much random sex as he wants, and it's a benefit Jason is exploiting when he meets a sweet, shy man at a bar and convinces him to go home for a no-strings-attached night of fun.

Eight years living in Las Vegas hasn't dimmed Abe Green's optimism, earnestness, or desire to find the one. When a sexy man with lonely eyes propositions him, Abe decides to give himself a birthday present—one night of spontaneous fun with no thoughts of the future. But one night turns into two and then three, and Abe realizes his heart is involved.

For the first time, Abe feels safe enough with someone he respects and adores to let go of his inhibitions in the bedroom. If Jason can get past his own inhibitions and open his heart and his life to Abe, he might finally find the family he craves.

This is classic Cardeno C.  love, sweetness and a scorching read.  Seriously scorching.  Cardeno C. seems to have a formula to create memorable characters, sexy times and a romance that draws’ us in as readers.

What did we enjoy?

- The dirty talk:  Melt our brain, dirty talk.  So good.  These men are professional, they are loving, but in the bedroom, the dirty talk is out of this world great.  The difference between Abe in public, stuffy math teacher and Abe in the bedroom is addicting. 

- The family:  Jason has a family, and it is really a great twist how they all actually know each other.  And Abe just fits in.  Sometimes when one the men has kids it is this weird arm’s length thing, but Cardeno C. somehow finds a way for them all to fill into each other’s lives seamlessly.

What was the not-so-good?

- Declarations of Love:  So many times they were so close to saying it, and we missed that there wasn’t a verbal “I love you” to be found.  And we missed it.

- The kids subplot:  Loved the family angle, but it went a little too much incident involved with the kids.  Sorry to be vague, but it is a bit of a spoiler s don’t want to give too much away.

The Half of Us is classic Cardeno C., love, sex and fluff.  But adding the family angle into the story adds a complete next level to the story that we really really enjoyed!

Review of The Hideaway (Lavender Shores #5) by Rosalind Abel

 by Rosalind Abel

3.5 stars

Lavender Shores’s resident tattoo artist, Connor Clark, looks the part—six foot six, musclebound, and covered in ink—and most definitely doesn’t blend in. Grafted into the Bryant family as a teenager to escape his abusive father, the Bryants saved his life, but Connor has never truly felt a part of the founding family royalty. And if his heart’s desire were revealed, it would betray everything the Bryants have done for him.

Micah Bryant was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’s always had everything he ever wanted—save the one he desires most. Even moving to New York City for a few years didn’t dampen his passion. Not that Micah had expected it to. He’s known his destiny since he was nine years old, the moment it had walked through his door.

After years of longing, years of secrets and stolen moments of passion and love, Connor weakens enough to allow the town to see how he feels, and let the Bryants know his love for Micah is anything but brotherly. But no sooner had the decision been made than Connor’s biological family returns and shatters it all. Still, Micah holds on to the belief that their romance was written in the stars, but maybe he’d been wrong all those years…

This is book 5 of the Lavender Shores series by Rosalind Abel, and although we really enjoyed it, it left us wanting more?  As a stand-alone it is okay, but with the other 4 books of the series being amazing, the Hideaway just didn’t measure up.  We think we may have enjoyed the story if we hadn’t ready The Shipwreck first…..

What did we love?

- The characters:  We really likes Connor and Micah, independently they were great characters with really great stories. 

- Visiting our Friends:  This is a series, and while you don’t have to read the previous books, it does help.  And it is really nice visiting all the couples we fell in love with on the Lavender Shore journey.

- The Romance:  We aren’t huge in to super sweet romance, but it really worked in The Hideaway.  Well let’s amend that, when Connor and Micah formally got their schmoop on, it was fantastic.  They waited a long time for their Happy Ever After so we liked that they really gave it all their love.

The meh?

- Brother to Husbands:  We think this is a really great story idea, but somehow didn’t work for us with Connor and Micah.  Maybe the fact that it took years and year and years for them finally to admit their feelings to their family, when we have only seen their family be SUPER accepting in the other books, was a bit hard to swallow.

- Angst:  This is an Angst read, and yes, the other Lavender Shore don have angst, but this one was so much, we felt it took away from the love-story.

The Hideaway by Rosalind Abel is a great little story, full of so much love.  We are really enjoying the Lavender shore series and can’t wait for the next book!

Review of A Very Henry Christmas by N.R. Walker (The Weight of it All 1.5)

by N.R. Walker 

5 Stars

Henry wants to share his and Reed’s first Christmas Eve being engaged by hosting dinner with their closest friends. Henry loves food and he loves to cook—he plans an entire menu and decorates the house to rival a department store, but even though everything’s perfect, something’s not quite right.

As Henry and Reed prepare for a merry Christmas, no matter what happens, you know it will be a very Henry Christmas.

Yes, Christmas is over, but anytime is a goodtime with Henry.  N.R. Walker’s Christmas romance, and a visit back with our favourite boys, Henry and Reed made us see hearts!

Love?

- The characters:  We LOVE Henry and Reed, nd we missed these boys.  They are sweet, spicy and so together. 

- POV:  We loved the dual POV, it is nice to finally hear Reed’s voice, and his adoration of Henry.

- Fun:  A Very Henry Christmas is just that; all the good Henry things.  It is fun with great side characters, funny Christmas sweaters, and Henry’s internal dialogue. 

- Sexy:  Reed and Henry have some serious chemistry and even as an engaged couple we see their attraction to each other, and it is seriously sexy.

Dislike?

-     -     This is so short, only 12,000 words.  We love these boys, they are some of our favourite characters and we wished it was longer!

A Very Henry Christmas is a short, sweet, sexy read, perfect for a Christmas story.  It is true to the original book, Weight of it All, and hopefully we might see #2 coming soon??

Review of Red Hot Daddy by Austin Bates

 by Austin Bates

2.5 stars

An Mpreg Romance

You never forget your first love… 

Damien King has made a decent life for himself as an Alpha firefighter in his hometown. Drinking with the crew of Engine #15 and picking bar fights with men who insult omegas keeps him from thinking about his past. 

Back in town for a funeral, the last person Tommy Laurence expects to save him from a burning hotel room is his long-lost heartache, Damien. Seeing his old best friend awakens feelings he had sought to forget, or at least they were best friends… until Damien had confessed his love a decade ago. 

Damien can scarcely bear to see Tommy, but the attraction is too intense, and he can’t seem to stay away. A single steamy night between the two becomes a standing appointment. Damien finds himself torn between the pain of the past and the hope for a future, and when Tommy ends up pregnant, the two can no longer pretend to ignore the deep resentments that exist between them. 

Red Hot Daddy, a paranormal firefighter mpreg novel with a side of second chance romance. Not our usual read, but if omega/alpha relationships are your thing, it should be on your TBR list.

What did we enjoy?

- Alpha / Omega:  there is something really great about Damien and Tommy as an alpha/ omega relationship.  Now, this is a non-shifter book, and the first one featuring mpreg that isn’t animal/shifter based, but honestly we didn’t miss the shifter aspect.

- Push and Pull:  We really enjoyed the push and pull of the relationship between Damien and Tommy, it was fun.

What took away from the book?

- Miscommunication and Angst:  Ugh - 10 years of miscommunication.  Really?  And add the angst, so much angst, it was so much and we really wanted these boys to pull their heads out and TALK.  Ugh

- Disjointed story: There was a lot going on in this little book, and we felt it jumped around a bi in plot and them left quite a few cliff-hangers.  Like the hate-crime that the book was centred around just kind of went away???? We ended up skimming just to make it through the inconsistencies.

So, Red Hot Daddy was a miss for us, it is fast-paced easy read, with not a lot of meat to the story.  But, if you are looking for a Red Hot fireman, a sexy omega and a mpreg story without shifting, pick up this second chance romance! 

Review of Fragile Ground by Louisa Keller

by Louisa Keller

4 stars

“Sorry, do I know you?” 

The last thing Olivier Sauveterre remembers, he was a closeted college senior, balancing furtive hookups with writing his thesis. But when a nasty car accident robs him of two years of memories, he finds himself thousands of miles from home, covered in tattoos, living with a man he doesn’t recognize. Gorgeous and enigmatic, Auriel is just Olivier’s type—but it’s clear there’s a big secret his supposed “housemate” isn’t telling him. 

“We’re not just roommates; you’re the love of my life.” 

Auriel Floros loves everything about his life: his job, his overgrown garden, and most all, his boyfriend Olivier. Quick-witted and fiercely passionate, Olivier is the perfect partner…up until he forgets who Auriel is. Suddenly, their happily ever after shatters before Auriel’s eyes. But medical professionals warn Auriel to keep Olivier’s stress level at a minimum, and Auriel makes the heart-breaking decision to pretend he and Olivier were friends and housemates—nothing more. 

“You still know how to love me…I’ll remind you.” 

Auriel misses his boyfriend desperately, longing for the easy intimacy and scorching sex they shared before the accident. Olivier can’t help gravitating toward Auriel, charmed by his patience and the elaborate home-cooked meals he prepares for Olivier each night. Over bowls of chili and late night talks, Olivier finds himself unable to resist digging into their shared history and trying to find out what makes Auriel seems so mysterious and sad. It’s hard to keep a secret when you’re living in the same house, and heartbreak seems inevitable as tension builds between them. Ultimately they have to work together to rebuild Olivier’s life, and in the process they find themselves on fragile ground. 

Fragile Grounds has been in our TBR list for a while, and we did crack it to read the Prologue.  But, it is a heartbreaking premise, losing your memory and living a life you don’t believe to be yours.  But Louisa Keller wades into this story and instead of suffering we find a sweet second chance at love.

What did we love?

- 2^nd chance love:  We really hate 2^nd chance romance, so much, we really stay away from that genre.  Fragile Ground is not a traditional 2^nd chance love, rather a twist on the genre.  It is about falling in love again with someone who you are to spend your life with, that no matter the circumstance that you will find yourself back where you should be.  Admittedly this can become too saccharine but Louisa Keller skits the line with Olivier who questions the choices the old him made, and if the new him would make the same.

- Amnesia: We think Louisa Keller treated the idea of Olivier’s amnesia as almost a 3^rd person in their relationship.  It was an interesting idea that we really appreciated.

What left us scratching our heads?

- The Truth:  Okay we guess springing on Olivier that he is an open gay man, living with a partner would be a lot to swallow, but instead of trying to explain his life, his friends and family left out the truth.  It felt a bit like they were all waiting for some miracle and for his memory to snap back, but it added a lot of angst to the story that could have worked out another way. We felt that if we were Auriel we would have fought a hell of a lot harder to be the one to support Olivier.

- The end:  We guess we kind of saw it coming, but it felt a little expected.  Like Olivier went on this huge journey of finding who he wanted to be, and not trying to be the person he was, and the ending just didn’t fit.  It felt like an ending for the old Olivier.

Fragile Ground is a fascinating story, a twist on a second chance romance.  We loved the writing style and the authentic characters.  This is Louisa Keller’s debut novel and we can’t wait to read whatever she writes next! 

Review of These Violent Delights by Jess Whitcroft

 by Jess Whitecroft

5 Stars

Flunking English, short on cash and trying to keep up with the demands of dancing a principal role in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet; Milos has a lot going on right now. The last thing he needs is his English teacher riding him about his poor class performance. 

For teacher Tom, still raw from an ugly breakup, the last thing he needs is a new romance, especially one that drags him into the thorny ethical issues of dating a student. 

When a chance encounter opens the door on unexpected lust, Tom and Milos plunge headlong into an erotic, all-consuming affair, but can the violent delights of new love survive secrets?

This is only our second book by Jess Whitcoft, but WOW…. that’s all we can say.  We are bowled over by These Violent Delights and are eager to snatch up everything Jess Whitcroft has written.

The love?

- Writing Style:  There is something about the writing style, it is short to the point, like every word Jess Whitcroft uses fit perfectly there and need to be there.  The voice of the characters is strong and concise and easy to follow.  We loved the voice of this book.

- The relationship: We loved the relationship between Milos and Tom, they are funny, have fantastic banter and really seem to connect.  And we liked that even thought they are both a bit flawed they fit with each other.

- The Chemistry: WOWOWOWOWOW.  This book is hot.  The chemistry between Tom and Milos is palpable, it jumps off the page.  There is this magnetic pull between them, that you can’t help feeling the sexual tension, and it is so realistic, so authentic.

- Ballet:  We loved the references to Ballet, and Milos’s profession.  There aren’t a lot of MM books with ballet and this one was so interesting.  We also really loved how Jess Whitecroft put Milos’s feelings into his performance, and how that made him a better dancer.

The meh?

- GFY plot:  I have no issues about a GFY plot, and this one is easy to accept, as it is Milos discovering he is sexually fluid.  But, yes, there is a but, I wish there had been some thoughts from Milos about being actually Bi. 

- The editing:  There are a few little issues of editing and consistency in the 2^nd half of the book.  Nothing to really distract us, but they were there. 

- The Simon plot:  Hmmm, would have like to have that wrapped up a bit, it just kinda ended and wished there was some closure.

These Violent Delights is a fantastic read.  It is an engaging read, we were totally engrossed in Milos and Tom, we laughed with them, cried with them and fell in love with them.  Jess Whitecroft is a magical storyteller and we can’t wait to read all her other books.