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 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. 

Review of Audiobook If the Seas Catch Fire by L.A. Witt, narration by Michael Ferraiuolo

by L.A. Witt, narration by Michael Ferraiuolo

5 star 

Sergei Andronikov was a child when the Mafia wiped out his family, leaving him with nothing but a hunger for revenge. Years later, through ruthless strategy and tireless patience, he's a contract killer working for the three families ruling Cape Swan...and he's nearly in position to bring them all down from the inside.

Domenico "Dom" Maisano is Mafia royalty, a made man...and a hitman. He's caught up in a violent life he can't escape, struggling to maintain an image he doesn't want, and suppressing desires he can't have.

A chance encounter throws the killers into each other's paths. Though Dom knows he's playing a dangerous game, he's intrigued and keeps coming back. Sergei can't resist him either - Dom is everything he set out to destroy, but he's also everything he's ever ached for in a man.

Then Sergei gets the contract he's been waiting for - the hit that promises to bring the town's Mafia to its knees.

But when a boss makes an unexpected move, Sergei must choose between dropping the hammer on the families he vowed to annihilate, and protecting the man he swore he wouldn't love.

And the wrong choice - or even the right one - will destroy them both.

We LOVE this book!  If the Seas Catch Fire is our favourite L.A. Witt book, hard to choose just one!  And in all honesty we have read it 5+ times.  So what could make it better?  An amazing narration by Michael Ferraiuolo!

Why we love the book?

-          The story:  We love Mafia stories and If the Seas Catch Fire is at the top of our love list.  These 2 are normal men who are dragged into a life they don’t want.  There are so many similarities between Dom and Sergei yet they are so far apart on who they believe themselves to be.  It made us want to shake them, and make them acknowledge what they were felling.   This is a fast-paced ride of a story, so many ups and down, intrigue and heat-ache.

-          Dark dark dark:  this is a dark story, murder, drugs, human trafficking, torture, the list goes on.  But what do we love a dark romance?  The idea of redemption, the hope that itr will be okay.  And man we held onto that throughout If the Seas Catch Fire, we yearned for these men to find a little peace.

-          Sexy sexy sexy:  So sexy.  Dom and Sergei know they shouldn’t be together but just can’t stop needing each other, their middle of the night tryst are so hot and so good.

Let’s talk about the Narration:  Michael Ferraiuolo is amazing.  We have heard him in other audiobooks that do nothing for his talent.  He seems to have 100 voices from mafia Italians to Russians, and they are all exceptional.  We never felt confused, about who was who or what was going on.  And he delivered on the feels.   the Seas Catch Fire is an emotional read and Michael captures that heart-breaking quality, the hopelessness that surrounds Dom and Sergei. 

If the Seas Catch Fire is a perfect example of a fantastic author and an excellent narrator coming together to create a superior audiobook.  It is one of the best we have heard this year and on the top of our recommendations.  We are so pleased that L.A. Witt choose Michael Ferraiuolo to narrate and hope for many successful collaborations in the future.

Review of How to be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune

 by T.J. Klune

5 stars

Gustavo Tiberius is not normal. He knows this. Everyone in his small town of Abby, Oregon, knows this. He reads encyclopedias every night before bed. He has a pet ferret called Harry S. Truman. He owns a video rental store that no one goes to. His closest friends are a lady named Lottie with drag queen hair and a trio of elderly Vespa riders known as the We Three Queens.

Gus is not normal. And he's fine with that. All he wants is to be left alone.

Until Casey, an asexual stoner hipster and the newest employee at Lottie’s Lattes, enters his life. For some reason, Casey thinks Gus is the greatest thing ever. And maybe Gus is starting to think the same thing about Casey, even if Casey is obsessive about Instagramming his food.

But Gus isn’t normal and Casey deserves someone who can be. Suddenly wanting to be that someone, Gus steps out of his comfort zone and plans to become the most normal person ever.

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

We have a special place in our heart for anything TJ Klune – stories that are magical, whimsical and quirky and unusual.  How to Be a Normal person is a playful story of peculiar people and how easy it is to fall in love, and fall in love we did!

The good:

-          - The characters:  Amazing.  TJ Klune creates exceptional characters, rare characters that don’t seem to be real, but jump off the page and make us fall in love.  From Gustavo and Casey, to the friends in town, they are all one-of a-kind characters!

-          - Slow Burn:  Gosh, we love a slow burn romance, and How to be a Normal person has it is spades.  The romance is lovely, there is an ease from friendship, affection, excitement and love that is so sweet.  This is not a rip each other clothes off romance and slow-burn seems so authentic for Gus and Casey.

-          - Sexual Spectrum:  Not many books have asexual main characters and although we were a bit hesitant about how this would work for a romance, it added so much.  And honestly, it opened our mind up to a different kind of non-traditional romance and how one view of love isn’t always everyone’s view of love. 

-          The feels:  So so so many feels.  So many heart aching moments.

The meh?

-          - The quirky:  I think you have to be in the right mood to love this book.  It isn’t for everyone.  It is sweet, shy, eccentric, and unconventional; all things that make it great could leave you scratching your head.

-          The internet advice: Gus, being left of normal, googles” how to be a normal person”, and although fun we kind of got tired of the internet advice.  By the 6^th internet advice section we skimmed a bit *hides head in shame*.  We missed Gus and Casey and just really wanted to get back to their interaction.

If you are looking for an unusual love story, filled with peculiar people How to be a Normal Person is a must read.  We couldn’t get enough Gus and Casey, so we bought the audiobook!  Off to fall in love all over again.

Review of Going Sasquatch by Jess Whitecroft

  by Jess Whitecroft 

5 stars

Lovestruck lapdogs, lazy Instagrammers and calcium deposits in the pool – Hollywood personal trainer Sean ‘Finn’ Finnegan is having one hell of a week, not helped when the much-feared agent Angie Lorde calls to demand if he knows why her hottest property – winsome superhero star Chase Morrow – has suddenly ‘gone sasquatch’ and apparently disappeared off the face of the earth.

Out of concern (and maybe a little unrequited love, let’s be honest) Finn goes searching for Chase, but this leads to a day so bad that when he does catch up with his crush, they both agree that the best solution to their very Hollywood problems would be to take off, head up into the Bigfoot country of Northern California and – like America’s favorite cryptid – pretend not to exist for a while.

When Finn and Chase discover that their long-attraction is entirely mutual, they also discover that going off the grid is not that easy in the 21st century. Especially if you’re an A-lister.

Going Sasquatch is our first Jess Whitecroft book and we are wondering where she has been our whole life!  Going Sasquatch is fun, flirty, sarcastic, charming read that will keep you entertained from the first page.  So good!

The SO good:

-           - The story:  Going Sasquatch s a really unique story.  A movie-star running away from his life, and falling into bed with his personal trainer.  It is fast paced, action packed and quirky.  It kept us charmed thorough the whole story, laughing through Finn and Chase’s antics and falling in love with these boys.  It is a bit ridiculous in parts but that is part of the magic of Going Sasquatch.

-           - Chemistry:  We talk a lot about chemistry in our reviews, but Going Sasquatch is a true example of characters that have sizzling chemistry.  It is palpable between Finn and Chase and adds a level of reality to the story.  Although there are jigs and jogs in the story their chemistry doesn’t falter, and gives this book a level of truth.

-           - Pop-culture:  We love the references to pop-culture.  The references to Trump tweets made us laugh out loud. 

-          Humor:  Jess Whitecoft has really captured flirty, sarcastic banter between characters.  It is so enjoyable.  We found our self chuckling and laughing through the whole story.

The bad:

-          - That it is only 280 pages?

We are in LOVE.  This is an undiscovered treasure of a book.  It is humorous, sexy, flirty, enjoyable, exciting, entertaining and a fun fun fun read.  What could make it better?  A second book!

Review of Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews

 by Keira Andrews

5 stars

Even if it means quitting their boy band mid-tour, Troy Tanner isn’t going to watch his little brother snort his future away after addiction destroyed their father. On a private jet taking him home from Australia, he and pilot Brian Sinclair soar above the vast South Pacific. Brian lost his passion for flying—and joy in life—after a traumatic crash, but now he and Troy must fight to survive when a cyclone strikes without warning.

Marooned a thousand miles from civilization, the turquoise water and white sand beach look like paradise. But although they can fish and make fire, the smallest infection or bacteria could be deadly. When the days turn into weeks with no sign of rescue, Troy and Brian grow closer, and friendship deepens into desire.

As they learn sexuality is about more than straight or gay and discover their true selves, the world they've built together is thrown into chaos. If Troy and Brian make it off the island, can their love endure?

This is actually the first Keira Andrews book we read, when it first came out, before our blog.  And feeling some nostalgia this week, we decided that it was time for a re-read and we are so glad to spend our time with Troy and Brian.

The great?

-          Story:  this is a fascinating story, we think we say that a lot about Keira Andrew’s books, but so true for Beyond the Sea.  Two very different men marooned on an island, with nothing, so many things to go wrong.  They persevere in spite of their lack of knowledge and the harsh conditions they face they endure and try to thrive.  Even if this wasn’t a romance the story is amazing.

-          Gay-for-You:  Not only do we get one GFY gentlemen, but two!  GFY is one of our fav tropes and Beyond the Sea delivers all the great things about this trope.  Troy and Brian are not only dealing with a traumatic situation, the possibility of not being rescued, but with feelings for each other.  They don’t fall into bed with each other, but struggle with their situation and if their feeling real, or just a result of being faced with their reality.  People do have issues with the GFY trope, but this is a book, a slice away from reality.

-          Romance:  Man we love a good ROMANCE story and this is it.  Troy and Crian only have each other and spend all their time talking, sharing, getting to know each other, taking care of each other and falling in love with the essence of the other person.  There is no hiding between these men.  There is also the feeling that this might be the end for them, so they spill all their deepest darkest secrets and fears.  There are no games, or tricks on angst.  It is falling in love.

-          Characters:  Keira Andrews creates characters that we fall in love with.  We became so invested and immersed in the characters we laughed, grumbled and even shed a tear for them.  There is a heartbreaking scene towards the end, let’s just say that when real life comes back for them and they are like magnets, pushing and pulling against their feelings and what they left behind, and we cried so hard for these men. 

The bad?

-          Cover:  that is the one detractor.  I think we picked this book up by a recommendation, but not something we would have gravitated towards.  And we can’t imagine that we wouldn’t have read this remarkable book or the wonderful Keira Andrews.

Beyond the Sea, is a heartbreaking story of ‘love-is-love’ period.  It is heartbreaking, breathtaking, emotional read, and we adored every second.  Keira Andrews always finds a way to show us love blossoming in arduous ways.  Beyond the Sea is our favorite Keira Andrews book, and might even top our top 10 m/m romance of all time!