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 Wake up Inside me by Cardeno C.

 By Cardeno C.

3.5 Stars

Zev Hassick is surprised and confused when he finds himself attracted to his best friend. His very human, very male best friend. Zev is the son of the pack Alpha, regarded as the strongest wolf in generations, born to lead. And everyone knows a male shifter has to mate with a female of his own kind to keep his humanity. So shifters can't be gay, right?

Jonah Marvel wants a relationship with Zev, his best friend, the man he has loved since childhood. It wasn't easy to maintain that relationship over years spent living apart while Jonah studied to become a doctor. And then things grow more difficult when Jonah becomes his own patient. Before he can make a life with Zev, he has to understand his past and cure the unexplained ailments that plague him.

Zev and Jonah know they're destined for each other, but they're facing traditions ingrained over generations and long-buried secrets that may threaten any future together.

Well, we love Cardeno C., picking up one of these stories you know you are in for a sweet sappy, insta-love story, some work and some don’t but Wake up Inside Me, the first on the Mates Series delivers on all good Cardneo C. things. We aren’t usually fans of shifter stories, but this story of love between an Alpha shifter and a human works in so many ways.

Zev is the Alpha of his pack, and his family is pushing him to claim a mate, but Zev knows that he isn’t like all the other males who crave a female, he is gay.  His childhood best friend Jonah is a regular human, byut Zev knows deep down that they are mates, destined to be together.  This story follows them over many years, from when the meet as children well into adult hood.  It is sweet to see their journey, but a few stops along the way we wish we could move a little faster.  When they finally do get tighter it is great, love, hot-between-the-sheets, and so so good.

There were a few things that created a few ummm moments for us.  Zev keeps Jonah in the dark for 12 years.  They are ‘together’ but not really???  And by in the dark we mean, he doesn’t talk about being the alpha, why he needs to stay in his small town and why they can’t jump between the sheets.  I get about fate, and love and all that, but 12 years for Zev to keep stringing Jonah around seems a little ridiculous, especially if they are really bound as mates. 

But to be honest we are just being picky, we really enjoyed this Wake up Inside Me.  It is a great shifter romance full of all good things in the genre, alpha males, insta-love and hot-between the sheets!

Review of Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.

by Cardeno C.

4-stars

Steamy, sexy, sweet love story is a HIT!

Ford Hollingsworth is a newly elected Congressman from the great state of Missouri, following in his staunchly Republican Senator father’s footsteps.  He e has been raised in a very conservative household where you honor the flag, go to church, get married and have a family.  And at the age of 37 finds himself moving away from his roots when his need for a personal connection with a man grows too hard to ignore.  Picking up a stranger to easy the ache his finds himself in bed with non-other than Trevor Moga.  Although Trevor is the son of the sitting Democratic President he hates politics, and has built a successful career for himself without his parent’s interference.   

Strange Bedfellows is steamy, Cardeno C’s books create some serious heat, and the spark between Trevor and Ford starts on the first page.  There are so many great things about this book, the relationship between the main characters is so genuine that you feel like you fall in love with them.  There is a secrecy about their relationship, and you feel the urgent need when they come together.  They are sweet, fluffy and endearing couple. 

There is lots of politics in this book, and we actually really liked them.  The struggle Ford has to honor his love for Trevor and the need to be re-elected.  We wish this could happen in real life, when political people are actually out! 

Now let’s talk about the good stuff…..whoowhoo, and it is good!  The sex in this book is hot!  There is quite a bit, but not overwhelming, and the dirty talk from Trevor is off the chart good.  The sex adds to their booty call- to – love story and adds to the realness of their feelings.

So, if you are looking for a feel-good, snuggle down on the couch and read a hot love story, then Strange Bedfellows is for you!

Review of Strong Enough by Cardeno C.

By Cardeno C. 

3.5 Stars

Sweet, sappy and an insta-love , steamy steamy read, Strong Enough by Cardeno C.

Cardeno C, has a way of grabbing you into a story and keeping you and Strong Enough is one of those reads.  The story follows 22 year old construction worker Emilio Sanchez and math professor Spencer Derdinger, on an insta-love classic.  Spencer is 16 years older than Emilio and has a past that is keeping him from getting out there and finding love.   Emilio is a larger than life character who takes what he wants and after he sees Spencer at the University job site, he is enamored.  Emilio pursues Spencer and the outcome is fireworks! 

At the beginning of the book we had some issues with the age-span, but Cardeno C. makes it work.  We LOVED them together; they are sweet, romantic, caring and so so hot, light your pages on fire HOT.  But it takes them a while to get there.  Spencer has been hurt over and over before, and it leaves him a lot gun-shy.  And sometimes his self-esteem issues make the story drag a bit.  Although it did serve to annoy us sometimes – it doesn’t really take away from the love story of Spencer and Emilio.

Cardeno C, is a self-professed romantic and you feel it thought our this boo. Although not on our top 5 Cardeno C books, it is a great fun easy read.