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! 

On Davis Row by N.R. Walker

 by N.R. Walker

4.5 stars 

Nearing the end of a suspended jail sentence should unlock a brighter future for CJ Davis, only the chip on his shoulder is as hard to shift as his bad reputation. Born into a family of career criminals who live down Davis Road, an address the cops have dubbed Davis Row, his name alone is like a rap sheet that makes optimism impossible.

Brand-new parole officer Noah Huxley is determined to see the good in men like CJ. After all, he knows firsthand that bad things can happen to good people. His colleagues mock his doe-eyed optimism, but Noah soon sees CJ’s bad attitude and bravado are weapons he uses to keep people at a distance.

Both men know one simple mistake can change a life forever. At first glance, they might seem to be polar opposites. Yet underneath, they're not that different at all.

Another knock-it-out-of-the-park novel from N.R. Walker.  It is a different sort of book, slower-paced than N.R. Walker other books and deals with a heart-breaking story of trying find value in yourself when no-one else see it.  Yes, this is a love story, but it is heart-breaking, we laughed, we cried, we stopped reading because our heart was breaking. It is a story of love of second chances and so much more.

What did we love?

- Dual POV: So many dual POV stories struggle with the different voices, but On Davis row is a perfect example of never confused voices.  We loved Noah’s optimism, his belief that everyone sometimes just needs a hand up.  And even through his own personal tragedies he still has so much hope and drive.  CJ’s voice is broken; he doesn’t believe much in himself and thinks that everyone is there to take from him.  The balance between Noah’s bright eyed optimism and CJ’s negativity is brilliant.  Don’t know if we would be able to survive a whole book from either of their POV, but moving back and forth gives balance.

- Slow burn:  We love slow burn romance, and On Davis Row is wonderfully unhurried.  Not to be misconstrued with the chemistry between CJ and Noah, because that is palpable.  But, the story takes it’s time, there is no rush to get them into bed, there is no rush to the happy ending.  There is significant issues that need to be worked through to get to all those things, and they make Noah and CJ’s journey to love so much sweeter.

- The Characters:  We love these men.  We love that CJ as hard and tough as he wants to appear is taking care of an elderly sick relative.  We love the Noah is determined to help, to support and to be anything CJ needs, how he could see through all the walls and labels and see the real CJ. We loved falling in love with them through each other’s eyes. 

- Epilogue:  A beautiful beautiful epilogue – thank you.

N.R. Walker is one of our favourite authors and On Davis Row is a wonderfully book full of so many emotions.  On Davis Row is a character driven story that sucked us in and kept us hoping for that happy ending.  A great read!

Waiting for Clark by Annabeth Albert

by Annabeth Albert

 5 stars

Dear Author,
My friends and I love cosplay, and this year we’re going all out for our city’s con. Yup, we’re going to go as members of the Justice League. I’m going as Batman, but I can’t figure out who’s going as a Superman. My friends are being a little cagey. What’s going on? How did I go from not knowing who Superman is to making out with the guy?

Photo Description:
In a cartoon drawing, Batman and Superman are locked in an embrace, kissing. Superman is taller and clutching Batman to him. Batman has more muscles and has visible tattoos on his arms. Superman has broader shoulders and dark hair. Batman is stretching up to meet him and has one foot kicked behind him. Behind them is a graffiti-covered wall, and Superman’s rainbow-lined cape swirls around them. The prompter specified that the picture is two men in cosplay costumes at a Comic Con convention.

Sigh, Bryce and Clark are adorable!  And so is this second-chance romance by Annabeth Albert.   Bryce and Clark haven’t seen each other in over 4 years, and parted on a sad note over a long awaited kiss.  But Clark has returned to Portland and intends to get Bryce back.  Bryce is a grumpy bar owner and when her runs into Clark at a Comic-Convention, Clark dresses as Superman and Bryce dressed as Batman, their connection sparkles.  But Bryce isn’t ready to let Clark have another chance to break his heart. 

This is story has everything, great writing, a fantastic simple story-line, fun friends, and some serious heat.  It is fluffy and romantic and FUN, and exactly what a 77-age short story should be.  Annabeth Alberta is a to the point writer and delivers the same in Waiting for Clark.  She manages to create 2 characters fill of insecurities, faults and awkwardness that melts your heart.  And being a short story we get to miss all the drama and angst.  It is a perfect combination.

We aren’t usually a fan of second-chance romance, but it works so well in this short story.  Waiting for Clark is a must read!