Review of The Shipwreck (Lavender Shores #4) by Rosalind Abel

 by Rosalind Abel

4.5 stars

Lamont Price’s romance novels have been a hit for the past few years. With his gorgeous looks, kind heart, and tender disposition, Lamont is the darling of Lavender Shores. He’s the guy everyone wants to be their best friend, the guy everyone wants to protect. But even with his success and the love of his family, Lamont feels hidden from those around him. Maybe the first step is attending a writing conference and revealing the man behind his pen name....

Tyler Dixon survives off his beauty and charm. From cover model to runway fashion to weekend arm candy, Tyler’s prices aren’t cheap. While his appearance is taking him places, his life as an artist has little more than flatlined. When an author hires him to appear as the face of her brand, Tyler thinks it’s just one more job. Little does he know another writer is going to steal all of his attention.

Escaping the conference to find some breathing room, Lamont runs into Tyler at a bar. Casual conversation leads to Lamont revealing his family’s obsession with helping him find love. It’s not a big deal to Tyler, who has played the role of boyfriend for other people in the past. Before either of them can rethink the situation, Tyler is in Lavender Shores meeting Lamont’s family. Though they’re only pretending to be in a relationship, the chemistry that ignites between them is anything but imaginary…

This is book 4 of the Lavender Shores series by Rosalind Abel, and again it is a complete success – we love these men and are so happy to finally see Lamont’s story come to life! This is your typical boyfriend-for-hire book, but this whimsical read goes so much further than that.

What did we love?

-          Boyfriend-for-hire: Seriously we think this might be one of our favorite tropes.  Yes, it is cliché, but somehow Rosalind Abel makes it seem new to us.  Maybe because it isn’t Lamont that actually proposes the idea to Tyler – rather the would-be-boyfriend convinces Lamont to hire him, a nice little spin on the traditional story.

-          Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry:  The shipwreck is sssoooooo sweet, so sexy, gawd, our teeth ache!  It is one of those feel-good, lovely-dovey , schmoopy love, we couldn’t  get enough.  The attraction between Tyler and Lamont sizzles from the start and only builds from there.

-          Angst: We hate the angst, but let us clarify – yes there is angst and there is a big ‘secret’ (isn’t there always) but what there is doesn’t define the book, and adds to the believability of the relationship.

-          Secondary Charaters: WE love when we get to visit with characters from other books.  And Lamont’s father is a total hoot!

The meh?

-          Secondary Characters: This isn’t really a negative, but thought we should mention. The Shipwreck is book #4, and yes, you can read it as a stand-alone, but there is quite a few secondary characters that might get you a bit confused.  Add in the family and town dynamic and there might be a bit of head scratching.

-          The ‘Secret:  Every book has this idea, the wrench, the misunderstanding, the miscommunication.  Now we aren’t going to spoil, but felt that if Tyler had shared his secret earlier in the book, it might have gone a different way.  Yes, totally vague-booking!  Let us just leave it at we didn’t think it was that big and might have changes the story if it was dealt with at the beginning.

The Shipwreck by Rosalind Abel is a great little story, and doesn’t rest on the success of the previous books in the series.  It is playful, quaint, and a truly enjoyable, read!

Review of A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews

 by Keira Andrews

4.5 Stars

When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?

In a world where every detail of life—down to the width of a hat brim—is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he’ll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else—something he can’t name.

Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can’t put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family and community.

Now that they’ve found each other, are they willing to lose it all?

We are completely fascinated by this interesting forbidden love-story and couldn’t get enough!   Keira Andrews has a remarkable way of creating a story that grabs us, captivates us and keeps us wanting more, and A Forbidden Rumspringa is a heart achingly lovely story that enchanted us form the first words.  But forbidden love is always so steamy….

We start by being introduced to a closed Amish settlement in Zebulon, introducing us to this secret group of people who shun almost everything for the outside world.  Isaac Byler has know he is different and struggles that he will soon have to join the church and get married, but he knows that his feelings for other men keep him from making the leap.  He finds himself drawn to David Lantz, but through the church’s teachings knows that that kind of love is forbidden.  Through tragedy David has been left for support his mother and sisters, and now is resigned to accept the life that he doesn’t want.  But when Isaac starts as David’s apprentice, they find that their connection is mutual and sparks fly.

Keira Andrews brings us into this secret Amish world, where the leaders make the rules and people just follow because that is the way.  It is completely fascinating.  Although this is a love story it is set in this closed-off settlement and religion plays a big part in this story.  The story isn’t preachy, instead it is just a layer to add to the forbidden love between Isaac and David. 

Sign, Isaac and David are swoon worthy.  They are sweet, sexy and oh so lovely together.  And hot, hot hot - the chemistry between the 2 is off the charts sizzling.  But there is so much more than just their physical reaction to each other.  They have both been raised to find a wife as a helpmate, and they are desperate to create that life together for themselves.   There is some serious angst in this story, but really essentially a forbidden love, how could there not be?  They so want to be together but the rules they are taught to follow tell them it is wrong.  And if they do choose to leave the settlement to the ‘english’ world and be together they are essentially cut off from their families.  What a choice to make.

We so enjoyed A Forbidden Rumspringa, but shouldn’t be surprised as we adore everything by Keira Andrews, there are 2 other books in the series and SPOILER – we gobbled them up already!  So So SO SO Good!

Review of Troll Whisperer

 by Sera Trevor

4 Stars

Oscar Lozada is repulsive, and he likes it that way. His apartment is always a wreck, he works at a sewage plant, and he’s an abrasive jerk to just about everyone. When he's not out drinking and hooking up with strangers, he trolls people on the Internet for lulz. His life changes when he finds out a victim of his trolling lives right next door. Noah is super hot and disarmingly nice. In spite of himself, Oscar starts to fall for him. All he has to do is make sure Noah never discovers the truth behind his trollish ways.

To start off we want to say we despised Oscar, and wanted to quit this book!  But don’t despair, we kept reading and by 70% started too really like the guy. 

Oscar is a mean person, a slob and a troll that incited anger on the internet to suit his own good time.  Despicable all around.  But just when we wanted to stop reading, we meet Noah.  Sign – sweet, kind, shy Noah.  And really we wanted to yell at Noah and tell him to RUN.  But wait, if Noah likes Oscar, maybe there are some redeemable qualities.  And slowly we start to see them.  Oscar has been hurt, and he uses his garbage, and prickly exterior to ward people away to keep them at arm’s length. Noah brings out the best in him, and shows him that you can trust when someone loves you they love all of you.  Sera Trevor creates a great balance for a short story; she lets us into the lives of Noah and Oscar to move the story along.

We really enjoyed Troll Whisperer, and for a short story we wish there was a sequel.  The book is about building the relationship, and finding trust in each other, we want to see their love story to grow.

Review of Frog by Mary Calmes

by Mary Calmes

5 stars

Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand's job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon. Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming.

Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him. He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one. But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he's not sure how much more his heart can take. Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself. With the help of his sister's newly broken family, he's ready to show Weber that the home the man's been searching for has always been right there, with him. Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow-he's never going to let Weber out of his life again.

Truth – we LOVE Mary Calmes.  And Frog, is one of our favorites.  Another truth, this must have been our 6^th time reading this much-loved Mary Calmes love story.

Weber Yates has not lived an easy life, but meeting Cyrus Benning was easily one of the best moments.  Webber is a Bull rider who has not had his big break but while working on a dude ranch in Texas meets Cyrus, on a vacation with friends.  Even though these 2 are very different men, they somehow belong to each other.

This is one of the best love stories out there.  We loved Webber, his down home charm, how he doesn’t really see his worth. How from the first chapter Mary Calmes spins a web that we want to get lost in and never leave.  After 3 years of Weber coming and going from his life, Cyrus is desperate to keep Weber and really how lovely is that?  That someone would do almost anything to keep you, sigh.

In a luck of fate Cyrus’s sister find herself a single mother of 3 and needs help to look after her boys.  And Weber is there, with his soft manners, his love of everything simple and his steadfastness.  So Weber stays to help.  Weber builds a foundation that everyone needs, that makes everything work, and just all together better.

This book is simple, like a warm hug, with no angst or mis-communication.  Just 2 men coming to terms that what they both need is standing in front of them.  Finding that sometimes you have to kiss some Frogss to find your prince. But like every Mary Calmes loves story there is some steam with the sweet.  The chemistry between Weber and Cyrus is off the charts hot, and from the first chapter you can feel it, and man want more of the passion they have for each other. 

Mary Calmes is truly a genius at love stories, they grab you from the first chapter and make you want and believe.  Frog is a must read, and full of so much love and comfort.

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.

Review of Working It by Riley Hart & Devon McCormack

By Riley Hart and Devon McCormack
  
 4 Stars

 Such a fun read.  If you a looking for a sweet, romantic m/m loving good time, then Working It, the 2^nd in the Metropolis Series is one you should pick up!

The Metropolis series focuses around a group of single males all living in the same apartment complex.  And although this is the 2^nd story of the series (Faking It being the first) it is not, per se, a continuing story.  However, we do get to visit with some our favorite characters form the first book, the delicious Travis and Gary and the smart-mouthed Derek.  So much fun.  Working It can be ready as a standalone story.  

Working It focuses on the story of Hayden and Cody.  Hayden is a sweet, nerdy math fellow, who is struggling with the direction of his life after the end of a 3-year relationship.  Cody is a free-spirited, easy-going tattoo artist who has had his own trying journey with family.  They are brought together when Hayden needs a room to rent and Cody is willing give a hand-up to a friend-of-a-friend.  The outcome is hot, sexy and sweet!  

We really liked this book, there isn’t much angst, the plot line is pretty familiar (friends-to-lovers), and the story moves along.  But what really sets it apart from other similar books, are the characters.  You really feel like you know Hayden and Cody, and can feel the comfort, friendship, love and SPARKS between them.  Cody has a pretty one sided story; kicked out by parents, taken in by a stranger, but his optimistic streak helps Hayden move through his self-esteem issues and end up really complementing each other. 

Let’s talk about the good stuff!  Even though I have used sweet 10+ times describing this book, there is some serious heat, serious….like the threesome kind.  Yes, Yes and YES.  These 2 authors (Riley Hart & Devon McCormack) produce some pretty steamy books, but seem to have found the right level of heat vs. story for Working It.  The sex seems to enhance the love story and doesn’t overwhelm.

 

So, do you want an easy, fun, sweet, sexy read, then pick up Working It, you won’t be disappointed!