WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN AUGUST 2023?

What do you plan to read in August?

Carol's August Reads
🌹 - ★
58/58
🌹Before You Break- K.C Wells & Parker Williams - 5★ (friend)
🌹 Hunting Evil - Chris Carter - 5★ (Group Read) (2)
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🌹Dear Daddy, Please Praise Me - Luna David & Amy Bellows - 4.5★
🌹Steele My Heart - Tatum West - 4.5★
🌹Last Call - Felice Stevens & Christina Lee - 5★
🌹Four Ever - Sloane Kennedy - 3★
🌹Finley - Ella Frank - 4★
🌹Through the Flames - Andrew Grey - 5★
🌹Captain Silver Fox - Nora Phoenix - 4★
🌹Second to None - Felice Stevens - 5★
🌹Houston - Shaw Montgomery - 5★
🌹Lane - Shaw Montgomery - 4.5★
🌹Austin - Shaw Montgomery - 4★
🌹Zander- Carly Marie- 5★
🌹Out To Win - Nora Phoenix -4.5★
🌹Daddy - Nora Phoenix & K M Neuhold - 5★
🌹Ziggy - Nora Phoenix & K M Neuhold- 4.5★
🌹Shelter - E. Davies - 4.5★
🌹Limelight - E. Davies - 5★
🌹Slave For Two - Morticia Knight - 2★
🌹Switched- N R Walker - 4.5★
🌹Puppy For A Day - Della Cain - 4.5★
🌹The Soldier and the Angel - Jodi Payme & B A Tortuga- 5★
🌹Doll Parts - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹Out of the Ashes - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹The Shepherd - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹Adrift in the Embers - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹Hostile Takeover - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹Senseless - Cara Dee - 5★
🌹The Face in The Water - Gregory Ashe- 4.5★
🌹Turnabout - Laurel Greer - 4.5★
🌹Auctioned - Cara Dee - 3★
🌹Stranded - Cara Dee - 4★
🌹Dear Daddy, Please Trust Me -Rheland Richmond -5★
🌹Stronghold - Ana Ashley - 4★
🌹Renovating the Model - Nora Phoenix - 4.5★
🌹His Boy To Cherish - Colette Davison - 4.5★
🌹Taming Teddy - Lucy Lennox - 3.5★
🌹His Boy to Tease - JP Sayle- 4★
🌹Showstopper - Regenia Kyle - 4.5★
🌹A Light in the Darkness - Alice Winter - 4.5★
🌹Deception in Darkness - Alice Winter - 5★ (40)
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🌹The One That Kills You - Rick Rothermel - 4.5★
🌹The Eel and The Angel - Rodger Carlyle- NO RATING
🌹Deadly Crossing - Anthony M. Strong - 5★
🌹Blue Labyrinth - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child - 4.5★
🌹Hidden Pictures - Jason Rekulak - 5★
🌹Just Like Home - Sarah Gailey - 4.5★
🌹I'll Be You - Janelle Brown - 4.5★
🌹Insomnia - Sarah Pinborough - 5★
🌹The Couple at the Table - Sophie Hannah - 3.5★
🌹No Kiss Goodbye - Janelle Harris - 5★
🌹After Death - Dean Koontz - 3★
🌹The Ravenous Dead - 4★
🌹The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward - 5★
🌹The New One - Evie Green- 5★
🌹The Pact - Jodi Picoult - 4.5★
🌹The September House - Carissa Orlando - 5★ (16)

>2 Carol420: that kitty is totally me

>3 genesisdiem: Cute little guy, isn't he? I thought that he could just hang out and keep my place for me in the book through August:) Actually it might be a "she". My Aunt Margaret aways said that all female cats were hers because they had an "M" in their foreheads.

>4 Carol420: the cat I had as a child had a white heart on his belly and he was grey and white everywhere else. The cat in your photo reminded me of him. 😊

Dear Daddy, Please Praise Me - Luna David - (Utah)
Naughty or Nice series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance/Age Play (Daddy/Little)
4.5★
"Dear Santa, I want a Daddy who will take care of me..." Sanders doesn’t believe he’ll actually find a Daddy through a dating app. He’s not much to look at, and his life is a mess. A Daddy would never be interested in someone like him. But he’s lonely. He hasn’t been kissed for three long years. Briggs moved to the small tourist town of Red Canyon, Utah to get away from his fast-paced life in Chicago. But he also moved away from most of his dating prospects. Downloading a dating app seems like an obvious choice. The boy that answers the messages is sweet, nervous, and drinks up every word of praise Briggs gives him. But he’s too nervous to meet face to face, claiming that Briggs won’t like him as much in person. How can Briggs convince this boy that he’s everything a Daddy could ask for?

I've liked all this little series and it doesn't have to be read in order. Each book is written by a different author, and all feature a "Little" who has to write a letter to Santa asking him to bring a "Daddy" for Christmas. The Daddy's read the letters on the Club's website and if interested in meeting the "Little" asks the question "Have you been naughty or nice". The response plays a big part in if the Daddy and the Little will correspond anymore or even if they will meet. Of course, the books feature those that do respond the way that each were hoping for. The books can best be described as "Cute and fluffy". Sanders and Briggs were absolutely perfect together. The first half of the book may not be for all reader as it has a lot of sadness because of what Sanders was going through with his mother, and his experiences of low self-esteem. In spite of that, the story isn't high angst by any means, it just has a lot of hurt/comfort, but in a really good way. I am a sucker for a shy boy and a gentle Daddy, and these two were diffidently it. Overall...it's the story of two men taking a chance and making a connection just in time for Christmas. It does play with kink but also with exploring what makes a relationship satisfying. As I said before...there is no real conflict just lots of love.

Blue Labyrinth - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child - (California/New York)
Agent Pendergast Series Book #14
Genea: Mystery & Suspense
4.5★
It begins with murder. One of Pendergast's most implacable, most feared enemies is found on his doorstep, dead. Pendergast has no idea who is responsible for the killing, or why the body was brought to his home. The mystery has all the hallmarks of the perfect crime, save for an enigmatic clue: a piece of turquoise lodged in the stomach of the deceased. The gem leads Pendergast to an abandoned mine on the shore of California's Salton Sea, which in turn propels him on a journey of discovery deep into his own family's sinister past. But Pendergast learns there is more at work than a ghastly episode of family history: he is being stalked by a subtle killer bent on vengeance over an ancient transgression. And he soon becomes caught in a wickedly clever plot, which leaves him stricken in mind and body, and propels him toward a reckoning beyond anything he could ever have imagined.

A knock on the door starts this 14th adventure. When the door is opened, the body of Pendergast’s son is discovered. Of course, the obvious question is who could possibly have murdered Pendergast’s son? The culprit(s) are leaving a fairly obvious trail for Pendergast to follow. The reader will get to know a whole new and different side of Pendergast. We are allowed to see the real man and all his emotions laid bare. Characters are brought back from previous books and even from previous locations. On the surface it appears to be a secondary murder plot...but the reader soon realizes that the crimes are all tied together. One of the biggest differences is that in this book the interaction increases dramatically between De’Agosta, Margot and Constance as they attempt to save Pendergast. I have enjoyed all of the Pendergast novels, but perhaps this one is, or is very close to being, my favorite. I really can't comment much on the rest of the story as that would certainly give away things that the reader will enjoy learning themselves. I can say that, as we long-time readers all know... Pendergast can be, and is, egotistical, petulant and self-centered, but you can't help but love the man. In Blue Labyrinth we see him suffer and perhaps show the more "human" side that we may have missed.

Second to None - Felice Stevens - (New York)
Breakfast Club series book #3
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
Nightclub owner Marcus Feldman never met a man he didn’t love, at least for the night. Although his best friends have all found love, Marcus shuns their advice to commit to one man and settle down. His past has taught him monogamy and marriage is for fools, and Marcus is anything but a fool. Tyler Reiss’s dream of dancing professionally is unexpectedly cut short and replaced by a different kind of love. He trades in his ballet slippers for go-go boots and spends his nights dancing at the hottest gay club in the city. Flirting with the customers for tips is easy but resisting the dark and sexy owner...Marcus is becoming harder to do with each passing day. Unforeseen circumstances bring Marcus and Tyler closer and though they give in to their mutual passion, both still struggle to guard their hearts. When crises threaten, Tyler and Marcus find their strength in each other rather than falling apart. Tyler must choose to either run, or stay and fight for the life he wants, while Marcus realizes that love doesn’t mean losing himself and opens his heart, making him a better man in the end.

I loved this book and the characters. Of course, I have loved almost all of Felice Stevens books:) It can also be read as a standalone. We learn right off that...

"Love is inescapable, indefinable, and sometimes ill-advised. It takes you by the throat and shakes you until your brain rattles, yet just as gently, cradles you in its arms."
So begins the story of Marcus and Tyler. Marcus owns a nightclub...Tyler is its newest dancer. Sparks ignite between them right away... but not all of them are the "good " kind. Marcus is determined to not ever get involved with ANYONE EVER AGAIN and certainly NOT one of his dancers. So why is he is so drawn to Tyler? Tyler felt that draw but was determined to NEVER be just another notch on Marcus’s or any other man's, bedpost, so he fights to resists him at every turn. Tyler is struggling to accept that dancing in this or any club is his new reality. He was professionally trained but he makes more money there in a night than he would in a month elsewhere...plus, he needs every cent of that money since his sister disappeared after leaving him her 5-year-old daughter. So, with bigger responsibilities to focus on he won’t/can't allow Marcus to be a distraction.

"When everyone in your life has always failed you, it made it almost impossible to believe a person would give you their heart, expecting nothing but to be loved in return."
Marcus can’t understand why Tyler keeps ignoring him and turning him down. They have undeniable chemistry, yet he continually gives him a cold shoulder and becomes angrier with every flirt that Marcus makes. Neither Tyler or Marcus's friends can believe that Marcus seriously likes Tyler, so they decide to offer him some help and advice. Ahhh... "The best laid plans of mice and men"! ...but...

"When you live with someone and love them, they creep into your blood and soul, leaving irrevocable imprints on your heart."
Marcus eventually learns that it's more Tyler’s added responsibility that's the problem and not so much Marcus himself. Unforeseen circumstances do finally allow Tyler to see the real Marcus with all his vulnerabilities There are so many highs and lows for Marcus and Tyler throughout the book, but they learn to lean on each other and support each other any way they can... plus Marcus finds that his heart also held tightly by a little girl that has had more than enough heartbreak in her young life. An awesome book and series.

Insomnia - Sarah Pinborough
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
In the dead of night, madness lies... Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a deeply disturbing incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same milestone Emma is approaching now. Emma desperately wants to keep her childhood trauma in the past, but as she stops being able to sleep, she also can’t stop thinking about what happened all those years ago. Is the madness in her blood? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, half-awake state, just like her mother? Or is there another explanation for the strange things that keep happening around her? Emma must unravel the dark strands of her past to protect the people she loves… or risk losing it all, including her sanity.

Emma Averell birthday is in just 12-days and it's the big one... 40! Lately she has been dealing with the worst case of insomnia imaginable. It’s so bad that she has begun to hallucinate that someone is in her house, and her as a mother she needs to protect her two children. It's 24-hours a day, sleeping or awake and seems to bleed into every part of her life. It's also impacting her marriage to her deadbeat husband, Robert, and her job. While at work, Emma receives a call from her older sister, Phoebe, with whom she is not close. Phoebe is only calling to let her know their mother is very sick and in the hospital. Emma reluctantly goes to meet Phoebe and sits through the expected guilt trip that Phoebe lays on her. All Emma can recall is that her mother is crazy, and everyone says Emma was just like her. 40 years old... this was about the time that her mother had lost her mind. To make the day even better(?) was that Phoebe blames Emma for their mother's dying while they were out of her room. Her deadbeat husband Robert is now barely speaking to her which I saw as a winner for her side. Now Emma has crazy nightmares when she does sleep, and the Insomnia is getting worse if that was even possible and Emma is woried that something is going to happen to her son, Will. Everything will come to a head on Emma’s birthday, leading to explosive revelations. This is the type of book that very fittingly will cause many sleepless nights and continues to prove that this author is a fantastic complex writer that is so very capable of producing nightmare novels that you won't be able to stop reading until the last page and then want much more.

Steele My Heart - Tatum West - (Virginia)
Bridge to Abingdon Series, Book #1
Narrator: Alexander Cendeses & Tor Thorn
Genera - M/M Romance/Law enforcement
4.5★
I was tired of working the police beat in Northern Cali. Exhausted – my whole body was yearning for a place I hadn’t been in years, my old home. When my mama died, I knew I had to come back, and a pay bump and new job as police chief sealed the deal. I got away from heartbreak. From being so tired. From the constant, never-ending world of crime I’d come to know. In Abingdon, I can relax, see all my old friends from Jackson Academy. Maybe I can even change this place a little, make it better for all the kids like me. The ones who were different, who always needed a place a little bigger and broader than a small mountain town could provide. I always promised myself I wouldn’t come back. But Kendall Vincent – he might just get me to stay for good. When I’m in his arms, I feel complete, whole again, like a man reborn to the world. Everything seems perfect, right up until the moment that it’s not. When two gay kids get hurt bad by a gang of thugs, I realize that Abingdon needs me far more than I thought. And I’m here to protect the town – and the man – that I’m growing to love.

Gil Steele returns to his hometown in Virginia to assume the role of town police chief after being away 15 years while working as a police officer in California. He meets and quickly falls for Kendall Vincent, who is a chef and runs a successful food cart service. The two quickly pair up but it seemed they were constantly being interrupted a group of anti-gay rednecks aided by an old-school bigoted county sheriff. It won't take long for you to absolutely hate the sheriff. The main, (non-romance), plot line here involves a reprehensible kind of betrayal. One that has become all too common in this country. It’s always a problem anywhere when corrupt and, or uncaring law enforcement and others that have sworn to protect and serve, oppress the very people that they’re paid to protect. That problem is especially horrendous when the targets of that oppression are the ones with differences some may disagree with but still should protect their rights...not just “tolerate” ... but protect. It’s especially satisfying in this story to see some other more enlightened officers, stepping up to end these abuses. In this case there are two happy endings. one when the “good cops” end the bullies’ reign of terror. And the other, a more romantic happy ever after. My husband was a police officer for 38 years...20 of them in a part of the country...not the state, that this story takes place in...so I did a happy little cheer when we are reminded that any officer of the law that knows of, but fails to report a crime, is themselves committing a crime. What finally comes up was a bit of a surprise. I learned, thanks to "Mr.Google"... that it's something that has only been actually legal in Virginia since 2014. Don't want to say what because it would give away too much of a good story line. The book is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Gil and Kendall. The narrators are two of my favorites when I do audio books. Alexander Cendese narrates Kendall’s chapters in an animated and endearing style, and Tor Thorn narrates Gil's chapters in a more sedate and gruffer style. While the contrast was at first a bit jarring, the two styles work very effectively and by the end I was sold on Gil and Kendall no matter how they sounded.

Limelight - E. Davies - (Vermont)
Vino and Veritas Series Book #15
Genera: M/M Romance
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
5★
Save the bees, ride a rock star. Formerly famous...and planning to keep it that way. After my band kicked me out, I ran away to Vermont, changed my name, and kept my head down. So far, it's working, and nobody knows who I am. Or who I was. Until I see geeky poet Caleb stumbling through his first open mic night, and I can't help rescuing him. He's as sweet as the honey my bees make and sexy enough to make me rethink so many things. But I can't tell him my secret, or I'll lose the anonymous life I worked so hard to build. Everyone warns me he's too good to be true. I can't believe a gorgeous, successful winemaker like Tag is into shy, geeky little accountant me. But he helps me blossom and believe in my talent and works his way into my heart and my bed...not necessarily in that order. I'm falling for a man for the first time, and now I know what the missing number in my equation has always been. When lies are revealed, though, someone's going to get stung.

A cute quick little story of a slightly innocent, young poet and an honest, handsome, recluse, secret hiding, mead maker. These two were made for one another, now all they had to do was trust one another with their pasts and keep it together. They marched to their own beat and decided for themselves what would make their relationship what each of them wanted and needed. Both are lonely...only finding each other through a luck of the draw happenstance. I wish Caleb would have stood up more for himself to his brothers and that Tag could have been brave enough to tell Caleb about his past. Overall...a short, sweet story with two lovable guys, some lovely little mead making bees and an over excitable beautiful dog, making it simply feel good and sweet.

The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward - (Washington)
Narrator: Christopher Ragland
Genera: Horror
5★
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three. A teenage girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time. A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory. And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.
An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.

From the very first page of this story, you know that something is wrong...VERY WRONG. Even if horror is not your usual or favorite genera, you will see how the author has managed to create an unshakable sense of unease. The characters themselves are almost as much of a horror as the house. First, we have Ted. Ted Bannerman lives alone with his cat Olivia in a dilapidated, boarded up house at the end of a cul-de-sac. He's unemployed, he drinks a lot, and he suffers from several undiagnosed mental health problems. Lauren, his daughter comes to visit from time to time. They never go out and their relationship is always tense and violent. Then we met Dee who moves into the abandoned house next door. She's trying to find her sister, who was kidnapped many years ago, Ted's life, that I thought was the definition of chaotic, now begins to spiral out of control. Now the story really spirals into "interesting"...nothing in that House on Needless Street is what it seems. I have never read anything by this author, but I was impressed to say the least with how she keeps the readers guessing from the first page to the last page, even after we learn the truths that changes everything. We find some important facts to bear in mind...1. Dee's sister was kidnapped as a child while on vacation and Dee's obsession...almost her reason for living...is finding her. 2.Ted is a loner and is haunted by his mother's ghost and is almost a hermit in a dilapidated house...and 3. last be not least... Dee believes that Ted kidnapped her sister. That's pretty clear, right? Ready for the rest? There are "gods" buried in the woods and thought to be the mystery of Lauren's, Ted's daughter's sporadic presence and brooding mood... then we have angry green boys living in the attic...and, oh yeah...Olivia, the cat talks, reads, and believes in God, wants to have a TV show, and suffers from dissociative identity disorder. I was owned by several cats, and I almost found that part actually believable:) Now you think that that might be a bit confusing, but it's just all part of this dark, strange world Catriona Ward has created for this unsettling story smack dab in the middle of the most delusional minds you have ever encountered, and somehow...it all makes sense. The chapters alternate between Ted, Olivia, Lauren, and Dee, and none of them can really be trusted. An excellent story for everyone that loves dark, unsettling, nail-biting leave the lights on and lock the door...horror. I can't say enough about the terrific performance that Christopher Ragland did with the voices of these characters.

Houston - Shaw Montgomery
Leashes & Lace Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Kink (slight)
5★
I chose to not put the book description here as it seemed to give way a lot of the story that the reader will want to discover for themselves.

This is what could best be called an "opposites attract/forced proximity" romance. Houston is the IT guy for a website lingerie company called Leashes and Lace... that is a bit...well ALOT...different than what you would expect when you hear "lingerie". Houston needs a roommate so that he can stop worrying about his rent, his bills, his next meal... well you get the picture. He also has not had a great deal of success in the past...but what the heck...the guy coming to look at the apartment can't be any worse...can he? When they meet, they find that they live really different lives that’s reflected in their ages, their professions, and maybe(?) their sexual preferences.... but somehow, for some reason...they fit together very well. One thing that these two did that Houston had zero, zilch desire to do with his previous roommates...was that they talked. Imagine that? And they found that they could combine their two lives and preferences to produce soooo much more. Houston's bold presences and his instant attraction to Reece is amusing. I simply loved Reece!

Doll Parts - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
Game Series Book #4
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
I have the best boyfriend in the whole world, but there’s one thing I won’t tell him. It’s that I don’t believe in absolute happiness anymore. Not with the cards we’ve been dealt. I mean, come on! Why do we fall for people who don’t want us back? While he’s been pining after Lucian, one of the Masters in his kink community, I’m the lovesick monster-puppy Little who can’t forget my former stepdad KC. Or the kinky porn I once found on his computer…but that’s beside the point! It’s complicated, to be honest. I try not to think about it. I have Cameron, and I love him so damn much. Why can’t we try to make it on our own? Why does he want us to find a Top that’s just ours? It won’t work. Our stupid hearts refuse to move on. What’s even stupider is that Cameron insists we seek out a Dom for our relationship in the very kink community where we can find both KC and Lucian. Ohhh crap. I think he’s got a plan.

Cara Dee has for some time now been an auto read for me and having read the first three books in this series I have to say that I have really enjoyed them. The characters wander back and forth into each other's stories making for one big family. These books will...like any other genera...not be for everyone. That's mainly the reason I always list the genera in the start of any review except for my two groups that would never object to the topic. Noa, who we have met before is a "Little", and he's in a “relationship” with Cameron, although their kink needs/wants don’t really go together with each other and they both have crushes on other men in their club community. They never depart from what their relationship is together, and it mostly feels like "best friends" than anything else. They each encourage the other to go after men they are attracted to and that share their particular kink. Noa is interested in his ex-stepfather, KC, and Cameron is interested in Lucian, a Dom that he likes but who isn't looking for anything serious. Noa & KC get quite a bit more page time than Cameron & Lucian. As you would expect, there are some really hot scenes in this story. I have read just about...and own almost everything Cara Dee has written, so I found the writing to express the character's felling's loud and clear and from what I have read about the "Little" persona and the different kinds of kink that people are into, I believe she is 100% accurate in the telling. The story focuses a lot on their needs and wants which seems to overpower any other aspects of their lives...but to each his own. The submissive characters, Noa and Cameron, are cute & sexy and if you don’t mind the kink aspect, you will probably really enjoy this story. If you like things a little more hardcore...hard to be more hardcore than this...but just saying... You may find that Cara Dee has some other stories that might fit that bill as well. Since I bought all 13 books in this series, and this is just #4...I have more treats waiting on the bookshelf.

The Couple AT the Table - Sophie Hannah
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
3.5 ★
Jane and William are enjoying their honeymoon at an exclusive couples-only resort……until Jane receives a chilling note warning her to “Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours.” At dinner that night, five other couples are present, and none of their tables is any nearer or farther away than any of the others. It’s almost as if someone has set the scene in order to make the warning note meaningless—but why would anyone do that? Jane has no idea.
But someone in this dining room will be dead before breakfast, and all the evidence will suggest that no one there that night could have possibly committed the crime.

Married police officers Simon Waterhouse and Charlie Zailer are supposed to be taking a holiday at a luxurious resort not far from where they live. However, as is often the case with rea or fictional detectives, trouble seems to follow them, so it isn’t long after their arrival that one of the guests, Jane Brinkwood, daughter of the aristocratic owner, is found stabbed in the back.... deader than the proverbial doornail. The irony is that Jane herself thought nothing of stabbing others in the back, metaphorically speaking, when she was alive. Indeed, one of her fellow guests is Lucy Dean, whose ex-husband, William, left her for Jane. They’d been having an affair for 18 months behind Lucy’s back, and Lucy had even worked as a trained medical companion for Jane during her pregnancy. Jane had also managed to upset everybody else at the resort, so there are plenty of suspects for Waterhouse and Zailer to investigate, although as everyone has an alibi, getting to the bottom of the matter proves rather difficult indeed. Actually, The Couple at the Table comes across feeling somewhat like something that Agatha Christie could well have dreamed up. We have all the protagonists gathered at the scene of the crime, during which the detective sums up exactly what happened before revealing the killer. I was interested and invested in the crime during the first 200 or so pages, but then the last section was somewhat of a let-down. There’s an awful lot of explaining to be done, and some of it just seemed to be too preposterous. I’d love to be able to explain that better, but I’d be giving away spoilers and I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone still planning to read the book. Not at all a bad story and it is well worth reading and the 3.5 star rating.

Lane - Shaw Montgomery
Leashes and Lace Series Book #4
Narrator: Kenneth Obi
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM Elements
4.5★
It wasn’t stalking. Lane just did his best to make sure he was at the right place at the right time to watch the sexy, tattooed hunk get his coffee in the afternoon. The tattooed hunk who had to be straight, no matter how badly Lane wanted to imagine otherwise. He’d somehow collected a stalker. Wilder wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do about the admirer he’d picked up on his afternoon lunch break. When he overheard two men talking about him, he should have ignored them or found a way to let the sweet, shy guy know he wasn’t interested - because Wilder was straight, wasn’t he? When one guy isn’t as shy as he seems and the other isn’t quite as straight as he thinks, they just might be able to make it work.

Lane is nothing less than adorable...and he isn't really your normal stalker, or any other type of real stalker...just a name he calls himself as he tries to never miss a chance to watch and be present in the shop when Wilder comes to get his coffee. Actually, Wilder secretly likes it and looks forward to seeing Lane. Wilder was also able to think more about something he had been puzzling over for several months.... his thoughts about his sexuality and these thoughts were ever more present after getting to know Lane more. The best thing, other than these two sweet guys, was that throughout the entire story there was absolutely no angst...just these two getting to know one another...fall in love...and find out that there was way more to Wilder than the macho tattoo artist. Seeing Lane and Wilder slowly becoming more and more comfortable with each other produced several smiles. The narrator, Kenneth Obi, did yet another fantastic job with the narration.

Turnabout - Laurel Greer - (Vermont)
Vino and Veritas Series Book #9
Narrator: Gary Furlong
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
I don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop. My stint in Vermont will have to be short, for a couple of reasons: One, I’m a busy executive trying to climb the corporate ladder. Two, my ex is still my dad’s right-hand man in the shop. And I am not over him.
Nothing has changed at the Burlington shop. Auden still has his infuriatingly sexy Scottish accent. He’s still hot, and still stubborn. Between operating the antique press with his shirtsleeves rolled up, and moonlighting at Burlington’s hottest inclusive wine bar, he pushes every one of my attraction buttons. My falling-in-love-again buttons, too. Except I’m his polar opposite. I love change and taking chances. Everything he avoids in life. So why am I trying to convince him to reach for more than we’ve ever dreamed of—the possibility of forever?

This is a second chance romance between the characters of Auden and Carter. The two of them had met and fallen in love while in college but life changes and sometimes circumstances just don't seem to cooperate. This is what happened to these two guys. They find themselves at odds because of the position of not ever having ever gotten over the breakup due to the fact that Auden works with Carter’s dad at his letterpress shop. Carter has always felt that he never did anything right as far as his dad was concerned...and it certainly seemed to be true...so he left Vermont and Auden and went to work for a company in Montreal. Before taking the job, he tried to talk to his father about ideas he had to improve the shop, but his ideas fell on deaf ears. Carter had always wanted to bring the print shop into the 21st century and maybe he didn’t present his ideas to his father in the best of ways, but he was heartbroken when his boyfriend, Auden the love of his life sided with his father instead of him....and stayed in Vermont. Years go by and Carter is called by his father asking him to come home and take over the shop while he was gone to try to convince Carter's mother to come home from Paris where she was threating to stay if his dad didn't change his ways. Carter quickly finds himself thrown back into things with his old love... and they find quite early on that even if their ideals on the shop still don’t exactly align, those that they have about each other pick up like time had stood still. I don’t know what it was about these two but between Carter’s bossy, white collared tone and Auden’s Scottish stubbornness... I found myself rooting for them. On paper, the two shouldn’t be together or make sense...but somehow, they did. They both had their fair share of mental and emotional trauma to work through but of course, the power of love nearly always wins out.... especially in this series, that is loaded with fairly short stories all written by different M/M romance authors. "Happy Ever After's" are almost always guaranteed with the Vino and Veritas series. I have read, or listened to, almost all of them and have really enjoyed every one of them. This one was no exception.

Captain Silver Fox - Nora Phoenix
Narrators: Tim Paige & Liam DiCosimo
Genera: M/M Romance
4★
Brantley Phipps doesn’t want a boyfriend. In his line of work, relationships are impossible. All he wants is one night of fun before he starts his 10-week rotation as assistant hotel director on a cruise ship. He scores the jackpot with a hot older guy who hits all his yes, please buttons and who wants the same thing as him. Their chemistry is explosive, hot damn. Talk about a night to remember. That should last him a while….Until he discovers that his one-night stand is none other than the legendary Captain Silver Fox aka his new boss. Oops. Still, it shouldn’t be an issue because Brantley doesn’t do coworkers and Fox is known for being strict as hell about not dating employees. That should make things easy, if not for that pesky attraction that keeps flaring up whenever they’re in the same room. Or on the same ship. What the hell do they have to do to get rid of that? It’s gonna be a long three months….

Fox and Bentley meet accidently at a club just before they start his 10-week rotation on the cruise ship. One is a seasoned captain the other a new hire. Neither man have ever met before. The company they work for has rules that are heavily enforced, that there is to be no fraternizing with the staff or passengers, and everyone essentially reports to the captain. When there is a medical emergency at the club that Bentley assists with the help another club guest.... Fox. Fox and Bentley find they would like to spend some time getting to know one another and leave together. The guest who is now Fox's date for the night said his name was Bentley. He's quite a bit younger than Fox, but they seem to fit together really, really well. Fox is feeling a bit bad that there can’t be any follow up, but there is his job, and he is going to be gone for 10-weeks. The other guest, Fox's hook-up, is also going to be busy because he is starting a new position the next day. All is going well. Captain Fox DeVries...who goes by his nickname, "Silver" because for his premature gray hair which is more silver in color... loves his job. He's really young to be the captain of a huge cruise ship but his family was into the nautical business back as far as he can remember. Things are going great until he meets the new Assistant Hotel Director on the very ship that is captaining ...who, you guessed it...just happens to be his one-night stand, Bentley, aka Brantley Phipps. Can you say AWAKWARD??? Fox and Brantley try to figure out how to manage things. They did decide to spend some time together when the ship was in port for 24-hours. Fox runs a tight ship and he’s not about to break his own rules no matter how much he likes Brantley, so they agree to be friends with flirting but NOTHING ELSE! You know how long that worked. This is a really sweet sometimes frustrating story. It’s not very long, but we learn a lot about both main characters. On the surface, it seems like they have great chemistry, but maybe that’s all there is. As the story goes along, they develop a real friendship and mutual respect for each other as people. They respect and support each other's choices as well as other aspects of their individual lives. The evolution of their relationship over the course of the story is fast but interesting and believable. The two narrators were new to me, but they did a fantastic job of giving the characters voice.

Austin- Shaw Montgomery
Series: Romance & Revolutions Book #2
Genera: M/M/Romance/BDSM/D/s dynamic
4★
Sometimes you have to leap before you look. At least, that’s Austin’s philosophy on life. He knows better than anyone that looks are sometimes deceiving, but when he thinks he meets Mr. Right—who appears to also be Mr. Tall, Sexy, and Dominant—he’s ready to jump in headfirst. It isn’t every day that an alpha Dom falls from the sky and drops right into his lap, and he’s not going to question fate. Looking twice at every situation has always been Silas’s motto, but he’s ready to make an exception for the firecracker omega who holds nothing back. Austin is outrageous, has no filter, and is utterly devoted to his friends. The fact that he’s also a submissive who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it makes him almost perfect. But when perfection comes with millions of dollars and paparazzi, maybe they could both use some caution. Sometimes it’s just chemistry, but sometimes when the right person comes into your life it just might be fate. Figuring out the difference isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the effort if it brings you everything you always dreamed of.

Austin is unfiltered and outrageous...just what Silas wants and needs. Austin is also a strange mixture of caring and devoted friend...a good businessman and a submissive omega who badly needed an Alpha Dom. He was so real and some of his exploits just made me want to shake him as well as my head. Silas is the owner of a novelty toy store and seemed very accepting and tolerant...more than most people probably would have been... of Austin, and his antics and he does his best to protect him, as a few people view him as obnoxious. It was an easy read, allowing the reader to feel and understand the two characters and where their story was taking them. There was always romance underneath all the other things in their lives. The relationship in this one is more like Master/slave, which is okay. I understand the lifestyle but don't really care much for it in my stories. I much prefer the relationship to be that of Dom/sub... but to each his own. It's all adults and it's all entirely consensual. The books in this series can diffidently be read out of order but characters do filter through from book to book.

The Eel and The Angel - Rodger Carlyle - (Alaska)
Team Walker Book #1
Genera: Spy/Political/Counterintelligence
No Rating
The Chinese suspect that an expansion of a Second World War historical park and marine sanctuary in Alaska's Aleutian Islands is really a front for an advanced laser weapon that can render China's missile deterrent obsolete. They begin naval and air reconnaissance of the project, but quickly find that the remote location is immune to traditional spy craft. A special intelligence team, Team Walker, is created. Young Lt. Chad Gritt is tasked with understanding the Chinese threat. Former CIA operative Thadius Walker is recruited out of retirement to develop strategies to keep their adversaries from discovering the Alaskan secret. Their plan is to use the new installation as bait to study the Chinese sub without compromising the facility. Their final defense will be movement of a SEAL team to the Aleutians. Their opponent, ruthless Chinese officer Gen. Yang, chooses the moment a typhoon strikes to invade the island, leaving the SEALs stranded. Beautiful Maj. Olga Tvorshik, head of a tiny Air Force police unit and stodgy Col. May Washington, a computer genius, offer their expertise to curb the threat. But without the Navy SEALS, can two women who have never seen combat defeat the elite Chinese commandos?

The story is about a new submarine China has deployed against the U.S., and the countermeasures the U.S. develops to counter the threat. This was as far as I got before I was bored to tears and did something that I can count on one hand EVER having done. I stopped reading while I still processed one or two functioning brain cells, closed the covers and returned it to the library...and said, "thank you". Please ...if this is a subject that would interest you...please try it...you will probably like it...but I believe that you will really, really need to be into espionage and spy novels...and I'm sure that it's an interesting and informative book IF this is a subject you are interested in. I'm not going to give it a rating because...1. I didn't finish the book...2. I don't think the book was badly written at all...3.I should have read the book description more carefully before ever letting anyone, even a good friend, talk me into blindly reading something. My Bad...and my apologies to the author.

Last Call - Felice Stevens & Christina Lee - (Pennsylvania)
Heartsville Series Book #1
Genera: M/M/M Romance
5★
Quinn Monahan and Grayson Page have been friends since high school. Despite their differences, they’ve been there for each other through thick and thin. Opening Last Call together, a bar tucked away in the small town of Heartsville, PA seemed a natural progression—even if it makes it harder to live with the secret longing they’ve always had for each other. Hoping to score an easy buck and a place to sleep, unemployed circus roadie Emery Woods chooses Last Call to run a few bets and enjoy a decent beer before moving on. When he finds himself stranded, the unexpected kindness Quinn and Gray show him leads to temporary work and a couch to lay his head. Sensing unresolved history between Quinn and Gray, he squashes his immediate draw to the men, opting to avoid trouble. But as days turn into weeks, denying the attraction is easier said than done. When the men finally give in to the simmering sexual tension, it quickly develops into more than a way to pass the lonely nights. And as they begin to lean on each other for emotional support, it becomes nearly impossible to think of one man without the other two. But while Quinn and Gray are afraid to cross the line of friendship between them, Emery fears once they do, he’ll quickly be cast aside. A real family is finally within their grasp, but unless the men can learn to trust each other, they just might miss their hearts’ last call home.

Grey and Quinn have been friends since childhood. Their feelings have progressed to love but neither has been willing to admit it, they don't want to take the chance on losing each other. Into their bar, "Last Call", strolls Emery. He's hasn't had a home for several years.... since losing his last job when the circus he worked in closed down. He's tired...especially tired of sleeping in his car. He comes into "Last Call" hoping to make a little money betting on the bars arm wrestling. What he does have is a strong work ethic and soon he is offered room and board to help Gray and Quinn with repairs to their place. What follows is the story of three guys just letting go of the past and finding what they need in each other. I have read almost everything that Felice Stevens has written but together with Christina Lee they are a wonderful writing pair.

The One That Kills You - Rick Rothermel - (California)
A Private Eye - C Street Mystery Series Book #1
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
4.5★
It’s 2010, and auto racing legend Ronnie Connors and his wife were brutally murdered over thirteen years ago. The case has yet to be solved, and everyone involved remains unsettled. But when L.A. Private Investigator C Street gets the referral to examine the crime and looks beyond a long-presumed suspect, he uncovers a unique cast of suspects involved in a clever and perplexing web of crime and corruption. Dead bodies—spread over two decades and two states—further complicate and amplify his investigation. Borrowing from the best and giving no quarter to his opponents, will Street be unstoppable in his pursuit of the truth?

I'm not particularly a fan of racing but I am a fan of unsolved mysteries and with this one, Rick Rothermel has written a good one...that is not only interesting but also one that mystery fans can get their teeth into. I let my husband, the retired cop, read the book and even though the reading of anything isn't exactly his cuppa tea...he had pencil and paper and was actually taking notes on the unsolved murder. I haven't seen any suspicious looking folks running around in handcuffs, so I don't believe he solved it...but it certainly wasn't from lack of trying. The book was well written, and it was very easy to follow the case even if you are just an amateur sleuth. I liked the story enough that I might give some of this author's other writings a try...and I know my hubby is going to recommend this one to his cop pals. Congrats to this author...he got my husband to actually read an entire book!!!!

Auctioned - Cara Dee
Narrator: Alex Kydd
The Auctioned series Part 1
Genera: M/M Romance (some)/Human Trafficking
3★
MANY TRIGGER PRODUCING SCENES
Gray Nolan's biggest problem in life was the torch he carried for his closeted coach. He was just another happy-go-lucky dude, a college student and hockey player, when his ordinary existence was interrupted, and he became a human trafficking statistic. He and seven other young men were taken aboard a luxurious yacht where they were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Gray was beaten, shattered, and almost defeated by the time his buyer stepped out of the shadows in a swirl of his own cigarette smoke. He was Gray's new owner. Darius Quinn had vowed never again to find himself in a situation like this. His days as a private military contractor were over. No more missions, no more risks, no more personal attachments. Yet, here he was, after weeks of searching, face-to-face with his broken prize. It was time to get the knucklehead back to his family. Quick and easy was Darius's plan. Then everything went sideways.

I love Cara Dee...I own, I have read, and I have 5-star rated more than 30 of her books. This one I listed to on Hoopla and then have spent two and a half days struggling with what to say about it...and how to say it. The subject of this book...human trafficking...will never, nor should it ever be, an easy, "please let me read more", subject....no matter who writes about it. I finally decided on 3 stars...after all, it was Cara Dee, and it was a well written and the characters of Gray and Darius came across on paper as real human beings. A matter of fact they were so well portrayed that the reader literally felt the pain, grief, heartache, frustration, fear, hopelessness, and what seemed like thousands of other emotions that these young men...the prisoners of these monsters that called themselves human beings, felt from the moment of their capture to their transportation, to the auction on the island where they were sold for millions of dollars... to their ruthless "owners". I had to keep telling myself that "it's just a story" and it will all work out in the end. Yes...Darius had bought Gray, but he was a good guy...obviously the only one there who was...and he was different from the beginning...and, he had a plan. Gray also had a plan...but would it work? There was one scene that nearly caused me to stop listening...but then I had second thoughts. If the author had written something so well...so close to the very bone... that it could induce feelings in a reader that nearly or reduced them to tears...then that author had written a top-notch story. Because of that one scene and in spite of the books ending...I couldn't go any more than the 3 stars. PLEASE...BE AWARE...IF YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF TRIGGERS...THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO TACKLE.

Hidden Pictures - Jason Rekulak - (New Jersey)
Genera: Paranormal/Mystery & Suspense
5★
Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.
Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body. Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force. Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

This is the "ghost story junkie's" kind of story in spades! A disturbing secret that has far-reaching consequences comprises this dark and unusual ghost story. Mallory Quinn is just recently out of rehab and is recovering from a tragedy. She has taken a job as the nanny for a well to do couple living in the ritzy suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey. A series of strange events start to make her...as well as her employers, begin to question their own sanity. Teddy is her precocious and shy 5-year-old boy that she's in charge of. The child seems to be haunted by a ghost who uses his body to draw pictures. These pictures are far too complex and well-drawn to have been the work of any child this young. At first, the drawings are rather typical...rabbits, hot air balloons, trees.... then the illustrations take a sinister, dark turn, showing the grime, gory details of gruesome murders. The drawings start out as stick figures but soon grow increasingly more disturbing and much more sophisticated. By now the reader is so into the story that you can't stop. With the help of an attractive young gardener and a psychic neighbor and using only the drawings as clues, Mallory feels that she must solve the mystery of the house's grizzly past before it's too late. Jason Rekulak does a fantastic job defining all these characters and giving them believable personalities: The story is mostly told by Mallory in the first person. The Maxwells' slightly overbearing parenting style and passive-aggressive quips feel and sound, very familiar; and Teddy is so three-dimensional that he sometimes feels like a real child that you could reach out and touch. The is almost enough to make you believe in ghosts. As my grandmother used to tell us as children..."I don't believe in ghost but I'm very much afraid of them". You will be very much afraid of them.

Zander - Carley Marie
Johnson Family Rules Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Age Play (Daddy)/Law Enforcement
5★
It’s hard to get what you don’t ask for: Noah’s world turned on its head when he discovered his new boss was the gorgeous Daddy Dom he saw at DASH. He knows he should talk to him, but how can he do that when he ends up hurting himself any time Deputy Daddy is near? As the chief deputy, Zander knows he needs to keep things professional with the newest deputy. That becomes harder each time Noah gets hurt. All he wants to do is swoop in and make things better. Maybe if he can find the mysterious guy with the intricate tattoo from DASH, he’ll be able to stop obsessing over the newest deputy. An accident has Zander’s personal and professional lives colliding as he discovers the man with the tattoo is none other than Noah. Now that he knows Noah’s secret, the overprotective Daddy isn’t going away until he’s sure Noah is okay. A little communication goes a long way, but after a misunderstanding and a lot of embarrassment, will the two ever be able to talk? If they can’t, one of them is going to need a new job. If they can, Daddy and boy might just discover that they are exactly what the other has been looking for.

You just can't help but love Noah from the very beginning of this story. His clumsiness made him simply adorable, and the chemistry between Zander and Noah jumps off the page. Zander first saw Noah at the club. He never ever imagined that he would be the new deputy.... a surprise that turns out to be perfect for both characters as they come together to discover how their outside of work relationship is going to work. Zander is the perfect Daddy, taking care of Noah when he needs it the most.... nothing but care and love for his boy if Zander has anything to say about it. I've said before that I love Daddy/Little stories as they always have a guaranteed happy ending and very little, if any, drama...just sweet simple stories full of love. There are some small scenes of BDSM but it's really moderate.

Deadly Crossing - Anthony Strong
John Decker series Book #12
Genera: Paranormal/Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
An ill-fated ocean liner on a tragic date with destiny…A cursed Egyptian mummy on its way to the New World…A frantic race against time…April, 1912. With Mina still missing, and no clue to her whereabouts, John Decker has spent the last four months frantically searching. But now he might have found her. There's only one problem. He will have to board one of the most infamous ocean liners in history in order to get her back. The RMS Titanic. With no other choice, he follows her aboard, intending to disembark in Queenstown before the mighty ship steams toward her deadly encounter with an iceberg. But it might not be that simple. The men who abducted Mina will not let her go without a fight. There are other problems, too. An ancient Egyptian mummy in the hold that might not be as dead as everyone thinks, and a dangerous enemy Decker has encountered before who have their own plans for the mummy... and Mina. John Decker might just have found himself in the worst situation of his life. A situation with no way out.

It's been a long time since I read a John Decker book. Glad I found this one. As everyone knows I love spooky stories and this one, like all of Anthony Strong's books, fits that bill to a T. Deadly Crossing has the added benefit of being set on the Titanic and bit is added here along with the tragic loss of the liner and a great many of its staff and passengers. Since it's sitting on the bottom of the sea it is a perfect setting for eerie stories that can't be proved or disproved. A perfect home for spirits and other things that go bump in the dark. There is nonstop action and chilling thrills right up to its ending. The plot covers time travel, vampires, and the ill-fated ocean liner that is now home to several things you would not want to encounter in the dark or the light. The story line merged in well with history where it needed to. Anyone that is a fan of this supernatural horror and history will not be disappointed...well maybe a little that there's not another 300 or so pages.

Out of The Ashes - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
The Game series Book #5
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM (heavy)
5★
We screwed up, Master. It wasn’t until I stood there alone in the ashes, raw, naked, enraged, and in more pain than I could handle that I realized we’d been wrong from the beginning. I saw our history in the rubble—all our memories, the pictures filled with devotion and laughter, my wholehearted submission to him. And we had to rewrite the ending. We had to. Kingsley and I couldn’t be over. I missed him so much that it hurt to breathe. But we had burned out. We will burn again, baby. Our biggest mistake had been to put an expiration date on a love destined for eternity. We’d been blinded by our kinks not lining up perfectly. We’d let fears and insecurities rule in silence, and it was time to confront them head on. We were going to expose ourselves, push every limit, and reignite. Because Tate and I belonged in the fire. We played hard and loved even harder. I wouldn’t allow the unknown to terrify us, to restrict us, even if our new path was…unconventional. Even if we brought in someone else to light the match for us.

This has fast become one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors...and thank you Ms. Dee for every one of the 13 books that compose it...and why aren't you busy writing more??? One of the reasons that I love this series is because of these wonderful characters that have come together because they share a fetish that a lot of folks just wouldn't understand. In book #1 you will meet the Kingsly twins that are responsible for entire thing. I read a lot of this genera and even I have trouble comprehending why anyone would want to do some of what goes on in these "games"...but I totally respect and will defend any adults absolute right to do it...and yeah...I'll keep reading about it! Cara Dee has created a totally solid community here with, and for, like -minded adults that want/need something a little less than "vanilla". There is so much love between them all... and not just sex...but unconditional...be there for you no matter what... love. The first part of this story is a bit painful as Tate and Kingsley are reeling from their breakup, but don't fret...they aren't over yet and are working on their relationship. The addition of newly out and "kink-curious" single dad, Franklin, really made things interesting. Love his little daughter, Lily. We hear a lot from Franklin’s perspective, but the story is really about Kingsley and Tate. Each of the books feature a monthly “Game” that the club members are all invited to play, or not play and just observe. They can come as couples or alone. The submissives are called "brats" most of the time in this series because their behavior is most of the time very "bratty" and they are hilarious, since some of or all of them are always together. The books can be read out of order, but the characters from previous books all appear again in each new addition...and they have all been absolutely incredible I can’t imagine skipping any of these delightful people that Cara has populated this kinky community with.

Through The Flames - Andrew Grey - (Pennsylvania)
Carlisle Fire series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Firefighters
5★
Kyle Wilson hasn’t had it easy. His insecurities and nasty home life made him lash out as a kid, and when he finally came out as gay, his family disowned him. Then, just when he’s pulled his life together and gotten his construction company running, he’s caught in a fire and forced to take costly time off. When firefighter Hayden Walters rescues a man from a burning building, he’s just doing his job. He doesn’t expect it to turn his life upside-down, but the man is none other than Hayden’s high school bully. He definitely doesn’t expect Kyle to come to the station to thank him in person. With awkward apologies out of the way, Kyle and Hayden realize they have a lot in common. And when it turns out someone set the fire at Kyle’s construction site to target him, they find they can solve each other’s problems too: Hayden needs a place to stay while his apartment is renovated, and Kyle doesn’t want to be alone in case the firebug strikes again. Things between the two of them quickly heat up—but so does the arsonist’s agenda. Can they track down the would-be killer before it’s too late?

I love Andew Grey...especially all his series that take place in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Good job...you certainly fooled me on this, Andrew. I was so sure I knew where this was going but was surprised how it all turned out. I felt so sorry for Kyle. His life just kept getting tilted over and turned around. He had a fear of his homophobic and demanding father that caused him to lash out in high school, making him known as the school bully. Then, SURPRISE... his parents disown him when he finally gets the nerve to come out. That might have been more of blessing than a curse. Since then, he has really tried to change his ways and build his life into something he can be proud of. He has a successful construction company...he has bought a house, and he is working hard on his insecurities. Then he wakes up in the hospital disoriented and finds out he has smoke inhalation. He also learns that the hunky fireman that saved his life was the very boy he had bullied mercilessly in school...none other than Hayden Walters. Hayden has had to put up with his school bully’s brother at the fire station where he works.... a man that is mouthy and obnoxious. Seems to be "like father like son". Not only has he saved his fellow obnoxious firefighter’s brother, but he discovers that they have nothing to do with one another. Now he’s not only angry but also confused. A mutual friend is determined to see to it that these two men see what drove them to their behavior in the past is just that, in the past...that they are no longer 15-years old, and what happened in their past doesn't have to be their future. When Kyle’s house is tampered with Hayden knows he has to do what's right. The question now becomes, can he forgive and forget the boy to get to know the man? He learns that Kyle is no longer that bully, but a sweet and very insecure man. As I said, I did not see the story taking the direction that it did. I really liked this ending much better than the one I had envisioned. It is guaranteed to give you warm, fuzzy feelings of hope and love.

I'll Be You - Janelle Brown - (California)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
4.5★
As children, Sam and Elli were two halves of a perfect whole: gorgeous identical twins whose parents sometimes couldn’t even tell them apart. They fell asleep to the sound of each other’s breath at night, holding hands in the dark. And once Hollywood discovered them, they became B-list child TV stars, often inhabiting the same role. But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker: married to a real estate lawyer, living in a house just blocks from the beach. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to the pills and booze that have propped her up for the last fifteen years. Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So, when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli’s life has been in turmoil: her husband moved out, and Elli just adopted a two-year-old girl. Now she’s stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is her sister just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? As Sam works to connect the dots left by Elli’s baffling disappearance, she realizes that the bond between her and her sister is more complicated than she ever knew. It's a story packed with surprising revelations and sharp insights about the choices that define our families and our lives—and could just as easily destroy them.

Just because they are identical twins doesn't mean they have identical lives or that they have separate secrets. Sam and Elli are identical twins who spent their years from childhood to teens, in the theater as actresses. Now they are grown, and they have also grown apart. Elli has a husband and a career as a florist, living an upper-middle-class life. Sam hasn't fared as well. She is in a spiral of addiction that's taking a downhill slide.... but she is now one year sober. It's a year in which she hasn’t spoken with Elli. Then she gets a call from their parents...saying that Elli has gone away to some type of spa and are now asking Sam to help them with the little girl Elli adopted. When Sam arrives, she finds everything slightly topsy-turvy. Elli is nowhere to be found... their mother is in denial...and to add to all the turmoil, Sam finds some worrying paperwork at Elli’s house. Just exactly what is this organization that Elli’s been giving large sums of money to? I have never read anything by this author, but she has done a fantastic job of weaving together all these loose strands into a solid work of intrigue and suspense that is almost impossible to put down. Sam is the voice in the first part of the story, which alternates between the present and the twins’ childhood days of fame in the past. Elli gives voice the second part, and while their accounts sound very similar, the author explores their individual psychologies...their very different interests...needs...motivations, as well as their feelings about their early careers. The only thing I really thought was a bit hard to follow and occasionally got bogged down was the twins’ backstory...and that is the only reason that it received 4.5 stars instead of 5. I read it in a day because it became an imperative to find out how it would all end.

Four Ever - Sloane Kennedy - (California)
Genera: MMMM Romance/Polyamorous
3★
Surrounded by a group of devoted four-footed and two-winged family members, Zak and Killian have built what should have been a dream life in their countryside farmhouse. But a cruel twist of fate and the re-emergence of old demons has frayed the edges of the men’s seven-year relationship until just one wrong move could end up severing their bond for good. Seemingly content to walk on eggshells around one another, things come to a head when ER nurse Zak brings his work home with him… literally. After being forced to leave their posh Southern California lives, homeless stepbrothers Liam and Noah are slowly losing themselves to the streets they can’t seem to escape. When twenty-one-year-old Liam is beaten up while protecting his younger “brother,” the pair find themselves being welcomed into a home where being a stray is considered a good thing. But Liam and nineteen-year-old Noah have learned the hard way that nothing is given for free and there’s no such thing as the kindness of strangers. Survival means only counting on and trusting in each other. Will Zak and Killian’s offer of a no-strings-attached place to heal end up being more than any of the four men bargained for? Especially when feelings between Liam and Noah begin to crawl to the surface and the truth of what Zak and Killian’s relationship has turned into becomes harder to deny?

Zak and Killian have a habit of taking in strays. They’ve been together for about seven years, and although they are having some major issues, they have built a unique family, complete with various dogs, a mini horse, some other species of livestock and some birds, including a disabled Toucan. This couple is doing fairly well but not exactly anything to "write home to mother about", then Zak brings Noah home. Noah is a young man that Zack has met at the hospital where he works. Things get crazier when Noah’s brother, Liam, shows up to collect his brother. Realizing these two are in some kind of trouble and are on the streets, Zak and Killian give them a safe place to stay while they get on their feet. The main theme in this story is not so much the four guys but the irritating lack of communication. You know right off that Zak and Killian are having problems, some of them because Zak forced Killian to give up his dream and Killian, as a result has practically become an alcoholic. It seemed to take forever for us to get the real, whole story behind their issues. They both say they just need to talk to each other and I 100% agreed with them. What took them so long??? Of course, it just never seemed to happen for one reason or another. Can you say FRUSTERATING? Liam and Noah were no better. In spite of all this the four thought it would be a good idea to share a relationship. Well, I thought, "why not? If two people that have been together for 7 years can't talk about their problems...lets add two more almost complete strangers!" Things did come together at the end. How I will never know. I just had to keep reading to see if any of the guys had learned anything at all or if the four-legged animals in the story were smarter than the two-legged ones.

The September House - Carissa Orlando
Genera: Supernatural/Horror
5★
A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare. When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. Margaret is not most people.

If you are surprised that I gave this wonderfully frightening, goosebump producing book 5 stars...please raise your hand. I didn't think so:) The book isn't due to actually come out until September...fitting judging by the title... but I still had to wait two months for the advance copy.... but I'm a patient soul:) HA! Settle into your favorite chair, get you cup of tea or coffee...you might want to change to something stronger later into the story...and get ready to be scared out of your wits! You will learn dark family secrets, and not just by the family but also by the house itself...that often result in destructive behavior by both the living and the dead. I love ghost stories but some of this even terrified me, the "Ghost Story Junkie"....and that doesn't happen very often. The reader will find that the story is also sad and sometimes even heartbreaking. I learned that the author, Carissa Orlando, has a doctorate in clinical psychology and I have to say she pushed that degree to its limits with this masterpiece of horror. Along with the outstanding horror element of the book...which is its backbone... the reader will find some unexpected humor with Margaret, this mild-mannered woman and her obsession with this vey haunted house. If you are a fan of Shirley Jackson, or Stephen King you will surely love The September House. You may not want to leave...or just find that you are not allowed to.

My thanks to Berkley Publishers and my Library for this advance copy.

Finley- Ella Frank - (Florida)
Sunset Cove Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance
4★
It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life. Since then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change. On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget. Six words will forever change the course of their lives.

This book was simply a delight...just one of those perfect timing situations. I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of this story. Daniel Finley...better known as Finn, was called home by the man who broke his heart seven years ago. The summons came in the form of a note. Just a simple, six-word note. “It’s time to come home, Finn.”. The reader immediately knows what a huge deal it is to Finn to have received it. Home is Sunset Cove, Florida, a small, tight-knit beach town where Daniel grew up, and where, as a young college student, he fell in love with his professor, Brantley Hayes. The story isn't at all complicated, and the storyline is one that readers of any type of romance novel is very familiar with. We have what some may consider a "forbidden love," though Finn is nineteen when the relationship starts making a nine-year age gap between Daniel and Finn; and there is one partner who feels he’s "doing what’s best" for the other person, without allowing said "other person", any say in any of it. Then there is a long passage of time, a heart heavy with regret, and one heart filled with bitterness, add a love that never died…and there you have it. Although this story contained all of those plot lines it was anything BUT simple. The pacing was perfect, and the flashbacks mixed in with the current timeline helped tremendously. The characters were perfectly rounded out. Finn is cocky, mischievous, fun, adorable and as you would suspect in this type of genera...sexy. Brantley is nervous at first...worried that the seven years that Daniel spent becoming a big city lawyer in Chicago may have taken some of those qualities that he loved, away. However, he couldn’t be further from the truth. Daniel is still the same fun, sexy man he was those seven years ago....and if possible, a thousand times sexier. There is never a question about what they mean to each other. What they had always meant to each other. Fin was fun, sweet, and very romantic, but his qualities were never overdone. It's just a great love story about two best friends that became lovers, working to get back to what they had started those years ago while keeping their hearts intact.

The Shepherd - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
The Game Series Book #6
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM
5★
I was fresh out of boot camp and somewhere in the desert when I started picturing what my life after the Marines would look like. I’d always wanted a big family and a place out in the sticks. At forty-five, I could only scratch my head and wonder what the hell had happened. I knew I should be grateful. I had my farmhouse. Rescue dogs and chickens too. I had a rowdy bunch of nieces and nephews. I had amazing friends. I’d started a kink community with some of them. But it killed me to come home to an empty house at the end of the day. It hurt that nobody seemed to be interested in anything beyond pain sessions and casual playtime. Even my best friend Sloan pulled away from me. He was struggling to make ends meet with four kids, and I had a big house. They should move in with me, dammit. I guess it made perfect sense that after so many years of wondering, waiting, and grumbling, a single week changed it all. My “the one who got away” showed up at a kink event, and Sloan shared a drunken confession that screwed with my head. It was time to improvise, adapt, and…bring people home.

Cara Dee just can't do anything wrong with this series. Thank you, Ms. Dee for another fantastic book in "The Games" series with these wonderful, kinky characters. We met Greer off and on in the first five books since the characters love wandering back and forth through each other's stories...which I love by the way. I always know where everyone is and what they're up to :) Greer is so filled with denial that he doesn't know where he will go from here. He rightfully feels that he's more of a family man. He's back from the military, but he's really lonely living alone on his farmland. He loves animals and owns a couple of dogs; the second floor of his house is decorated in hopes of having a bunch of kids at some point, but he's still all by himself. The main focus of this story is about Greer establishing this big, longed for, hopefully what will soon to be...his family....and meeting the love of his life, Archie. Greer is involved in the kink community, he doesn't mind playing in scenes, but he's looking for something long-term, something lasting and personal, somebody to be 24/7. We can see from the start that there's something going on with his friend Sloan...but Sloan is another story entirely...but we will get to see how well he fits with everyone. I love the way these characters are introduced. They're all so very different and all have entirely different personalities, but they all fit together perfectly, both as a single-family unit and as a larger "Club Family". At the beginning of Greer's story there is a prologue from 5 years ago that gives us a slight history of Greer. Throughout the "now time" story you run into old acquaintances from the previous books. Greer's nickname as "Shep" fits and describes him to a "T". Greer is a shepherd...a sheepherder of people...protecting and defending with his life, those that he loves. He loves Archie, he loves Sloan, and he loves the kids that Archie and Sloan have brought into his life and his heart. Archie is a really sweet guy and a caretaker, just what this unusual family dynamic needs. I loved how Archie interacts with the "family" that Greer and he have rapidly built...when Sloan and his kids finally join them at the farmhouse. This is a series that I certainly will read a second time and probably many more times after that.

Just Like Home - Sarah Gailey
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/Paranormal/Horror
4.5★
“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories—she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there, beneath the house he'd built for his family. Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting… but who else could it possibly be? There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.

When her dying, estranged mother calls Vera back home, she packs her life into her car and drives cross-country. If that wasn't strange enough...it gets better. The house she is returning to was built by her father...who was...ready for this?...an infamous serial killer. She also finds an artist, who could well be described as a parasite, renting a space in the backyard shed. His plan is to “collaborate” with the house’s psychic residues. Between her ailing mother’s cruel mood swings, and this artist creep consuming her childhood memories for "inspiration"...the legacy of her father’s love along with his crimes, dd the creepy Crowder house itself derail Vera’s attempts to settle the estate rapidly as she had hoped. The house is filled with secrets, lies, and rot: what else lurks beneath those glossy floorboards is anybody's guess. Another book review describes this story perfectly "This is visceral gothic horror story dedicated to everyone who ever loved a monster.” Nothing in the book gets any easier as the story goes on. The family's drama is full of cruelty, fear, betrayal, and nightmares. The reader begins to understand that there is more than one monster in Crowder House. Overall: I did very much enjoy the story even though it felt a tad uneven, for lack of a better description...in places...but it does leave an unsettling feeling in the atmosphere along with a delightful chill on the back of your neck...so what more could you really ask for from a good horror story?

The Face in The Water - Gregory Ashe - (Missouri)
Genera: M/M Romance/Mystery & Suspense
4.5★
Come to Missouri! See the sights! Solve a murder! When Teancum Leon, a wildlife veterinarian, and his husband, semi-reformed conman Jeremiah Berger, go to a conference in central Missouri, they’re expecting a short and uneventful trip. Tean will present a paper, attend a few panels, and network (under duress). Jem is looking forward to unlimited poolside drinks, some well-deserved couple time, and peace and quiet. Instead, they find themselves drawn into a frantic search after the head of the association goes missing. Worse, Tean’s friend from grad school is arrested—and charged with murder. Their investigation takes them face-to-face with a fervent conspiracist, a band of wildlife traffickers, the owner of a big cat sanctuary, and more. But the real killer doesn’t want to be found, and they’ll do anything to stop Tean and Jem from learning the truth. Lucky for them, they’ve got a reluctant group of allies. Not so lucky for them? Their allies are…well, characters.

I love Gregory Ashe's characters...from all his books. Here we get to meet some new ones...lots of new ones. They have all some of the good and as well as some of the annoying personalities that we would meet by going to a meeting or by working with a group of people. Some we would love...some we would simply tune out... and some we would start plotting their slow painful deaths. In this new series, Iron on Iron...Gregory Ashe combines characters from some of his other series, and some new characters for this series and the results produce another winner from this author. Emery and John Henry, North and Shaw, Theo and Auggie, and Tean and Jem all under the same cover. We know these "people" and WOW! seeing them work and play together...fantastic. How he has combined and paired these people is crazy ...but IT WORKS. The teams come in from all over the map to solve this case, and we get to see new friendships formed, new relationships developed.... but don't worry... the partners are all still together, both in the work life and romance life. The case is nicely tied up in the end. I hope this series will continue to feature the characters like this.

Hunting Evil - Chris Carter - (Virginia) - (Group Read in August 2023)
Robert Hunter series Book #10
Genera: Mystery & Suspense
5★
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: Graphic Gore/physiological torture
'Every story one day comes to an end.' As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University. As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia. Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Lucien Folter had become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer the FBI had ever encountered. Now, after spending three and a half years locked in solitary confinement, Lucien has finally managed to break free. And he’s angry. For the past three and a half years, Lucien has thought of nothing else but vengeance. The person responsible for locking him away has to pay, he has to suffer. That person ... is Robert Hunter. And now it is finally time to execute the plan.

If you have a weak stomach...please skip this one. Actually, if that describes your stomach, you may want to skip this entire series. However, if you can get past all that and the physiological torture and if you love a well written tale with fantastic characters...both very good and very evil...then get the beverage of your choice and be prepared to be taken on a journey you won't soon forget.... though you might wish you could. The books can be read as standalones, but they will need to be read in order to really understand...or try to understand, how Robert Hunter and Lucien Folter went from college roommates to deadly enemies. Throughout the series including this book, the reader has been privy to Lucien’s thoughts and feelings after he kills a significant number of people in a more-distant method than usual, and he comments on it feeling too detached to give him any satisfaction. Police Detective, Robert Hunter and his partner Garcia have to find Lucien again after actually having caught him 3 years previously! Lucien is evil personified, and that evil is reserved solely for Robert Hunter. Robert now not only has to fight for his sanity but find a stop this evil lunatic. Lucien is leaving bodies behind, the way he has since book #1. Hunter gets a call from Lucien, which is traced right to his home base, Los Angeles that changes everything...now the game is in Hunter's and Garcia's "playground". Lucien Folter is a genius with disguises, accents, and even hypnosis...so Robert knows that the manhunt will be a long and bloody one. Hunter gets numerous riddles from Lucien challenging him to solve them in order to save each victim. Robert soon realizes that no matter what he does he doesn't/hasn't ever had a chance of saving anyone. The only thing that will stop the bloodshed is either Lucien's death or Roberts.

Puppy For a Day- Della Cain
Pride Pet Play Series Book #12
Genera: M/M Romance/Kink/Daddy, Little Play
4.5★
Nelson was little… or was he? Nelson lost everything when his daddy decided it was time to settle down and marry one of his other littles. Nelson was never under the illusion they were always and forever, but some warning would’ve been nice. Now he’s jobless, daddyless, and ready for a new start. When a job offer at a city halfway across the country presents itself, he has no choice but to accept. Guy has so much to love about his life. He has a great job, a beautiful home, friends galore, and even a club where he can go to enjoy some time with the pups. If only he had someone to share his bed and his life with. But, at his age, he’s all but given up hope. Who wants an old master when there are so many sexy young ones flooding the scene? One night at his local munch changes everything when Guy meets a new hottie in town, Nelson. The two hit it off right away and spend the night together. The only problem: Nelson is little and Guy is a daddy. Guy assumes that means their time together is a one and done. Nelson has other ideas. What if I try and be your puppy for a day?

Poor "little" Nelson. He, in a single week, lost what seemed to him to have been his entire reason and means for existing. He lost his job...he is dumped by his "daddy"...which didn't seem to me to be much of a loss, but the creep, who was also his boss, did make Nelson's life more stable. Nelson knew without a job he was going to soon lose his home also. Then the opportunity for a job comes along that he would be perfect for...but it's halfway across the country...but he knew he had to give it a try. He decides to spend one more night at his local club where he sees a notice about a "munch" that is taking place in a few days...He might as well go and at least say goodbye to his friends. But... at the munch he meets Guy. Guy is a good man with a big heart and also a "daddy" as well as a "Master"...only you can't really be Guy's kind of "Master" without a "Pup" or what Nelson needs in a "daddy" without someone that wants to be one. Guy really wants to be a "daddy", but he also wants his "boy" to be something a bit different... a "puppy". They decide to give it try and see where it goes. I don't totally understand that particular kink/need...but I have a couple of great friends that say it does exist and explained it pretty well some time ago....so I didn't come to these stories without some knowledge of the lifestyle...and I certainly have nothing against it. To each his own. Life is too short, and love is often too hard to find, so it really makes no difference to me what kinks people are into or what it takes to make folks happy...only that they are. These "little" and "puppy" stories are always sweet, and they always have a happy ending. After all, who in their right mind...wouldn't love a puppy?

The Pact - Jodi Picoult - (New Hampshire)
Genera: Romance/Mystery
4.5★
The Golds and the Hartes, neighbors for eighteen years, have always been inseparable. So have their children—and it’s no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily’s friendship blossoms into something more. But the bonds of family, friendship, and passion—which had seemed so indestructible—suddenly threaten to unravel in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. When midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There’s a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris pilfered from his father’s cabinet—a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris describes.

This is a tale of obsession, loss, tragedy, and all the seemingly numerous varieties of guilt. It begins with a failed suicide pact between two teenagers. Emily Gold dies, but the precise reasons behind her death remain obscure. Who pulled the trigger? Her boyfriend, Chris Harte, survives because of having fainted before he could also take his own life, either can't or is unwilling to offer any explanation. The story now shifts back and forth across time and traces the growth of the long, and complex relationship between Emily and Chris. The two families first settled down next to each other...they seemed to be the perfect neighbors and friends. Both families are upper-class New Englanders; both the husbands are doctors; both the wives are pregnant at that time so in a sense the pairing of Chris and Emily happened even before they were born. They slept in the same bassinet, they go on to develop a secret language just for the two of them, they are always together...everywhere. As adolescents they are drawn into a fevered romance. It seems inconceivable that Chris could have killed Emily, but a preponderance of forensic evidence suggests that that just might be the case. On his 18th birthday, Chris is arrested. Of course, the perfect harmony between the families instantly dissolves. Melanie Gold, unable to accept the notion that her perfect daughter could have been suicidal and focuses all her anger on the "murderer" next door. Instead of standing by Chris, his father, James, disinherits his son who he now considers a liability to his prestigious career. Chris himself, gets saddled with a hot-shot lawyer who is much more interested in building a case than in hearing or finding the truth. Chris sinks into despair. The trial alternates between rapid-fire testimony with flashbacks to the actual suicide. These are particularly powerful, and what Chris finally says when he takes the stand comes as a BIG surprise. Overall...it's a moving story, mixed with elements of mystery and a sensitive exploration of a tragic subject.

Switched - N R Walker -(Australia)
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
Israel Ingham's life has never been easy. He grew up in a house devoid of love and warmth. Nothing he ever did was good enough. The fact that Israel is gay just added to the long list of his father's disappointments. Then a letter from Eastport Children's Hospital changes everything. A discovery is made, one of gross human error. Twenty-six years ago, two baby boys were switched at birth and sent home with the wrong families. Sam, Israel's best friend, has been his only source of love and support. With Sam beside him every step of the way, Israel decides to meet his birth mother and her son, the man who lived the life Israel should have. Israel and Sam become closer than ever, amidst the tumultuous emotions of meeting his birth family, and Sam finds himself questioning his feelings toward his best friend. As Israel embraces new possibilities, he needs to dissect his painful relationship with his parents in order to salvage what's left. Because sometimes it takes proof, you're not actually family to become one.

Israel has never felt as though he fit in with his family. He believes his parents think of him as one failure after another. So, when he finds out he was switched at birth, things make more sense. There are two events happening in this story. The first is that Israel has been dealing with unpleasant things most all of his life, but through it all, his best friend, Sam, has always been there for him. No matter what or when, Sam was his rock. Then...not surprising to readers of this genera, Israel's feelings start to change into something more for Sam, but he's afraid of losing Sam's friendship if he isn't careful. Afterall Sam is the only stable, trustworthy person he has ever known...so he tries to put some distance between them. We all know how well that usually works. Then we learn that Sam has also been hiding his feelings for Israel forever but also doesn’t want to "rock the boat" and ever take the chance of messing up their friendship. Israel wasn't the only one that was somewhat thrilled to learn he wasn't the actual son of these two toxic parents. I cheered for the fact that maybe now Israel could be who he was through no fault of his own. He is now eager to search for his real parents and perhaps find siblings that he didn't know about. The struggles Israel and his switched counterpart went through about meeting their real parents, felt very realistic. I couldn’t imagine finding out something like this. Image... if you can, finding out the family, you should have grown up with was everything you didn’t have with the one you did. His "real" family that didn’t have money was 110% happier and more caring and fulfilled, than the one who had no money problems but was so lacking in the love and care department. I loved seeing Israel and Sam end up with each other, best friends finally becoming each other’s "everything". Israel finally finds some peace with his parents that raised him and gets what he never thought was possible. Never have I ever read a badly written or an uninteresting story by N R Walker, and this one is not in any way the exception. She has delivered to her readers another wonderful story that has us turning pages quickly and rooting for these wonderful guys all the way. This story manages to produce a full range of emotions, from sad and sweet to funny and sexy and a few more in between.

Renovating The Model - Nora Phoenix - (Washington)
Forestville Silver Foxes Series Book #1
Narrator: Michael Dean
Genera: M/M Romance/Age Gap
4★
Everyone knows my face. No one knows the real me. All people see when they look at me is a beautiful man, a supermodel, half of the world's most famous twins. No one sees the man underneath. When I return to Forestville, the small town I grew up in, for my high school reunion, I impulsively decide to stay. I'm now the proud owner of a house, an absolute fixer upper. Never mind that I have two left hands. Thank God for Cas, the local contractor, who agrees to help me out. We come from completely different worlds and are almost 20 years apart, yet we somehow connect. Cas sees me, the real me. We hook up.…Then become friends…. With benefits (courtesy of a snow storm)... And a fake relationship (long story) .... But when fake becomes real and pretending turns into feelings I can't deny, I'm left wondering if what we have stands a chance.

Tiago has just been a pretty face all of his adult life as the second half of the world-famous "twin models" with his twin brother, Tomas. The twins have lived a life people only dream of, but Tiago is tired of the parties, the travel, and the paparazzi. The brothers return to their hometown of Forestville, Washington for their high school reunion after it had been 30 years since they set the world on fire and became known as the most beautiful men in the world. Tiago soon realizes he has missed this small-town life. At 48, he’s ready to make a change in his life. Unfortunately, Tomas doesn’t have any idea how Tiago is changing and isn’t himself anywhere near ready to change his jet set life. Besides, Tomás has always been in charge and it’s all Tiago has ever known...after all Tomas is his older brother...6 minutes older. Tiago soon makes friends with Cas, a much younger contractor in town. Cas has helped him overcome his fears, based on his severe learning disability, and helps open doors to his own independence. Being "friends-with-benefits" has been fun, but now real feelings start working their way in? Tiago’s story of how his dyslexia has deeply influenced and affected his entire adult life is really eye-opening. I can't understand how someone that is supposed to work with students can hurt and crush a young man with ill-placed, hurtful words. It just made me angry. He literally drove Tiago to rely and fully depend on his brother his entire life as the result of that one solitary discussion. Tiago, though beautiful and successful and very rich, has absolutely no self-esteem. Meeting Cas was the best thing that ever happened to him. It gave him to confidence to break free and be who he wanted. To find real love in a place he feels, and is, safe, secure and where he wants to be. Cas has also had a story that was even more heartbreaking. He was disfigured and left with facial scars in an automobile accident. He allowed it to not only change his looks but his life whole life in that split instance. I found this unimaginable. Constantly being stared at and the unintentional but cruel comments hurt more than the physical scars themselves. To make matters worse the paparazzi try to use these scars to their advantage never caring about the truth or Cas's feelings. Seeing how Tiago handles that episode and everything that life tried to throw at him and Cas was heartwarming. I am a HUGE fan of Nora Phoenix...I believe I come close to owning everything she has written, and this is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series.

No Kiss Goodbye - Janelle Harris - (England)
Genera: Mystery & Suspense/ Psychological Thriller
5★
Kids change your life, they said. Things will never be the same again, they said. Isn't it wonderful, they said. But no one knows what to say now. My husband wants to take the kids. My husband thinks the accident was my fault. My husband thinks I need help. But I think he wants rid of me.

I liked that the blurb didn’t give away most of the plot but did what a good blub should do...made me really want to read this book. I went through a wide range of emotions while reading this book… at times I was on-edge, anxious, surprised, shocked and sometimes quite confused having no clue to what was happening...sometimes all at the same time...yet I never wanted to stop reading. At first, I thought that the author had made some huge mistakes because it seemed that things just weren't adding up. If you read this...don't give up because you will soon realize that it was all intentional. This may not sound like a good thing, but it was, it really, really was. The story will soon have the reader wondering who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy. I read a lot of this genera and usually am pretty good at coming to the right conclusion, but I have to admit that I couldn’t figure out who to trust and I kept changing my mind every few pages. It's not a dark violent horror story like you might have come to expect of a psychological thriller. It’s more about human emotions and coping with loss. The book literally explores in a broad range of emotions.

The Soldier and the Angel - Jodi Payne & B A Torguga - (New York/Texas)
Related to The Cowboy and the Dom series
Genera: M/M Romance
5★
In this stand-alone companion story to The Cowboy and the Dom Series, Sam’s only remaining brother, Army Ranger and EOD Specialist, Jim Bowie O’Reilly, suffers an injury in the line of duty, and is sent home to the family ranch in Texas to recuperate. But sometimes you can’t go home again. Thomas and Sam welcome Bowie for a visit in New York, but their D/s lifestyle doesn’t easily lend itself to long-term house guests. Enter Thomas’s trusted friend, EMT and former combat medic Gabriel “Angel” Rogers. The two men met once before when Bowie visited Sam for his birthday, and it doesn’t take the men long to admit they had an instant attraction. They soon discover their desires overlap as well and they set each other on fire. But two big men need space and, as neither is in love with the city, Bowie invites Angel back to Texas to vacation in one of the run-down beach houses he’s flipped. On the eve of their departure though, Angel’s coworker and friend is gravely injured in an accident leaving his ambulance crew shorthanded, and Angel stays behind to help his team get back on their feet.The distance might be more than either man can handle. With a whole country between them, they manage to derail something that had been going so well and it takes a risky intervention to stop them from ruining the best thing they’ve ever had.

How I loved this series and was so happy when finding out that there was going to be a companion book to the three that make up the main series... and that it was going to be Gabe's (Angel) and Bowie's story. I knew after No Ghosts, book #3, that Jodi was too kind and would never leave us wondering about Bowie and Gabe. I felt so sorry for Bowie in the beginning. An accident had occurred to this long-time soldier and his troop that sent him disconnected from the life he had known for years, and he suddenly finds himself dragging his injured leg and his broken spirit to New York where his remaining brother and his partner live. He remembers that it was also where Gaberial (Angel), also works and lives. He knew that there as something between him and Gabe that couldn't be denied the last time that he was home. You have to love Gabe! The man deserves the name because he is truly an angel, the ultimate loving helper to everyone. Bowie feels broken, and not just in body but also in spirit. The one thing that has been his entire life is gone and he is adrift in a way he has little to no understanding about. Bowie calls Angel his Bear and has quiet and complete trust in his man. Gabriel is good and caring, although he sometimes gets overwhelmed with the feelings, he and Bowie have come to share. Did it all happen too quickly? As I said, I loved the first three books, and I loved this story just as much. Bowie and Gabe's road to happiness isn't always smooth, but they put a great deal of effort into making things work. Sam, Bowies remaining brother, and his partner Thomas are supportive, encouraging and ever so sweet. They are showing Bowie what true "family" means. While this one was less stressful than the other 3 books, since there was no murderer running around... it was just as good from the very first page. This one can be treated as a standalone, but you will get so much more from the characters and the events by first reading the three books before it.

These were actually July's, but I forgot to review them...Bad me.


Adrift in The Embers - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
The Game Series Book #7
Genera: M/M/M/M Romance/BDSM/Daddy/Little/ D/s Family
5★
On a bad day, I blamed my stupid, damaged, autistic brain. No one forced me to be with him. No one forced me to accept what he told me. That I was difficult. Difficult to handle, difficult to please…heck, even difficult to go out to dinner with, considering all my texture issues. On a bad day, I believed every word he said. I was lucky to have him. I loved him so, so much for putting up with me. I was gonna leave my friends and family behind, move with him to Denver, and we were going to be happy together forever. Then Master Greer opened his big mouth, and I didn’t know what to believe anymore. He was my friend, my favorite Sadist in the whole world, and he was dating two amazing men who were also saying stuff that was painful to hear. Like, I wasn’t difficult at all. Like, the man who was supposed to protect me, love me, and take care of me in our Daddy/Little relationship was in reality abusing me. I started having good days thanks to them. Good, bewildering, mind-numbing, eye-opening, very good days. It was just extremely important I didn’t get confused by their kindness. They opened up their home to me as an act of friendship. Nothing more, nothing less. As soon as I felt better, I’d be on my way again.


Hostile Takeover - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
The Game Series Book #8
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM/Group Play/ Daddy
4★
I was on the right path, at long last. The divorce proceedings were going well, we managed to keep things somewhat civil for the sake of our daughter, and I could finally be the man I’d suppressed for decades. I was gay. And evidently very much into BDSM. So this was the perfect time to explore, have fun, meet new people, make friends who were actually friends and not the husbands of my wife’s uppity circle of gossip peddlers. I was happy. I was off to a great start, distancing myself from the family I’d once married into. Then my ex-wife’s favorite nephew came to town on a business trip and wanted to have dinner with me. Obviously, I should have declined. The young man had always put me on edge with his charisma and assertiveness. But surely, I could survive one dinner with Jackson Dune. The day after was another matter. When we ended up going to the gym together and he showed his true colors. His true, filthy, dominant, addictive, inappropriate colors.


Senseless - Cara Dee - (Washington D.C.)
The Game Series Book#9
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM/Humor /Novella told in Multiple POVs
5★
It’s been a long fall for the kinksters at Mclean House, but soon the house will finally be ready for action again. If anything, the fire only brought them closer as a community, and that’s how they’re mastering the rebuild—together. They have one week to get the second floor finished for the upcoming event, Senseless, and there isn’t a minute to waste. But of course, hard work doesn’t mean there’s no time for the Sadists and the brats of Mclean to multitask and have a little fun too. Reese promises cuddles in the dark and possibly a ball gag, Kit is super-excited about a gift he’s won for Daddy Colt, Kingsley can’t help but picture a future with Tate in which they start a family, Noa has a bratty surprise, poor Greer is having his chest shaved for a frigid photo shoot—actually, so is Colt. Those about to watch are really looking forward to that. I’m down to clown, as Corey would say!

This is cheating a bit, but it does cover my POV for all three of these books as well as the six before them. The people in this series are fantastic....no other word for them. They play together quiet often, but they are also THERE for one another. They help one another.... they comfort one another...they respect one another...and on any level you can imagine...they LOVE one another, and you can't help but love them too. Cara Dee has creted a family that kows the meaning of the word. So a short summery of the three books...
Adrift in the Embers - This book has high steam/kink, and drama that fits within the themes of the book and isn’t out of place or over-the-top. It's found family, humor, and just all-around good writing… accurate representation of autistic characters and characters with PTSD. I look forward to every book in this series...but Corey’s story had a bit of triumph. I have worked with some that have been abused so I could cheer for Corney and his "Daddy". I was entertained and in love and just happy with the entire story.
Hostile Takeover - The story is much more than the romance between the two characters. It delves into the mental and emotional turmoil a new and unexpected relationship can sometimes cause to a person. She focuses on the real and honest confusion of someone who travels the unknown waters of the kink world...which is probably unfamiliar to 98% of the readers of this series... and at the same as he reshapes a relationship, not knowing what he likes, what he hates, what he is willing to do, what he expects, and ultimately, who he is. a huge part of this story revolved around simple trust and ultimately, learning who he is.
Senseless - Sadist, Daddy Doms, Masters, Owners and Littles all in one place. This book takes place after the fire. Good to see all the favorites back at House McLean, and seeing them all working together to overcome the fire to thrive and start the next chapter in their friendships and personal lives. The twins and owners and founders of the club and their "boy" Shay have an ever evolving dynamic that they constantly work on...Greer an all his men have brought their day-to-day life into rebuilding their community... Colt an Lucus have their hands full with Kit especially if he's hanging out with Noah... I love, love, love Noah! I can't really say I have a favorite. I love the dynamic that each character brings to the series in their own special way. I would have to call Senseless pure Hot Perfection...no pun intended. Well, maybe just a little one.

His Boy To Cherish - Collette Davison - (England)
Naughty or Nice Season 2 Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/ disabled first-time Daddy/ Little/Age-Gap/Hurt/Comfort
5★
Dear Santa, I’m going to be upfront and tell you that I feel silly doing this, but here goes nothing! I’ve realized that I lean more towards being a Daddy, than a strict Dom. I’m kind and caring, and I want someone to spoil. I’ll always put my boy’s needs before my own. I’ll take care of him in every way he needs me to. I’ll discover what he wants, how to make him smile, laugh, and moan. As for what I’m looking for in a boy… I’d like someone who wants to feel special, and who enjoys being held by his Daddy. If I had to choose between a naughty or nice boy, I think I’d choose nice. I can put a naughty boy through boot camp, but I’d much rather praise a good boy. What I really want, Santa, is someone to cherish this Christmas. I hope that’s not too much to ask for.
Sincerely,
ExCombatDaddy

This is part of the "Naughty or Nice" series. It's a sweet and intimate look into a Daddy/boy relationship. It features both age gap, hurt/ comfort. It’s low angst and high heat. Ben is an army veteran who was medically discharged after a blast took part of his arm. He’s dealt with a lot to get back to a semblance of normal. He just wants to find a boy to love and cherish. He signs up for the Cuffd app and writes his letter to Santa asking for his perfect boy. He gets a message from a sweet boy, and they instantly mesh. Jayden is the sweetest little cinnamon roll of a character that you have ever seen. He was made an orphan after a car accident left his mother in a coma. She's been like this for 19 years and Jayden has visited and sat and talked to her comatose body for 10 of those 19 years. Throughout his life, he has never felt that he was wanted or good enough. Other partners were horrible to him and always left not being able to deal with all his baggage. All he ever wanted was a "Daddy" to accept him for who he really is and to love him. He wasn’t expecting to find the perfect letter to Santa on the Cuffd app. He definitely wasn’t expecting to find a Daddy who fit so well into his life. Jayden has a hard time accepting love, but Ben has no problem proving himself to his “little bird” as Ben calls him, over and over again. Jayden and Ben make you want to crawl into the story and hug them both. They both deserve all the love and affection they can get. Love is something they have both had trouble finding... especially in the kink community. I think the way Colette Davison portrayed these kind and vulnerable men in that world was an incredible feat. There was great chemistry but also a great foundation of friendship and understanding between them. This was a wonderful story with great characters and this entire series can be read as standalones.

After Death - Dean Koontz - (California)
Genera: Horror/Suspense
3★
Michael Mace, head of security at a top-secret research facility, opens his eyes in a makeshift morgue twenty-four hours following an event in which everyone perished―including him and his best friend, Shelby Shrewsberry. Having awakened with an extraordinary ability unlike anything he―or anyone else―has ever imagined, Michael is capable of being as elusive as a ghost. He sets out to honor his late friend by helping Nina Dozier and her son, John, whom Shelby greatly admired. Although what Michael does for Nina is life changing, his actions also evoke the wrath of John’s father, a member of one of the most violent street gangs in Los Angeles. But an even greater threat is descending: the Internal Security Agency’s most vicious assassin, Durand Calaphas. Calaphas will stop at nothing to get his man. If Michael dies twice, he will not live a third time.

Michael Mace says that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when, in the midst of catastrophe, one thing went right. I guess you could look at it that way. The "catastrophe" was almost like calling dropping an atomic bomb a "catastrophe". Opps! What it was seemed to be was not in any way to have been an accident...not of any dimension. It was a government-sponsored microbial infection that swept through the headquarters of the Beautification Research Project, killing 55 people...no...wait... make that 54, since Michael, the security chief, somehow came back to life, and... that’s not all folks. To start with Michael has acquired the power to tap into all sorts of chipped objects and devises from cellphones to supercomputers. You can probably see where this is headed. He has the ability to read their data instantly and can also alter the records from great distances. He finds that he is the perfect savior for accountant Nina Dozier...Michael’s best friend that genius immunologist Shelby Shrewsberry, had hired. Lota of very smart, yet very dumb people, making dumber choices, in this story. Michael is in love with Nina but before he could confess his love for her, he was killed in the "lab accident". Enter Aleem Sutter, who is the very same gangbanger who abandoned Nina years ago after getting her pregnant.... now he wants back into her life so he can make sure that John, their 13-year-old son, maintains his father’s reputation by joining a gang. No "Father of the Year" award here. Of course, Aleem is no match for Michael, who faces an altogether more powerful adversary: Durand Calaphas, another genius who works for the Internal Security Agency, and knows all about that microbial catastrophe and still holds a grudge from an episode years ago that branded his older brother, virologist Dr. Gifford Calaphas, a traitor. So many 'baddies" to try to keep up with and they are all mega geniuses. Dean Koontz is a master storyteller. I've read his books and watched movies made from them for more years than I'm going to share here...his stories and characters almost always "work". In this one he particularly shines at providing downscaled dialogue for Aleem and his peeps...otherwise the average reader would be lost...and provides memorable portraits of the many "walk-on" characters. The actual plot is another matter. There is just way too much happening with way too many people that it's happening to. I gave it 3 stars...after all it WAS Dean Koontz...it wasn't a bad story...and I really, really wanted to love it. I did like parts of it, but I believe it may have been more out of loyalty to this author who has given us From the Corner of His Eye, Tick Tock, The Odd Thomas books, and so many, many others, than it was for this actual book itself. Dean Koontz fans will certainly want to give it a try.

Taming Teddy - Lucy Lennox - (Alaska/Hawaii)
Made Marian Book #2
Narrator: Michael Dean
Genera: M/M Romance
3.5★
Teddy: If there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s commitment. You don’t become an award-winning photographer by staying in one place. I’m always on the road, looking for the next shot, the next award, the next hot body. Which is how I end up on Dr. James Marian’s front porch in the middle-of-nowhere Alaska. He’s known as the Wildlife Whisperer, and I want to photograph him in action. He’s reluctant at first, but I can be persuasive. Soon enough I have him in bed saying yes over and over and over again, but my ability to shoot and scoot is frozen by a Denali snowstorm.
Jamie: I always thought of myself as the marrying type. Until I got left at the altar. Now I have a new motto: never commit and never fall in love. So when a cocky nature photographer decides I’m the key to his next masterpiece, it seems like the perfect arrangement: the hotshot’s only in town for a brief assignment and then he’ll be gone. No commitment, no strings, and no chance of getting my heart broken again. There’s just one problem: I think I’m falling in love. Now I’m afraid that maybe I’m the marrying type after all. And he definitely is not.

This, the second book, features the eldest Marian brother Jamie, a veterinarian and wildlife expert living in Alaska. I first met this author with her wonderful book, Borrowing Blue. As almost any book, there are things that I liked and some things that I didn’t. The author did a wonderful job of defining these characters, their dialogue and the storyline...so much so that it made it hard to stop listening. You will meet and absolutely love Jamie's Aunt stilly; and his granny will provide several chuckles. I liked the slow development of Jamie and Teddy’s relationship. It fit perfectly considering both men were reluctant to enter into anything too serious for very different but understandable reasons. Jamie had been betrayed by an ex-fiancé, and Teddy’s profession had him traveling a lot preventing him from forming any lasting bonds with anyone and his fear of being hurt or hurting anyone else. Neither man was looking to fall in love, but as we all know, life doesn’t always turn out the way that you plan. When they finally meet, their attraction to each other is too strong to ignore. Although I liked the story a lot, but I did become frustrated with Jamie’s ex showing up unannounced and uninvited with his family in tow. That entire scene was more of an odd "who in the heck does that?" type of situation. Also, I got jetlag watching Teddy fly all over the country trying to reconnect with Jamie to tell him how he feels only to find that Jamie had traveled on to somewhere else. I wished he had waited for Jamie and let him explain the ex's family all being in Jamie's cabin. Jamie not being there should have told him something. Those things aside, I did truly enjoy the story. Michael Dean did a wonderful presentation with the voices...even the aunt and granny:) Lucy Lennox tells a good story, and she’s quite a talented writer. Overall, I felt that this series is definitely worth reading, along with other works by Lucy Lennox.

Slave For Two - Morticia Knight
Soul Match Series Book #1
Genera: Science Fiction/M/M Romance
2★
Aliens have conquered Earth and Chris will do whatever it takes to survive—even if that means becoming a sex slave… Right at the dawn of Chris’ adulthood, his world is torn apart. After an aggressive band of aliens invade Earth, he flees to the mountains with what's left of his family where they fight for survival. But how long can they remain hidden before they’re caught? Lasar and Nary are a soul matched pair of warriors from Alashar. Lasar is Nary’s Ahna, the one who dominates him and Nary is the Nasha, or submissive to Lasar. Every Alasharian needs the balance of the power exchange to exist peacefully within their lifelong, soul match bond. Chris and his cousin Morgan are captured and sent to the slave cages where they discover from the other imprisoned men that they are destined to be sex toys for alien pairs. Now their terror changes from the fear of losing their lives to losing their virginity to these alien monsters. But nothing is at it appears anymore. When Chris is awarded to Lasar and Nary as a war prize, a shocking event occurs. As Lasar searches for answers, he begins to question the reasons behind the Earth invasion and where his loyalties should lie. As their Ahna, he must be the one who decides whether they will all be safer together, or apart. Can destiny be changed? Or is it their only hope for salvation?

OMG!!! I am almost speechless...I chose to read this because it was written by Morticia Knight. After about 15 pages I actually closed the book and rechecked the cover; twice; then went to the Amazon site and checked to see if the book that was shown there was the same book that I was holding in my hand. I could not believe that this was written by one of my absolute favorites; love and read anything they write authors. The very same author that I have bought/own and have read and reread numerous times...her Command & Care, Sin City, Club Sensation, In The name of The Father, Power Exchange And my all-time, read it four times now, favorite...Kiss of Leather... All fantastic series...every single book in them. I absolutely loved them and gave each book in the series 5 bright shining, well earned, stars. But this one (?)...I have no problem believing that that the aliens in this story have captured and are holding Ms. Knight captive somewhere and that one of those sneaky creepy little alien devils actually wrote this and put Ms. Knight's name on the cover! To say that there was "something missing" in this one for me would be the understatement of the year. At least this one was borrowed and not bought...so back to my all-time favorites. Oh...would someone please pay her ransom? I need many more like the ones in the series that I mentioned.

Out to Win - Nora Phoenix - (New York/California}
Narrator: Charlie David
Genera: M/M Romance/Musicians
4.5★
Some people are worth coming out for, no matter the costs.... Judah has hit rock bottom. He’s broke, he’s homeless, and he’s about to outwear his welcome with his friends. Plus, he's shoved so deep into the closet, he's one step away from Narnia. His last chance is entering The Right Note TV contest in the hopes of winning. What he doesn’t count on is losing…his heart. Fellow contestant Denver is sunshine personified, even if his bubbly outside hides the horror he’s survived, and he draws Judah in like a damn magnet. But Judah can’t be out, especially not on national TV. It could cost him everything. But when trouble follows Denver, Judah has to choose: Denver…or winning. Coming out…or losing the man he loves.

Judah and Denver were opposites in every way, but when they came together it was pure passion and the chemistry between them was intense. The storyline was engaging and twists and turns the plot took made it all the more compelling. It's set during the selection and contest phase of a singing talent show. The main characters are amazing singers and contestants in the competition. They both have their hang ups and doubts, and the relationship is rocky to start with. Denver is a bubbly, happy guy with an angelic voice. He's hiding a brutal past that makes him afraid of his own future and distrustful towards any type of relationship. Throughout the majority of the story, he fights overcome this past with the help of Judah and some other friends.
Judah is a Jewish musician, no longer in contact with his family for all the horrible reasons you can imagine a gay man can be exposed to. He's not in a good place when he enters the show and his self-confidence is very low, though, he doesn't let it show. His inexperience with love mixed with Denver's hang ups and needs, gives us a sweet and beautiful romance. The characters were all likeable and entertaining, and Nora Phonex's writing style is always enjoyable. I have to give a big bouquet of red roses to Charlie David for his audio delivery. It was absolutely flawless. he's one of my favorites and I would listen to him read anything...the phone book...the dictionary...installation manuals for toilets...he brought the characters so vividly to life which made this all the more enjoyable.

The Ravenous Dead - Darcy Coates - (Canada)
The Gravekeeper series Book #2
Genera: Horror/Paranormal
4★
Keira, hired as Blighty Graveyard's new groundskeeper, lives surrounded by the dead. They watch her through the fog. They wordlessly cry out. They've been desperately waiting for help moving on―and only Keira can hear them. But not every restless spirit wants to be saved. Sometimes the dead hate the living too much to find peace. As Keira struggles to uncover the tangled histories of some of the graveyard's oldest denizens, danger seeps from the darkest edges of the forest. A vicious serial killer was interred among the trees decades before, his spirit twisted by his violent nature. He's furious. Ravenous. And when Keira unwittingly answers his call, she may just seal her fate as his final intended victim.

This is somewhat of a continuation of the first book in "The Gravekeeper" series, Whispering Dead. In the first book the heroine was pursued by unknown men and nearly killed before she took refuge in a groundskeeper’s cottage next to a cemetery filled with the unquiet dead. Although she still doesn’t remember who she really is, Pastor Adage has hired her to try to get the dead to move on, and she’s made two new friends in this small town of Blighty, Zoe and Mason, along with Daisy who is a very odd black cat. When she seeks her "inner" eye, she can see the ghosts, but since none of them are willing to tell her why they’re still connected to the cemetery, she consults the local library for information on the people buried there. Then she is attacked by a shade which places her in mortal danger. Despite her best efforts to keep things from her new friends, they finally figure out that she can talk to ghosts and agree to have her back. At length she learns that the evil shade was a serial killer and realizes that he’s amassing ever greater strength by destroying the other ghosts. Keira barely escapes another chase by her mysterious pursuers, and a plan to rid the cemetery of the shade goes dangerously wrong. How can her ordeal possibly end? I love ghost stories, but in spite of that, even I, the "Ghost Story Junkie", became a bit confused at times. Those wishing to give this one a try really don't have to read Whispering Dead first. I believe that there is enough back story that you will know what is happening with Keira in this one.

His Boy Tease - JP Sayle - (England)
Naughty or Nice Season 2 Book#5
Genera: M/M Romance/Daddy/Boy/BDSM
4★
Augustus Smith, Smithy to everyone, has a huge heart and a love of all things kinky. Since the death of his boy, the one thing missing from his life is love. A chance meeting at a party, with a boy with angel eyes, leaves a lasting impression and Smithy takes stock of his life. Months later, Smithy, with the help of some friends and the Cuffd app, sets out to make this Christmas the Daddy of all Christmases. The question is, has Santa put Smithy on the nice or naughty list for waiting so long to claim the gift his heart wants?

This is part of the Naughty or Nice series that started and ran for 12 months last year that "littles" and "boys" wrote letters to Santa describing and asking him to bring them their perfect "Daddy". This one is part of this year's Naughty and Nice series, Season 2. It, like season 1, again features the Cuffd Club's, letters to Santa....only this time they are written by the "Daddies" describing and asking Santa to bring them their perfect boy who may or may not be a "little". Six years ago, Smithy lost his boy, Den, when he tragically died after an allergic reaction to a blood thinner after a routine surgery. Since Den's death, Smity has only existed, but not really lived. Smithy's best friend, Kaden, is a restaurant owner, who invited Smithy to attend a surprise birthday party for his boy Paulo, but he never expected running into...literally...a beautiful boy with "Angel Eyes". Jessie, who works as a chef for Kaden. Smithy and Jessie have an immediate attraction, but it still takes nine long months for Smithy to accept that Jessie, who he will forever call "Angel Eyes", just might be what he needs to heal the heart that Den will always reside in... but just maybe there might be room for two boys. I loved the fact that Jessie never wanted to replace Den, but only wanted to join him in Smithy's life and heart. The Christmas scene with Jessie gift to Smithy, will bring tears to the hardest of hearts. I have truly enjoyed working my way through the Cuffd Dear Santa letter books from both the Naughty and Nice Season One and Season Two collection. Each book is written by a different author and, though based on the Dear Santa letter premise, can, and are, as different as each of the author’s writing them. I sincerely hope there will be a Season 3.

The New One - Evie Green - (Switzerland)
Genera: Supernatural/Artificial Intelligence
5★
Two parents finally get the daughter they’ve always wanted—it’s too bad she isn’t real. For Tamsyn and Ed, life is tough. They both work long hours for very little money and come home to their moody, rebellious daughter, Scarlett. After a tragic accident leaves Scarlett comatose and with little chance of recovery, Tamsyn and Ed are out of options until a lifeline emerges in the form of an unusual medical trial. In exchange for the very best treatment for Scarlett, a fully furnished apartment, and a limitless spending account, the family must agree to move to Switzerland and welcome an artificial copy of their daughter into their home. Suddenly their life is transformed. Tamsyn and Ed want for nothing, and the AI replacement, Sophie, makes it feel just like having their daughter back—except without all the bad parts. Sophie is engaged, happy, and actually wants to spend time with her parents. But things take a turn for the worse when Scarlett makes a very real recovery, and the family discovers that the forces behind their new life are darker than they ever could have imagined.

My friend that works at my library put this book aside for me before she put it out on the shelf...said "it came out of the box demanding that she call me". I'm sure none of you are surprised that books often talk to me:) I was expecting the usual suspenseful, paranormal story, but what I found within these pages was something much more twisted and way, way more cleaver than I was expecting or that those poor parents were expecting. This is going to be a difficult book to talk about without spoiling the details, so I’m going to keep things a little vague and just go with the pros and cons.

Pros:
1. The entire premise! I love the mix of humans and AI being forced into the same living situation and watching how both choose to interact. AI is something that is quickly coming into our lives off the written page, and it in itself has many, many pros and cons...so AI in this story was timely.
2. The characters. Everyone felt very real to life and their reactions to different twists or reveals were right on target. The ending! It was a wild ride. I was absolutely glued to the pages at the end of this book wondering what exactly would happen.

Cons:
1. There weren't many cons but there was one that bothered me a lot, and that was the pacing of the story. Things started very slow, and it wasn’t until about the second half of the book that I felt things really started to pick up. Still, I loved the story, but it took me a while to get into everything.

I will warn you that as a parent there are parts of this story that are deeply unsettling, and you will have to keep reminding yourself that "it's only a story".

A Light in The Darkness - Alice Winters
In Darkness Series Book #2
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Genera: M/M/Romance/Mystery & Suspense/Thriller
5★
Felix and Lane are trying out their new normal. Normal means no more car chases, no more drug lords, and definitely no more kidnapping bad guys. All of that is a thing of the past in this new, normal(ish) life style filled with family get-togethers, torturous jogs through the park, and the occasional romp in the parking lot. Felix is done stealing (all but for the cat). He is actually enjoying the boring side of life, especially with Lane by his side doing what he does best: looking handsome. But when Felix's brother wants to repair their relationship, he brings with him a secret that could cost all of them their lives. Lane isn't complaining because the thrills of life-threatening situations are right up his alley. They may think they have a handle on the situation, but what they do not know is that someone has been working them from the shadows. Forcing them to do exactly what he wants as he drives them closer to his sick game of life and death. We join Felix and Lane in a race against time, their only weapons being their humor and their wit.

There was part of this that I laughed and chuckled at...Alot! Felix's sarcasm is sometimes over the top funny, while Lane's dry comments and acceptance of the love of his life's "witty" comments ...made these two guys appear so "normal" when they are anything but. Lane is blind from a situation that happened in book #1...but you would never guess it from some of his actions. Felix is more to him than just a boyfriend. Felix is his "seeing eye dog" on two legs...although he does have "Copper" who has the required four legs. Felix doesn't have the Gods gift to anyone type of family. His mother hasn't wanted to see him for ten years...and for some strange reason his brother is going through all these strange set-ups to try to get him to give/or to help him get, money...large amounts of money. Not really having a handle on the brother's situation...they soon find themselves part of a Psycho's sick game...a game that no one understands and has been designed to have no winner. Darius, the brother, is the type of guy that you really have to experience to understand. I worked really hard to hate him, I wanted Felix to get Lane to "work his magic", but I couldn't help but feel there was more going on than what the author was letting us see. It wasn't long before we found out what that "MORE" was that was going on...and IN SPADES. Listening to Joel Leslie once again give a spectacular performance was the "icing on the cake". His performance is perfect and really emphasized the suspense and tension that the plot demanded. "A Light in the Darkness" is an excellent addition to the "In Dark" series. On to book #3.

Daddy - Nora Phoenix & K.M. K.M. Neuhold - (Nevada)
Kinky Boys Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Kink/BDSM
5★
Joey needs a Daddy…Intimacy has never been my main priority. Not what people expect to hear from someone who’s been head camera man for the single best studio in the kind of industry I work in. I thought I’d seen it all working for the Ballsy Boys, but helping to build the Kinky Boys from the ground up seems like it’s going to be an eye-opening experience. A man has never turned my head before, so why can’t I stop checking out Daddy? Bedroom activities may not be the height of excitement for me, but watching subs kneel for their Daddies certainly has me wondering…What does it mean if a Daddy Dom keeps trying to feed me and make sure I’m okay? And what does it mean if I kind of like it?

Joey wasn't “just” a cameraman for a porn studio, he was THE best in the trade. His skills had propelled the New York production studio to the top. He thought that it was because he was a straight man and didn't get distracted by what was going on around him...just made the scene all it could be. Then he hears from his aunt in Vegas that his parents need him, and as an only child he leaves his friends and career in New York and heads for Vegas. He's lucky that Bear, his friend and boss in New York, had a friend that was starting a studio in Vegas. A new production company would give him an opportunity to again do what he loves and watch out for his parents at the same time. Hunter has been the wrongly accused victim in New York and as a result is looking to make a fresh start in Las Vegas, far from the memories that haunt him and what happened to his boy. There is much more to this story than just gay romance or porn...although be warned...both are there. It's about self-realization, learning that who/what you are...is not wrong... as well as covering some subjects that are very often misunderstood along with a peek into a lifestyle that is much more prevalent and practiced in various degrees by people from all walks of life and social standings than is thought.

Shelter, Men of Hidden Creek - E. Davies - (Texas)
Men of Hidden Creek Series Book #1
Genera: M/M Romance/Small Town
4.5★
“It’s time to stop running away.” Private security contractor Orion Miele is only back in Hidden Creek long enough to help his Gramma get better. Orion never expected to fall for the only, brown-eyed beauty he turned down in high school… one who needs his protection now. Juggling his responsibilities might get messy. Gabriel Spicer can’t wait to get out of this town and his cousin’s fixed-up shed, far away from his clingy ex. He works at the Mieles’ farm produce stall to save up for the big move to Houston, where his life will get better. But meeting his high school crush all over again throws his careful plans awry. The walled garden designs Gabriel loves to sketch have nothing on the walls around his heart. While Orion comes to terms with being bi, Gabriel realizes that leaving isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What he needs is shelter… here, in Orion’s arms. Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. This book contains a sweetly scheming grandma, a guy who thinks he’s straight, and a sketchbook full of hopes and dreams.

I was a little uncertain going into this book because I read the first book of the second series, Ashes, and didn’t really care much for it. Since Shelter had a different author, I thought I would give it try. I'm really glad I made that choice. Sheltercan best be described as sweet and simple...nothing too heavy. The two main characters...Gabriel and Orion, of course have their flaws, but overall, they are great characters that you will love almost from the start. Actually, all of the characters, even the minor ones, are very realistic and well done. If you have a heart beating in your body...you will absolutely love Gramma Cora, who is downright hilarious. The romance is well done and nicely paced. Orion has to come to terms with being bi, which he handles very well. It was nice to see that these two took things very slow and only with what Orion was comfortable with. The story has a "finally getting a chance with a high school crush" feel, mixed in with a little "small hometown isn’t all that bad after all", kind of realization for both the guys. I liked the subplot with Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend. Not only did it add tension, but it showed how difficult it can sometimes be to get away from an unhealthy, uncomfortable, relationship and how someone who used to be trustworthy could turn out to be something you never expected if not downright dangerous. Gabriel’s cousin also adds flavor to the story. While he isn’t overly "in your face" homophobic, he still has negative feelings towards certain types of sexuality. I volunteer with LGBTQ kids, and I've seen these types before. It makes no difference if it's a small town or a metropolitan city.... hate is still hate no matter how pretty you dress it up. Based on this book, I believe that I’ll like the rest of the series.

Showstopper - Regina Kyle - (Vermont)
Vino & Veritas Series Book #17
Narrators: Cooper North & Iggy Toma
Genera: M/M Romance
4.5★
I swore I wouldn’t do this again. Mix sports, school, and sex. But right now, the only thing standing between me, and the NHL is six feet of frenemy packed into a pair of form-fitting jeans that have me thinking all kinds of things I shouldn’t. Mostly how to get him out of them. I don’t just want Kolby. I need him. Because I’ve got to pass this theater class--yeah, I said theater--if I’m going to keep my spot on the team. When tutoring sessions turn into dates-not-dates over Shipley Cider at Vino and Veritas, I realize it’s going to be harder than I thought to keep my hands on my stick and off of Kolby. Worse, I think I might be falling for him. But I’m not ready for that. I want to keep this thing between us on the down-low for now. But Kolby hates secrets. specially his own .

This series has been such a pleasure to read and to listen to. Different authors for each one and all that I have listened to, have been brought to life by some of the best narrators anyone could ever wish to hear. These two guys were simply wonderful. The story centers around Kolby and Adam, who were a great couple that I knew I was going to like from their first run-in where they clashed a little bit but were also still both super attracted to one another. They were both in awkward situations where they weren’t at their best. Kolby on the ice doing lessons and Adam in improv class which he thought he was going to hate...but turned out he didn't, and it was mostly because of Kolby. Still, it made them a little more vulnerable. Once Adam's team found out about the two of them, all but one member immediately became super supportive to Adam. That’s what we need more of in this world. Those Moo U boys really are unparalleled. Things weren't always a bed of roses for them...they had a big break-up and a bigger getting back together. Why can’t these characters just stop and talk things out? I guess that's what makes the getting back together so much better, and I guess it would make the story much shorter:) Overall, it was a good story...great characters and a happy ending.

Ziggy - Nora Phoenix & K.M. Neuhold - (Nevada)
Kinky Boys Series Book #2
Genera: M/M Romance/BDSM/Age Play/Puppy Play
4.5★
As far as I can tell I don’t have a submissive bone in my body. So why do I like it so much when Marshall calls me his good puppy? I’ve made some impulsive decisions in my life, but signing a contract with the K Boys to shoot an Introduction to Kink series may have been the biggest impulse ever. Sure, the intimate part of it doesn’t faze me, but the rest is way more intense than I had expected. Luckily, there’s Marshall, the consultant who oversees all the shoots. He’s so calm and steady, and he’s there for me when I panic. That doesn’t mean I suddenly like being tied up or something…until Marshall introduces me to puppy play. I want to be his good puppy…and much more because it’s hard not to fall for him. But I still have a contract. I don’t want to disappoint my boss, and I need the money. This isn’t a long-term career plan, Marshall is only temporarily in Vegas, and I may have made the biggest mistake of my life… Or have I?

Another wonderfully written story from this writing duo. It was well crafted and engaging as well as a one-sitting read for me. I couldn’t wait to find out how the so very likeable Marshall and Ziggy navigated their Dom/sub relationship which involves puppy play. You knew from the start that Ziggy, (Byron), had not a single clue what he was doing or what he was getting himself into, except that he would make the kind of money he needed after being fired from his teaching job in California, and now being one-step away from being on the streets of Las Vagas. Marshall saw this. As a consultant for the Kinky Boys studio, his entire job...his only job, was to make sure that the guys that were making the videos and signing the contracts, knew and understood every word of what they were agreeing to...and this man so obviously...DIDN'T. He had never even been inside of a "Kink Club". There is a huge amount of chemistry and trust between Ziggy and Marshall. It was perfectly sweet that they took their time and were friends before the sparks started to fly. Once there were sparks the heat and steam levels rose 100%. There’s a very low amount of angst, but there is some really cute and mischievous "puppy play". A sweet romance blossoms as Ziggy and Marshall, explore the path that will lead them to their "happy ever after". The only thing that I wish would have happened is that there would have been more "getting to know you" type of talking between all the guys working at the Kinky Boys studio...but maybe that will come. I did find this one to be another very enjoyable read just as it is written, and I am sincerely hoping there is actually going TO BE a "next instalment" in this fantastic series.

Deception in Darkness - Alice Winters - (California)
In Darkness Series Book #3
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Genera: M/M Romance/Suspense/Downright Funny
5★
Felix and Lane are struggling with just how boring a "normal" life is, so when they get a chance to jump into action, they do so without a second thought especially since they're offered a lot of money. The request is simple: find a way to retrieve a watch from police custody. But things are never as easy as they seem. Suddenly, they're caught in the middle of a family feud that could turn deadly. But no matter what, through kidnappings, car chases, and cooking mishaps, Felix knows that as long as Lane is by his side, they will find a way to set things right.

Book #3...I'm not exactly sure if this series is even supposed to be funny...but believe me it is over the top, drink snorting... funny. The things that Felix can come up with...the situations he manages to get himself into are unbelievable...and he goes on with whatever he's supposed to have been doing at the time as if nothing has happened and "doesn't everyone know and do this", attitude. Lane, being blind and processing a rather dry sense of humor and a great deal of patience and tolerance, especially for Felix...just blows it off, makes some off the cuff comment and probably rolls his eyes. I laughed out loud so many times while listening to Joel Leslie do his usual magnificent job with all the voices that my husband kept coming to see if I was dying or just have some kind of fit. I think my absolute favorite "Felix fiasco" was when he had to sneak into a BDSM club to rescue their client that had been kidnapped and he had to pretend to be one of the dancers. He was thoroughly stumped while trying to figure out how he could wear the skimpy costume without his underwear showing...and he certainly didn't know anything about the type of "dance" he was supposed to do...but being Felix, he muddled through it...and it was hilarious! Felix and Lane each gained something unbreakable from this unrealistic, yet realistic for them, relationship. Felix gained a loving family that accepted him, lumps and all, a huge circle of friends that would die for him ...well, maybe just suffer some slight injuries, and some of those friends are a bit questionable. Wha Lane gains is a lightness he never thought he would ever get back after the torture that caused his blindness, loads of laughter thanks to Felix, and undying, never ending, plain and simple...love. Thank you, Ms. Winters! This is a series that I will diffidently be reading again and again.