Mano and Jake, friends since childhood, are each the brother that the other never had, hermanos. It doesn’t matter that Mano is gay and Jake is straight. They have each other’s backs. When he grows weary of being used as a pawn by his parents as their marriage collapses, Mano moves in with Jake’s family.
Jake and Mano both need a chance to start over, so they move to Hawaii and work for Jake’s uncle, Mano working as a lifeguard. In his free time, Mano explores his sexuality and finds he has no shortage of men in his bed. But after watching his parents’ relationship disintegrate, Mano guards his heart and keeps it strictly sexual.
Determined to become self-sufficient, Mano returns to college while still working full-time. When he meets the man of his dreams, he’s too scared and unsure of himself to pursue him. For years he went out of his way to avoid getting close to a man, so now when he wants to, he doesn’t know how. With the encouragement of Jake and others, Mano searches for the courage to go after what he’s always really wanted.
Review
We met Mano in Little Squirrels Can Climb Tall Trees and I was psyched he got his own book. He was so funny and interesting in that book that I was sure this would be a really light hearted, sensual, fun story. It has those elements but that’s not all there is to the book. It’s not a typical m/m romance in a lot of ways.
We don’t meet Mano’s love interest until 57% of the way into the story. The first entire half is Mano learning about his sexuality and getting a new “lease on life” after leaving his Washington DC life behind.
After spending the first half of the book being worried about never finding love, pretty much as soon as he meets Jordan they are a couple and moving things to permanency. The rest of the book is wrapping up their relationship issues and Mano finishing school.
So, this truly is Mano’s story, far more than his and Jordan’s. There is a fair amount of Mano’s and Jordan’s story, to be sure, but it doesn’t happen til later and while we wait Mano is NOT celibate.
For some, having on-page sex with someone other than the MC can be disconcerting, though these interactions shaped Mano into who he is today.
I didn’t think this story was as tightly written as the first book and seemed to take more tangents. Mano’s character was not what I was expecting and I had some preconceived notions to set aside, but even allowing for that, I didn’t connect with him as much as I had Kyle and Joseph from book one. I did enjoy that we get to see a fair amount of Kyle and Joseph though – they are still so cute together!
Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this book because I had high expectations for it. Overall it wasn’t a bad book – don’t get me wrong – it just wasn’t what I was expecting and didn’t resonate with me as much as book one.
Preston Fawkes is ten the first time he meets fifteen-year-old Konrad Schnell at the San Antonio Polo Club. Captivated by the mystique surrounding the sport of kings, Pres vows to learn the game at the hands of his newly acquired friend and mentor. The hero worship soon grows into something deeper, but the friends are separated when Preston goes off to boarding school in England.
The relationship that follows is riddled with challenges―their age gap, physical distance, and parental pressure taking precedence over feelings yet to be explored. Although their bond goes deep, they deal with the reality of their situation differently: Preston is open and fearless while Konrad is reticent and all too aware of the social implications of making a public stand.
Their paths intersect and twine, binding them as tightly as a cowboy’s lasso, but fate may alter their plans. How will love overcome the divots in the turf as they gallop toward the future—one where obstacles no longer stand in their way?
Review
This book starts with Preston as an injured Polo player being told he should never play again and he’s lucky to be alive. We know he has 2 ex-wives and 2 children, and that Kon is NOT in his life, currently. (This should give you an idea of where things are headed…) Then we get to the flashbacks which take up the bulk of the book.
As a boy of ten Preston meets Konrad, a boy of 15, for the first time and learns from him what it means to be a Polo player. He acts as his groom and Kon mentors him in the sport.
Preston’s hero worship of Kon changes on the night he realizes that Kon is gay and that the feelings in his gut may be more than just friendship. Kon, as he should, rebuffs the now 13 year old’s advances. He puts him off because a) he’s too young and b) the two are about to be separated by Kon’s joining the American Polo team and Preston’s going overseas to study. But first the two share a passionate kiss.
Preston meets Ned at Eaton, a boarding school in England. Ned shows Preston how to be properly English and Preston gives Ned Polo lessons. After a while, Ned becomes Preston’s tutor in gay sex as well as his close friend.
Preston and Ned don’t become boyfriends though, because Preston is saving that for Kon, whom he stays in touch with and occasionally meets.
Finally, when Preston is 17 he and Kon spend a chunk of time together and move their relationship forward, becoming lovers and long-distance boyfriends.
Here is where things go horribly wrong. Their relationship is discovered and Kon is forced to join the military and …. Well if I tell you it’s a big spoiler. Needless to say what happens next keeps Kon and Pres apart until the end of the story and for YEARS.
**
I really, really wanted to like this. I loved the idea. Polo, young love, age gap, geographical gap… It had a ton of potential.
The pre-eighteen year old sex did not bother me – that’s reality for a lot of people and I thought it was mostly handled well.
What did bother me: Kon never really seemed to love Pres as much as Pres loved him. Kon seemed to lust for Preston, but not love him. Preston was a jerk, and hard to like, so I don’t blame Kon. As an adult, Pres only gets worse.
The plot twists were far too many and too hard to believe. At times it was like a soap opera in the way that the lovers were kept from one another – for YEARS. If we have that much angst I need a huge batch of happy to make up for it and the reunion at the end did NOT make up for all the unhappiness. After all the torment we see our MCs through, they get about one paragraph of happy ending and the “celibacy issue”… I just didn’t buy it at all.
I did not like the on-page sex with people not the MC. That, more than the age thing, did really bother me.
I thought the writing was ok, but I didn’t feel a lot of authenticity from the characters. Preston’s dad was practically bi-polar (smacking Preston around then giving him a new pony.) Preston’s step-dad just going out and renting his 16 year old son porn seemed nuts. Preston’s mom even marrying Preston’s dad didn’t make much sense. Ned – putting up with Preston’s crap for so long. And there are other areas where it didn’t feel real.
I just couldn’t connect well to either MC very well, thought the plot holes were too big to ignore and found the romance lacking. If you are a fan of drama, you might like this. There is a LOT of it. If you want a tender and satisfying, relationship story, this is not for you.
Audiobook
Max Lehnen is hit or miss for me. I have heard him do some nice narrations, and I have heard him butcher some. In this case he had some tall orders. He had to do a wide range of ages, including aging the MCs from 10 to adult. He had several accents to do, Texan, British, and Preston’s odd British/Texas blend, women, kids, etc. I thought for the most part he did a great job handling such a demanding narration, though some of his accents were definitely better than others.
I give Max Lehnen 4 of hearts and the story 1 of 5 hearts which gives this an average of 2.5 hearts
Gay teenager Hart could finish his fairy tale for class if his horrible stepsiblings would stop harassing him. Talia’s depression is like a sleeping curse and may kill her if she doesn’t ask for help. Independent, overweight bisexual Sienna deals with her “nice guy” neighbor while visiting her grandmother. When a mysterious girl climbs up Rachael’s fire escape, Rachael might finally break free from her overprotective mother. Transgender Amelia is bullied regularly for her identity, but she’ll show everyone exactly who she is. Princess Rellyn must face down a dragon since she’s seventh in line and battle her father since she’s not a boy, and she’s not sure which one is scarier. An adventurous knight whisks away genderfluid Noll when all they want is a quiet life on their farm. Mermaid Astrid wants revenge on the man who betrayed her, but is confused by her attraction to the one sailor immune to her song. Asexual Myka might love Princess Lysandria, but Myka must learn to control her inner werewolf before the king marries her off to “cure” her. With the help of a witch, blacksmith’s apprentice Malcolm must find his missing prince.
You’ve never heard stories like these at bedtime
Review
These are short – sometimes way too short – little LGBTQ takes on the old fairly tales. In each there is a character or character that falls into that community who takes on a more modern/unique role. Each story is a different set of people, using an old fairy tale as a template for a modern story.
The writing is good. The idea is magnificent. I really think that for the YA audience these will really ring true and find a home in the heart of the LGBTQ YA community.
However, for me, it felt like just as I was invested in the story – it ended. So it was a little off-putting and frustrating. I’d like to see these stories more fleshed out, I definitely think there is more that they have to offer.
I really liked that it wasn’t just gay or trans but a variety of gender roles/sexual orientations. There really is something for everyone in this anthology.
Overall, I give it high points for the attempt with a little bit taken off for brevity.
If you are a YA fan I’d give this a try, it really is remarkable.
Will Martin’s racist father, Kevin, hates Native Americans and wants to keep them off his property, never mind that part of the ranch land is sacred ground for the Sioux. When they request access for prayer, Kevin refuses—but Will doesn’t share his father’s views. Ever since he first saw Takoda Red Bird during one of the Sioux sacred ceremonies, Will has been fascinated. He grants the tribe access.
Takoda defies Kevin on a regular basis. He often sneaks to the sacred site on the rancher’s land for prayer and knows Will has seen him there. When, out of spite, Kevin places the land up for auction, Takoda knows it is time for action and bands together with Will to stop the sale.
In the fight that follows, Will gets more than he expected. He starts out helping the tribe preserve their identity… and ends up finding his own.
Review
Will and his father Kevin do not agree on many things. Though Will has agreed to come help his dad with the running of the family ranch he won’t compromise on his basic beliefs, even if it means being disowned.
Takoda belongs to the local group of Native Americans who want to use Will’s land for their ceremonial prayer, as they have done for years. Will’s dad says no, but Will is adamant that the ceremonies be revered.
Though they met when they were younger, it is not until they meet as adults that the attraction between them flares to life.
Will and Takoda move their relationship forward at a brisk pace and this pits Takoda and Kevin against one another over land rights. Kevin tries to gain the upper hand by putting the land in question up for sale but we find out that the land isn’t actually his to sell.
Faced with losing everything, Kevin grudgingly begins to accept the relationship between Takoda and Will and begins to see reason.
**
This is the third book in the Good Fight series and in each book we learn a bit about Native American culture, demonstrating Andrew Grey’s amazing research skills.
I really enjoyed learning about this part of American culture that is so often misrepresented and definitely under-represented.
The chemistry between Takoda and Will is hot and their love for one another sincere and sweet.
I really liked this series and recommend it.
Audio
Andrew McFerrin narrates this entire series and he does a wonderful job with it. He manages to give Takoda an “accent” without making it feel cheesy or over the top. I really think listening to this book adds to the overall enjoyment and increases its entertainment value.
Taber Delane is lucky be alive, but his career as a firefighter ended the day a beam snapped resulting in a crushing spinal injury. Most of his friends are willing to give him space, everyone except paramedic, Deacon Hall.
Deacon hasn’t met a challenge he couldn’t tackle and he knows Taber needs someone in his corner who isn’t afraid to stand up to the big bad fireman. The longer he’s around Taber, the more the sexy vulnerability of the man comes through. Deacon finds he doesn’t just want to be Taber’s live in caregiver, he wants a chance at the passionate man beneath the stubborn shell.
A shell that is cracking, no matter what Taber tries to hold it together. Without knowing how, Deacon being in his home starts to open his eyes to the man Deacon hides from the rest of the world and Taber craves to know more. A lot more.
Now if only Deacon can get Taber to see that it isn’t so bad having him there to assist. Even if sometimes Taber is naked, dripping wet, and angry as hell.
Pages or Words: 43,556 words
Excerpt:
“You’re not giving me a sponge bath,” Taber snapped and glowered at Deacon as he wheeled himself into the locker bay. The sweat ran down his temples, his shirt soaked through with it. He took in his motionless legs and grimaced before shooting Deacon another irritated look.
Deacon sat with his feet on one of the peeling dark blue benches, his back reclined against a bank of gray lockers along the far wall in the physical therapy building. A book was balanced on his knees, and black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His shaggy auburn hair fell to curl around his ears in disarray.
Deacon peered at him with pale green eyes. “There go my dreams of rubbing you down and tweeting the pics.”
About the author:
Draven St. James is a born and raised Oregonian. She has traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill her books. Her ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where she finds her peace.
Where to find the author:
Bailey McMillan’s life is a mess. The general public blames him for his former employer’s nuclear pollution, resulting in professional disgrace. Humiliated, he takes a job as an editor at a science magazine run by his best friend, John.
That part isn’t so bad; Bailey is fond of John, who seems to find Bailey’s abrasive nature amusing. Unfortunately, working for John also leads to writing an astrology column in exchange for getting free rein in some op-ed articles, and then being sued over one. The (totally coincidental) accuracy of the column offers opportunity for further professional disgrace if anyone discovers its author. And then Bailey digs himself a little deeper.
In an attempt to prove astrology is bogus, he agrees to an experiment to date someone from each star sign. As if that weren’t bad enough, Bailey’s got a stupid crush on John, who stubbornly insists on a detailed breakdown of every date, bad and otherwise. Bailey’s luck has to improve sometime, right?
Review
Bailey is a pompous ass who is forced to write horoscopes by the scientific journal he works for. It’s totally beneath him and he hates it.
John is the editor of the journal and also Bailey’s best friend.
As an experiment Bailey agrees to date a variety of men from the different astrological signs and this is the story of all those horrible dates.
In the end John sets up himself as the final “date” because he’s always had an attraction for Bailey and wanted to prove to him just how good they’d be together.
**
There is a lot of really funny stuff. Alix Bekins clearly has a sharp mind and writes very witty dialog. I thought John was a dear and way too good for Bailey and I never, never, never liked Bailey. At. All.
So… it was hard for me to get behind his success in the dating department. Especially when he ends up having sex with some of his dates.
Call me old fashioned, but that just ruined this for me as a romance.
I wanted it to be all about Bailey and John and developing their relationship. But beyond showing us how un-suited all the other men were (and what a prick Bailey can be) I was never really convinced John deserved to be saddled with Bailey for all time.
Audio
Peter B Brooke did a nice job with the narration. He definitely added to my enjoyment and I probably enjoyed this more as an audiobook than if I’d been simply reading it.
Overall I give it 2.5 stars for humor, good writing and a nice narration, but can’t recommend it as a romance because it just wasn’t that believable or engaging on that front.
After ten years as an active duty Marine, Captain Eric Ramos is rejoining civilian life. His first job is chauffeuring, assisting, and generally keeping track of NBA young gun Tyler Haley. Tyler’s had a rough few months, and his team owner is convinced he needs some hand-holding if he’s going to keep delivering wins for the St. Louis Fire Foxes.
Instead of the arrogant, over-privileged athlete Eric expected, Tyler is a big, blond, lonely twenty-three-year-old who needs more than just an employee to keep him in line. While taking care of Tyler, Eric changes from employee to friend, to something more. And when Eric realizes that something is burning the kid up from the inside out, he’s determined to find a way to help him before Tyler’s carefully constructed façade turns to ash.
Review
Tyler is a very, very young star basketball player who was recruited out of HIGH SCHOOL to play pro ball. He’s scared. He’s conflicted. He’s also gay.
Eric was hired because he’s gay. Tyler’s manager wants Tyler safe and so far all the staff either uses Tyler for his connections, his money, or his access to sex. Eric is seen as being immune to all that based on his past history and his indifference to the female form.
Eric is immediately attracted, both physically and emotionally to Tyler. He sees Tyler as a kid brother at first: needy, shy, naïve, innocent. When Eric begins to suspect Tyler might swing his way he’s conflicted about those feelings. He doesn’t want to take advantage of the guy but he’s also developed some serious feelings for him that go more than skin deep.
Tyler has had some super-bad experiences in h is past that make his life rituals important, and one night the team loses it’s winning streak, forcing Tyler to do something he hates, but feels is necessary to bring the team back to winning. It’s superstitious and awful, and it almost breaks him.
Luckily Eric is there to pick up the pieces and together they finally admit their attraction and begin to act upon it.
**
If you had asked me to rate this story at about the 50% mark I’d have given it 5 hearts, easily. It is so amazingly engaging. Dawn Douglas has created the perfect innocent paired with the toughest Alpha male and the sexual tension between them was both believable and hot. The separation between them was authentic and you questioned Tyler’s sexuality right along with Eric throughout most of the book. (Is he gay and closeted? Is he in denial? is he gay for Eric?… it was hard to tell!) The basketball stuff was a little unbelievable, but interesting and acted as a nice background for the romance to develop against.
I absolutely detested Tyler’s past (as I was supposed to) and felt wretched for how it affected him. I so wanted Eric to help him move through his fear and pain and know what real love is.
Without spoiling things for you, they do get together… in the last few paragraphs of the book. All that sexual tension is released with a few groping sessions and lots of tears and no resolution, let me say it again, absolutely NO resolution. Eric does not get to help Tyler get through this, we can hope he might one day, but we are left without only hope.
The book/story just ends. POW.
I was flummoxed! Then pissed!
The story was so, so good and then it just ended… like the bell rang and the author had to turn her paper in at the end of class.
Since I was listening to the audio book I had to check to make sure I had the full story and that there wasn’t some technical error.
What I found was that, no, this is the entirety of the story, but that the ebook had this included as an epilogue/author’s note:
“I LOVE short stories. Not that novels aren’t wonderful, but there’s something special about being able to say everything you need to in a limited number of pages. And my favorite short story, bar none, is Frank R. Stockton’s The Lady, or the Tiger?
If you ask me when I’m irritated with my husband, stuck in traffic, or generally having a bad day, I’m pretty sure a tiger came out of the door to the right at the end of the story. When I’m in a better mood, a lady came out of the door, and the hero rode off into the sunset with his prize. I like the fact that the ambiguity of a short story leaves room for imagination.
In this novella, Tyler has some very serious history to address. Instead of turning what I had always intended to be a novella into a novel and exploring psychological issues that are far above my pay grade, leaving these particular characters with some ambiguity, with a happily for now, felt like the right thing to do.
That said, I’m the author, right? I created them, which means I’m allowed to suspend reality if I want to…
So in my mind, the real end to Tyler and Ram’s story goes something like this:
Tyler and Ram both found excellent counselors. The Fire Foxes won four successive NBA Championships. Tyler came out. The universe said, “Huh,” and moved on with life. Ram got his master’s degree from Wash U, went into politics, and changed the world. They got married, adopted baseball crazy twin boys, and were frequent guests on “Real Time with Bill Mahr.” And they lived happily ever after for the rest of their days.
The End.”
So, yeah. The author tells us that since this is her story she can end it however she wants and that in her mind the couple ends up with a HEA but she doesn’t owe her audience the actual WRITING of the HEA.
Without this author’s note, I would barely call it a HFN (Happy for now).
Needless to say, this did not sit well with me and it definitely affected my rating of the book.
I had really loved this story up until the (NOT) ending and was so, so disappointed at where it left off.
Audio
Randy Fuller is not my favorite narrator, but he does a fairly nice job with the narration. I enjoyed his voice choice for Eric, but felt that Tyler sounded a bit too old and not enough different from Eric.
All in all I can’t really recommend this book or audiobook because I wouldn’t want to inflict the frustration I felt on anyone else.
I give it a 2.5 of 5 hearts simply because Randy did a nice job and the writing was good up until the end, but the overall story/enjoyment really wasn’t there and I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
On the surface, Ben seems to have it all: money, influence, good looks. He smiles and jokes in all the right places, but it’s all a façade. Inside he’s a wreck, and it’s only getting worse. With his Congressman father using Ben’s recent kidnapping for his own political agenda, and Ben still struggling to get over the only guy he’s ever loved, he feels like he’s losing his grip on reality and he’s quickly spiraling out of control.
Then he meets Dante, an enigma of a man with as much self-hatred as Ben has. In Dante, Ben finds what he didn’t know he needed: Dante’s control, his power, is the only thing that clears the fog in Ben’s brain. For the first time in his life, Ben has a lover who just might need Ben as much as Ben needs him. When they’re together, the demons from their pasts don’t lurk so heavily on their shoulders.
But Dante can’t fix him. Not when a memory from Ben’s past is haunting him in ways he doesn’t understand, waiting for him to put together the missing pieces in his head…and what he discovers just might have the power to break him for good.
This is the continuation of the Broken Pieces series and picks up telling Ben’s story. If you are looking for a story that’s sweetly romantic with lots of sizzling sex, this is not what you’re looking for. If you’re not s fan of stories filled with angst, this is not what you’re looking for. But with that, I will strongly suggest you step outside your box and pick this book up. If you haven’t read the previous two in the series, I would strongly suggest that you do as to have a greater understanding of what is going on with Ben.
Ah, Ben. Ben: the beautiful, confident, wealthy and powerful, sussessful defense attorney who has it all together. On the surface. But underneath that polished surface is a man in a tremendous amount of pain. Pain from his childhood, pain from an unrequited love of the past and present, pain from his family’s betrayal, pain from the horrific crime committed against him, the list goes on. Ben is a mess, mentally and physically. He realizes this but is powerless to stop it. In one of the BSDM club he frequents, he sees Dante for the first time and something about this man calls to Ben.
Dante, like Ben, is a man who is broken. He too has his demons from the past that he unable to shake. But one night, he looks up to see the gorgeous blond man who is struggling. There is an instant attraction but Dante does not want to get involved with Ben because he can’t save him. But that’s exactly what Dante did to a certain extent.
These are two men, both with demons who need to be exorcised. They’re two men who are lost. Both adrift in their own seas of misery. Their pasts eating away at them gradually.
Neither man is in a position, emotionally to embark on any type of relationship but they are drawn to and falling for each other.
This book was hard for me to read, but not because it was badly poor written; no, it quite the opposite, actually! It was heartbreaking to read Ben’s ordeal. Poor man was sinking into the depths of alcoholism, fueled by his obvious and untreated PTSD. Being with Dante helped, but with both men being so damaged, neither was equipped to save the other. This story’s ending was quite a surprise. I’ll give you a tiny spoiler: Ben’s family will get their just desserts towards the end. It was one that I was quite satisfied with.
Both men get their HEA, I am glad to say. Considering the pain that they had to endure, it made their HEA all that much sweeter. This series and this author is definite worth reading.
Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he’s being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.
When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate – despite the risk to his health – and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.
Review
Now that Stefan and Rand are together we get to see just how they manage to make things work between the city-boy Stefan and the recently-gay-rancher Rand.
This is a great look at a couple after the “happy ending”. With Rand and Stefan there was so much keeping them apart that you have to wonder how things are going after the last kiss.
Well, it turns out that life hasn’t been that easy. Stefan is still keeping himself distant and not fully committed to Rand and Rand senses this. Rand is still being a controlling a**hole and driving Stef nuts.
When something comes up, taking Rand out of town, Stefan is left to handle some important ranch details and WOW does he screw up! He ends up in a fight, riding a bronc, showing up on YouTube, and scaring Rand half to death.
Meanwhile, Stef is also finding out some “truths” about Rand’s history that just might shake up the entire family.
Interestingly, Rand isn’t in this story very much and though it’s all about him and his family, Stefan plays the more important role throughout. In my mind there was too much time with them apart to call this story absolutely perfect, but since it’s Mary, it’s pretty damn close!
If you enjoyed Timing you will HAVE to read/listen to this as it absolutely cements the love Rand and Stefan share and gives you a much needed glimpse at their future. I don’t think it’d make much sense as a stand-alone.
Audio
Sean Crisden narrates this and Timing. He does an absolutely amazing job with Rand’s growly Texas drawl. I adore Sean’s take on the Alpha Male and like I said, Rand is oh so Alpha. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be this way or not, but Sean continually pronounces Stefan’s name as Stef-awn, where I always thought it was Stef-en. In either case, he’s consistent, and I ended up finding it endearing! The sex scenes are scorching and Sean does a great job differentiating all the other voices as well. I particularly loved the Foreman’s voice – very, very sexy.
The listening definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of this story.
Blurb
Stefan Joss just can’t win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway. Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry.
Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance. But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well.
Review
Stefan and Rand hate one another. Right? Well, maybe not so much.
Stefan is Rand’s sister Charlotte’s BFF. Charlotte is getting married and needs Stefan in the wedding. Stefan and Rand have always butted heads, but since a few things have changed around the ranch (like Rand’s divorce, his homophobic dad’s death and the fact that Rand is now very financially protected from the bigory of Texas), Rand is finally able to admit the attraction he’s had for Stefan for all these years.
This floors Stefan, but he admits his own attraction to the hunky cowboy.
The only problem is that Stefan doesn’t see himself as a one-man guy and definitely not a guy who lives on a ranch in Texas.
After a lot of super hot sex and some misunderstandings and a gun fight (!) the two manage to come together in a very HEA.
**
I love Mary Calmes’ alpha males and Rand is oh so Alpha! The sex between him and Stefan is super hot and then the love that gets declared super romantic.
We begin to understand more about Rand’s family here in this, book one, and this lays the groundwork for what we learn in book two, After the Sunset.
Blurb
