Jay Reynolds has a crush on his project leader at work, but an office romance with Peter Morgan isn’t likely to happen since Peter is straight. Worse, Jay soon fears Peter is homophobic, and his initial infatuation turns to loathing. But one fateful night, Jay is forced to acknowledge things aren’t quite as they seem with Peter. Suddenly, his crush is back and unbelievably, Peter is interested too.
They begin a friends with benefits arrangement, which becomes difficult for Jay when he starts falling for his sexy boss. Peter’s past issues keep him from committing, and Jay has to decide if he can be satisfied with friendship if Peter isn’t ready to take a chance on anything more.
Review
In book one we meet Jay and Peter as they announce that after 5 years they are finally getting married. This is their “backstory”.
Jay and Peter worked together and Jay had a huge crush on Peter for a long time. At first Jay thinks Peter is straight, then he thinks he’s a jerk, then they become friends with benefits.
Jay is essentially all in, but Peter is commitment-phobic. When Peter does something to slow things down, Jay jumps all the way to “we’re breaking up!”.
Finally, they air their grievances and make a commitment.
**
I really loved book one. It felt real and authentic and genuine. This one was less good, but still very good. I liked the chemistry between the MCs but grew tired of the “hurdles”, especially when it felt like if they would just TALK to one another things would clear up.
Audio
Tyler Stevens makes this book go from good to great! He is an awesome narrator and I love listening to him. He really brings the story alive and (for me) elevated this book up at least one notch.
Collin expected to spend another summer fixing cars and working at the college pizzeria. Instead, he’s living in a beach house on Fire Island, waiting tables at a hip seaside restaurant and, for the first time since he and Tanner got together, they can publicly be known as boyfriends. Being “out” takes some getting used to, but with the help of new and old friends, Collin is happier than he ever imagined. And more in love. But newfound freedom brings unexpected challenges, and when friends get flirty, old insecurities arise. Moments of doubt and jealousy threaten their happiness, and Collin and Tanner must confront the truth or risk losing it all.
Review
We met both Collin and Tanner at school where they went from friends to lovers and Collin faced the monumental task of coming out to his ultra conservative family. Now it’s summer and Collin and Tanner are together for the summer on Fire Island and finally enjoying being an “out and proud” couple. But…
Wendy and Maggie are two women from Tanner’s past that are currently still causing trouble for the couple. And there are yet more women Tanner meets at work that pokes every jealous bone in Collin and makes him feel insecure. Finally, there is a guy at work hitting on Collin and when he makes his move, Tanner is there to witness it.
**
I really, really like Karen Stivali’s writing. It’s engaging, erotic, and believable. I really like Collin as a character and his relationship with Tanner is both tender and erotic. I was delighted that they boys got to move their relationship further both emotionally and physically and am psyched to see Collin embracing being gay more and more fully.
What I really didn’t like was the teen-agey angst and drama being played out in the beach house. I particularly didn’t like Maggie and Wendy and their contribution to the story.
I know that when a story like this is broken down into parts rather than being served up as an entire novel each “section” has to have it’s own hurdles and problems. What I hope for is that each section will be an evolution in the relationship and not a recurring battle of “will this relationship work?”. I think that Collin’s virginity, his newness to being out, his battle with his conservative up-bringing and his newness to being a “boyfriend” could have provided enough conflict to move the story forward without throwing in a potential relationship-ending episode of almost cheating that we see with Jason.
I was grateful that the episode with Jason is brief and quickly resolved and I sincerely hope the next installment will focus more on making the relationship work rather than questioning whether it should be a relationship at all.
I will definitely read part three as I am totally captivated by their story and I do recommend this book and the series, even though it was painful to see the boys in so much pain.
Caddy Gary Richardson hungers for the lush life of the wealthy golfers he escorts around the course at Wapiti Creek. The contrast between his tiny trailer at the edge of a mountain town and the luxurious ski and golf resort is something he’s learned to live with but not like. Gary wants the fancy condo and late-model car not just for himself but for his childhood friend turned lover, Seth Morgan. He’d settle for security for the two of them, but even that seems out of reach.
Seth is content with Gary and enough spare cash for greens fees at municipal golf courses. Going pro is beyond his means, even if he plays well enough to win on the championship resort courses. Gary would do anything to fulfill Seth’s dreams, even things he’d rather keep to himself. When an unheard of opportunity knocks, Gary can answer or resign himself to living on tips from affluent tourists.
But Seth can’t live with that answer when it means his trust has been betrayed. He has to let go and hope the man he loves will find his way home. Review
Gary and Seth are high school friends turned lovers. Gary had an exceptionally sucky childhood with an abusive father. Seth’s mom is wonderful but Seth is a bit “slow” and though he has a lot of natural golf talent he doesn’t quite have what it takes to go pro.
Gary sees the world and wants to experience all it has to offer in terms of luxuries and things he never had as a kid. He wants that for him AND Seth. Sometimes he’s even willing to do morally ambiguous things for opportunities to make things better for him and Seth.
Seth only ever wants to love Gary.
After high school Seth and Gary do various jobs (caddy, waiter, etc.) but Gary has those dreams of riches driving him. When some New Yorkers come to the mountain to golf and Gary overhears them talking business, he wants in.
The business “project” involves some more moral ambiguity, and moving to New York for a bit, but Gary classifies it all as getting a foot in the door and a leg up in business and since all he has ever wanted is to take care of himself and Seth, it feels “okay”, if not “good”.
Things do manage to take off for Gary (briefly) but the financial success is countered with romantic failure when Seth learns of what Gary has been doing to “help” things along.
Eventually Gary learns that money isn’t the answer to everything, that honesty and love are more important than financial success and that Seth is the most important thing of all.
**
This is quite different from the previous books in the series. There is still the attention to detail (Golf and Finance) that PD is so good at providing. There is still Wapiti Creek, the small mountain community we’ve seen before. There is still two boys in love.
However… in terms of “feels” this diverges from the path. In my opinion, Gary is really, really hard to like. I never felt good about how he handled his relationship with Seth. He was sorta like a big brother/parent at times and then sometimes like an adoring fan/boyfriend. I really, really didn’t like his justifications for cheating and the fact that all he could focus on was money. I think I understand WHY he felt that way and it was explained well, but I just never LIKED him as a result of his choices.
I really liked Seth and since I had a hard time with Gary I had a hard time rooting for them as a couple. Part of me hoped a new character would be introduced who was worthy of Seth.
Since the relationship between Seth and Gary is established early on, the slow burn is gone from the story.
Though Gary “redeems” himself by the end of the book, I still didn’t feel comfortable with his “turnaround” and so didn’t feel great about the longevity of them as a couple.
Overall, I would have to say this is a book in the series I’d skip, especially if infidelity is a trigger for you.
Audio
Finn Sterling did another great job with the narration, giving us a New York accent and growly old businessmen. My only complaint was that Gary’s voice seemed consistently pre-teen and that didn’t fit with his personality of a “do anything to move forward” kind of guy. I get that he’s got an “angelic” face, but his voice and tone could reflect the hard edges he earned at the hands of his dad and in the business world.
Dante and Byron are avatars. Driven by human beings, yet still only digital representations of their ideal selves. In reality, they live far apart, but share most of their waking and working hours together in a virtual world called Synth.
In Synth, like in most code, the laws are infinitely more simple and infinitely more complex. Navigating the system rules of virtual lovers is like steering through a minefield of deceit, suspicion, heartbreak, and half-truths.
Under pressure, Dante makes a friendship that trips Byron’s warning bells, disrupting their carefully-ordered lives and calling into question the wisdom of trusting your heart to a man you can never touch in the flesh.
Kimi’s review:
This story is 47 pages of what is basically a take on a relationship existing solely within a Second Life type world. Dante and Byron have an existing virtual romance that they indulge in, neither having met the other save for how they represent themselves via their virtual avatars. What is really there and what is the reality that is wished for and carefully crafted within the virtual environment? These are waters that Dante traverses within Synth and they begin to run very deep indeed when he becomes friends with a woman who turns out to be THAT person. You know the one, we’ve all met some form of THAT person as the type lurks everywhere from message boards, forums, Facebook, you name it. The attention seeking “I have nothing to live for” person who needs your attention ALL the time and if they don’t get it, well… “I have nothing to live for!” Sexxy clings, she becomes aggressive, she stalks… The woman is an emotional rollercoaster that is right off the rails. She throws chaos into the cocoon Dante and Byron have built around themselves within Synth and sows anxiety and discord within it. The ending is a HFN and boy, is it ever poignant. It pretty well sums up virtual life perfectly and left just the right amount of heartache.
The Mountains: Book Four
Jake Landon thinks a second ranger season in the Colorado Rockies with Kurt Carlson is close enough to heaven, and a national forest is big enough to be his closet. Pharmacy school – and the luxuries of electricity and running water – can wait, maybe forever, as long as Jake doesn’t have to come out. He doesn’t plan on Kurt’s vision of his future being as narrow and direct as the single track roads through the trees.
“Your future, your fear, and me,” Kurt tells Jake. “You can have two of the three, so choose wisely.” Jake may have no choices left after they stumble on armed men guarding a beautiful, but deadly crop that doesn’t belong among the pines and spruces. Angry men with guns are only one danger in the Colorado wilderness, and Jake’s reluctance to come out is now his smallest problem.
Kurt’s skills and Jake’s silver tongue may not be enough to get them out of this mess – how much of the blood shed on the mountain will be theirs?
Review
This is Jake and Kurt, back to being rangers again. (Previously in the series: Jake and Kurt meet when Jake decides to be a fire ranger for the summer in between undergrad and grad school. They have since spent the last couple of years working seasonal jobs while Jake gets in-state residency for school. Kurt is also a ski instructor in the winter. They have had their ups and downs, mostly about Jake’s closetedness but generally are deeply in love and in it for the long run. In book one there was a life threatening fire and in book two there was an avalanche. There is a book in the series (Book 3) in which Jake and Kurt are only minor characters, but this book returns to them as the MCs. )
The story opens with strip archery! The couple is still in love but argues about Jake’s future. First, Kurt wants him to start Pharmacy school in the fall (leaving his summer job early). Second, Kurt wants Jake to come out of the closet so that when the summer is over the two can live in a one-bedroom apartment as a couple.
To complicate matters, there is a situation in the mountain involving bad guys and drugs. As with the other books, someone is in danger and someone gets hurt, but in the end the good guys are victorious!
**
As with the other stories PD does an amazing job with detail. She tells us meticulously about archery, the plant life, the rodeo, even the medical care our hero receives and it feels authentic and true. (Not being an expert in those things I can only guess… ☺ )
I loved the story coming back to Kurt and Jake, they are definitely a great couple and now that they’ve been with each other so long their sex is even better!
I also love how Kurt is this “expert” in everything. Of course he can ride a bucking Bronc! He can do EVERYTHING!
I felt that the drama was more within reason than in some of the previous books and added a thrilling element to the story.
Though I will read the final book, I am sad to see Kurt and Jake go.
Audio
Finn Sterling did another great job bringing the story to life and making the listening experience a good one. He always does a nice job with the voices of Jake and Kurt, trying to differentiate all the characters without going over the top.
After several years of happy coupledom, Matt and Evan can relax in the knowledge that their little family has survived the worst of it. The two older girls are away at college, the twins have yet to fully hit teen angst, Matt is doing well with his part time security consulting, and Evan is about to be promoted to captain—it seems like things are calm and bright.
Until they aren’t.
As the holidays approach, Evan and Matt get a shock no parent is ever prepared for: feisty Miranda, Evan’s eldest, has a new boyfriend, Kent, and they are talking marriage after just three months together. In fact, Miranda wants to bring him to Thanksgiving dinner—along with his parents, Blake and Cornelia.
Blessed
Lives are in transition as everyone gathers at the stunning Hamptons beach home of Daisy and Bennett to celebrate the christening of their new baby. Griffin and Jim—secretly growing tired of their rootless lifestyle—are in a rocky spot in their relationship. And as the godfather, Griffin finds himself yearning for something he’s sure Jim won’t be interested in.
Fatherhood.
Matt and Evan are looking to reconnect during the long weekend, as their respective careers pull them in separate directions. With less time spent together, Evan grows concerned about what will happen when the last two kids leave the nest.
1st Edition of Cherish published as an eBook by Loose Id LLC, November 2012.
Review
This is definitely not a stand-alone and is the fourth and fifth books combined in one edition.
In Cherished we see Matt dealing with parenthood as Evan’s daughter really puts everyone through the wringer. I loved the look into the couple as they navigate more of the everyday realities of being a unique family. The fact that Kent’s parents were more bothered by the guns than the gay was a great twist and I thought the whole storyline was well done.
In Blessed we see all four couples (Evan’s partner and her new husband, plus Daisy and her new baby along with Griff and Jim) at the Hamptons for Daisy’s baby’s christening.
Though Evan is still dealing with being promoted to captain and put in a position more for diplomacy rather than danger, he and Matt are just so damn cute and in love! Griff and Jim, however, are smoothing out some of the rough edges of their romance and this is a nice sequel to their story.
Something very interesting happened though at the end… it seems left open for another installment! I am hoping that with the re-release of the original stories and their audiobook debuts that we will see another (final?) installment giving our guys some even more permanent closure. (Hint, hint… a wedding perhaps???)
At twenty-three, Dr. Liam McGregor is a well-respected astrophysicist, astrobiologist, and geologist. With no family, few friends, and no romantic prospects, he’s used to being alone. Focusing on his various scientific projects and taking care of his decidedly unusual cat help keep the loneliness at bay.
Jareth Manning is starting life over—new town, new job—after the loss of his husband. The last thing he expects is for the most absentminded, and beautiful, man he’s ever seen to take up residence in his heart. Nor did he expect to find himself a willingly humble slave to Her Imperial Highness, Empress the Cat. But Jareth has learned that love doesn’t come around often and to hold on to it when it does. Jareth is willing to be patient if Liam is willing to take a risk after being burned before. They just have to survive Liam’s past returning.
Eight years after Liam and Jareth marry, they want a child. Things don’t go well when they try to adopt, with terrible accusations thrown at Jareth. After recovering, they proceed with a private adoption, bringing home a beautiful little girl, Carinae. Then things get ugly, endangering not only Liam’s life, but Carinae’s.
Review
I want to say first and foremost : This. Is. Fiction.
Ok, now that we set the mood…
Liam is super-brilliant and gets lost in his work, thus he runs into things, knocks things over, misses social cues, breaks things, falls down… he’s a mess. His childhood sucked. His parents are in jail for their abuses of him. His work is mostly wonderful except when the other geniuses get jealous. But… he’s very lonely. He hasn’t had a great romantic history and doesn’t know what to do about that. But… he has an awesome cat and some pretty amazing friends.
Enter Jareth. Jareth is a widower. (Can I get an awwwww?) He lost his husband a couple of years ago and though he loved him dearly, he is ready to move on when he meets Liam who just hits all of his buttons. Jareth is hired as security for Liam after Liam gets attacked at work.
Jareth straight out adores Liam and Liam is entranced by Jareth.
Their romance is a slow build from simple friendship to lovers over time. While their romance is building there are things happening at work that keep Jareth busy protecting Liam and add some spice to our romantic storyline.
The second half of the story is in fact an entire second book (This is really a book one with a couple of cute novellas and then a sequel all wrapped into one novel.)
In the second half we are several years down the line and Jareth and Liam are married and looking to adopt. But… there are lots of road blocks and danger and Liam is still in need of protection.
We end with a glorious HEA and the possibility for expanding the family to four!
**
Like I said at the beginning of the review, this is fiction. There are some ridiculous things that happen to this couple that are just plain … fictional. Jareth is constantly being hauled in on accusations of spousal abuse. Numerous people (including his parents, three times!) come after Liam with guns and knives and brass knuckles. Their little tiny cat has litter after litter of sweetSiamese kittens with no other health concerns. The adopted baby’s mother inherits $263 million but still wants to give up her baby because she doesn’t want to be a single mom.
Ok. It’s a lot. But I gotta tell ya – I still loved this story. I adored Jareth and Liam together as a couple with their “science” arguments. I loved the over the top drama. I loved the ooey gooey love story and the almost super hero like qualities Jareth had. I thought the sex was hot! I loved that Liam had a pudgy belly! I loved that Jareth goes gray!
I just plain loved this book!
If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the geeky magical love fest- this is the book for you!
After three years of waiting for “rabbit” Jeremy to commit to a life in Granby—and a life together—Aiden Rhodes was appalled when Jeremy sustained a nearly fatal beating to keep a friend out of harm’s way. How could Aiden’s bunny put himself in danger like that?
Aiden needs to get over himself, because Jeremy has a long road to recovery, and he’s going to need Aiden’s promise of love every step of the way. Jeremy has new scars on his face and body to deal with, and his heart can’t afford any more wounds.
When their friend’s baby needs some special care, the two men find common ground to firm up their shaky union. With Aiden’s support and his boss’s inspiration, Jeremy comes up with a plan to make sure Ariadne’s little blackbird comes into this world with everything she needs. While Jeremy grows into his new role as protector, Aiden needs to ease back on his protectiveness over his once-timid lover. Aiden may be a wolf in student’s clothing and Jeremy may be a rabbit of a man, but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk the wilds of Granby together.
Review
We start this book with Jeremy in the hospital after having been beaten up by the mob guy who was after Stanley. He’s in and out of surgery and in and out of consciousness, worrying about Aiden, Craw, the animals, Ariadne, and what his future holds now that he’s no longer “pretty”.
Aiden is struggling with his anger at Jeremy for putting himself in danger and his love for him and his desire to coddle and comfort him. He’s worried about what this means for their future.
Ariadne is struggling with her pregnancy and then later with her new baby. So the Granby crew has to deal with Jeremy’s, Ariadne’s and now the new baby’s medical bills.
They decide to throw a fund-raiser and we get to meet a few more of the men of Granby – I’m pretty sure there’s a book in there! – and the whole town shows its support.
Of course by this time you’ve read all the previous books, this won’t make too much sense as a stand-alone. We see a little bit of Ben and Craw, learn a whole lot more about Ariadne and Rory, but most of all this is about Jeremy and Aiden.
I love the analogy of Jeremy as the rabbit and Aiden as the wolf. Though Aiden is the younger man in this relationship he is clearly the growly, possessive and protective wolf watching over and “herding” Jeremy. Jeremy is settling in and learning to accept all the wonderful things in his life as “his” and as “real”. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that we finally get rid of that damn safe!
The angst in this story (come on, it’s an Amy Lane story!) comes from “listening in” on Jeremy’s thoughts – his doubts and self-deprecation. Mostly, however, this is a book that shows the relationship cementing and the Granby family fighting for its own.
I hope there is more to this series (Aiden’s friend needs his own book!) but if there isn’t, this was a lovely wrap up.
Audio
Philip Alces is not my favorite narrator, but he does a nice job. I like him for Jeremy’s voice. I think the deeper, more growly voices are a little out of his range, but he has a great sense of timing and does a nice job overall.
A year after deciding to share their lives, Matt and Evan are working on their happily ever after–which isn’t as easy as it looks. As life settles down into a routine, Matt finds happiness in his role as the ideal househusband of Queens, New York, but he worries about Evan’s continued workaholic–and emotionally avoidant–ways. Trying to juggle his evolving relationship with Evan and his children, Matt turns to his friend, former Seattle homicide detective Jim Shea.
The continued friendship between Matt and Jim is a thorn in Evan’s side. Jealous and uncomfortable with imagining their brief affair, Evan struggles to come to terms with what being in a committed relationship with a man means and the implications about his love for his deceased wife, the impact on his children, and how other people will view him. His turmoil threatens his relationship with Matt, who worries Evan will once again chose a life without him. But now,the stakes are much higher.
Review
(Though this is book 3, it follows right after book one and you don’t need to have read book 2 to read this.)
Matt and Evan are starting to get used to being a couple. Matt is more or less a house-husband and this is both wonderful and somewhat alarming for him to accept. It’d be easier if Evan wasn’t being so difficult – working all the time, jealous of that one time affair with Jim, unwilling to call himself “gay”.
The in-laws aren’t making things easier either. They are threatening to take the kids from Evan.
Luckily, Jim and Griffin give great advice to the couple. Evan finally figures out his priorities and Matt finds something else to do with his time.
**
I really loved this installment of the series. These are real problems these guys are facing – whether you are gay or straight – we all face similar issues.
I loved the intimacy and the closeness the couple now shares. It’s very satisfying to see how their emotional and physical relationship evolves.
Having this “sequel” really adds to the series and helps to cement these guys in the hall of fame of m/m MCs as far as I’m concerned. I really feel like I “know” them and am part of their familes.
Audio:
JP Handler narrates this as well. I still feel that, for me, he’s not to my taste as far as narrators go. I find his narration too emotional and it sounds like he’s on the verge of tears throughout the story. He excels at dialog, however, and does that very well.
Bryce has been a firefighter for ten years, but when a horrific house fire leaves him reeling, he moves to a new city, hoping to shove those memories behind him. As he adjusts to his new station, Bryce keeps to himself until Matt and Toby, two hot young men in his unit, throw temptation in his path. Bryce knows better than to mess around with men he works with, especially two newbies who are in the closet. But after a difficult day, Matt and Toby offer him compassion and friendship, which slips so easily into sex Bryce finds the combination irresistible.
Matt and Toby want to expand their relationship to include a third, and they’ve set their sights on their sexy bear of a lieutenant. Their first night together is a scorcher, and, more than that, it feels right, to all of them. But since Bryce refuses to hide who he is, and dating men on his shift is against the rules, all three men are going to have to make some tough choices if they want to stay together.
Review
(This can absolutely be read as a stand-alone book.)
Bryce is a friend of Mason (from books one and two) and a fireman. He meets two new guys on his crew (they are clearly a couple already) and is enthralled.
Matt and Toby subtly begin to flirt with Bryce, and though he thinks this will all end horribly, he can’t say no.
They begin a month long affair and everything seems wonderful when there is an accident that puts Matt in the hospital. Suddenly Bryce feels worried that they are all about to sacrifice their careers and breaks up with the boys.
When push comes to shove, Gray (of all people) gives Bryce some great advice and we get a very happy HFN/HEA.
**
This was a lot different than books one and two. It has MUCH less BDSM in it, more commanding and less humiliation.
The emotions were very sweet in this book and though there are some hot sex scenes it wasn’t the main focus.
I really enjoyed this and was rooting for this threesome to make it!
Blurb
