Bradley Greene’s family all but discarded him when his brother caught him fooling around with another boy. Now Bradley has seventeen dollars and a gas card, and he’s sleeping in his car. He’s an emotional mess and if he doesn’t land a job soon, he’s up the proverbial creek.
Danny Ortega can take care of himself…most of the time. When what started as a date turns into sexual assault in a dark parking lot, he’s grateful for Brad’s help—and an instant admirer of Brad’s military school-honed muscles. He certainly doesn’t expect to see him again, and definitely not as the newest hire at Ortega Construction.
As Brad and Danny’s quiet attraction turns into more, things start to go sour before they’ve even started. Danny grows frustrated that Brad won’t open up emotionally. And Brad is terrified of being responsible for someone else’s feelings. When Brad’s family makes one last attempt to turn him into an “acceptable” son, all bets are off—he and Danny will need to decide if they’re in this together…or apart.
Review
Brad’s family has sent him off to military school to “get the gay gone” and essentially written him off, even when his brother attacks his ex-boyfriend and almost kills him. Brad runs away to Minnesota to go to school, determined to be free of them. He’s got pennies to his name but a strong work ethic.
Danny is on a “date” set up by his brother when the “date” gets a little to handsy. Brad happens to intervene and the two share some dessert as a thanks for the rescue. Brad doesn’t want any distractions right now, so he turns down a second date.
Brad manages to land a job and an apartment right away, as it happens, with Danny’s dad’s construction firm.
At first Brad pushes the out and proud Danny away, afraid of setting off any bells and losing his only work and home, but Danny can’t be resisted.
When things start going missing and vandals attack the work sites where Brad happens to be, Brad pulls away from Danny and prepares for the worst.
When the worst happens, Brad agrees to help his family and “be a good boy” again, by leaving Danny behind.
**
This was such a sweet story. Danny is wonderful! He and his family are the exact opposite of Brad and his. It’s fabulous how they all support one another and by extension Brad.
I got a little sick of Brad’s behavior where it concerned Danny – he didn’t deserve it – but in the end the very sappy and sweet ending made it all worth it.
Yancy Bell was bullied in high school for being a yellowbelly, not because of any cowardice, but because of his nervous bladder condition. It’s Yancy’s first year in college, and he’s hoping to make a fresh start.
Three days before Christmas, the campus is empty. Having to pee on a midwinter night leads Yancy to meet Curt Donovan huddled in a dark shower stall. Curt’s a troubled jock whose coming out went badly, so he plans to end it all.
But Yancy adamantly refuses to let Curt go through with his irrevocable plan. With just one dark night to talk Curt around, Yancy has to win the trust of a stranger who only sees one way out.
Review
This is a short story (and I think most of my objections to this book stem from that aspect) about a boy who finds another guy in the communal bathroom in the middle of the night, acting strangely.
Yancy goes to the bathroom frequently due to a condition he has (nervous bladder) and so it’s not strange that he’s there at 2 am. What is strange is there is someone hiding in the shower stall. (For whatever reason or instinct) Yancy is compelled to ask after the guy until he proves that “he’s okay”.
The guy isn’t okay. He’s contemplating suicide since his father has disowned him for being gay.
He and Yancy end up bonding then making out and things are looking up for both of them by the end.
**
I really liked the premise of this. I think that suicide in young adults has to be something so difficult to deal with and I really appreciated the comments Yancy made. Something to the effect that making these kids feel guilty for wanting to end their pain wasn’t a very helpful motivation.
I know that short stories have to do a lot with few words, but there were some plot holes that just kept me from being fully invested in this story.
First, why did the admittedly not brave Yancy persist in investigating the guy in the shower?
Second, without a lot of explanation, why did Curt allow himself to flip so far out in the first place, recover so quickly, then immediately jump into dating? I didn’t get a good feel for Curt but he’s sort of reticent in demeanor but his actions are all over the map. I think if he’d been more of a drama queen his actions would have fit better since he was so quick to bounce from thing to thing to thing.
I think with a few modifications those plot holes could have been explained away and even with a short story the emotions the author were trying to portray could have worked.
The writing was good and the idea compelling but the end result wasn’t as satisfying as I’d have wanted it. Perhaps making this into longer could give it more depth and make it a more plausible story.
When Aiden goes to Wyoming on the dime of the Full Moon Dating service, he doesn’t really think he and country wolf Ben will be right for each other. He just wants some time off from city life.
Ben knows better right away. He and Aiden are meant to be together, despite Aiden’s city ways and cluelessness about being a werewolf. Can he convince Aiden to stay with him, or will Ben, and Full Moon Dating have to write this one off as a mistake?
Review
This is the first book in the series, so we get to meet not only the two MCs Aiden and Ben, but Harve, Stone and Ades – the folks at the service who match these unlikely men.
Ben is a tough, Alpha, strong wolf from the country. Aiden is a small, arty, city wolf who is not in touch with his animal side as much.
When Aiden and Ben meet, the mating instinct is strong, but Aiden doesn’t know how to handle all the new feelings – so he runs. Ben always catches him and helps him to understand – and in the end they get their HEA.
**
One of the things I really like about Julia Talbot’s shifter series is that her shifters are so animalistic at times. Not in a crude or sexy way, but in how they view the world. It’s awesome! So many shifter stories use the animal side to say “Mine!” and that’s the extent of it. So when Aiden runs away because he’s frightened, Ben doesn’t get all emo about it, he just goes to him like an older animal schooling a younger and soothes him, understanding his anxiety without human ego getting in the way.
What I didn’t like was all the spanking. I wish there wasn’t so much spanking in these books. But… the rest was awesome!
3.5 of 5 hearts
Book 2 Evgeny and Feng
Blurb
Tiger shifter Evgeny worries that he’ll never find a lover who can stand up to his sheer size and strength. He’s scared off more than one man, which is why he turns to Harve and Stone at Full Moon Dating. He wants someone who can deal with his tiger self and not run away.
Acrobat and snow leopard Feng is all over Ev’s physicality. He’s used to working without a net, so he’s not afraid of anything Ev can dish out. Especially since Feng finds Ev far gentler than anyone would expect. They’re determined to make a two-city love affair work, so when Feng disappears, Ev will move heaven and earth to find him.
Review
This is tied for my favorite in the series! Feng is an acrobat and Ev is an artist. Ev has a hard time meeting men who can stand up to his fierce Tiger, even other shifters.
Feng is hyper and needs someone to ground him. Together they find they are perfect matches.
Most of this book is fun exploration of Santa Fe and sex, but there is a brief moment of angst when Feng is hurt and Ev must find him… so scary! But a very HEA.
What I liked most was how much fun these guys had together and NO SPANKING! Yay!
4.5 of 5 hearts
Book 3 Coy and Denver
Blurb
Coy is a big city werewolf who heads to mountain Colorado on the word of the team at Full Moon Dating, a paranormal dating service. He’s not sure Denver Allen is the vamp for him, but it can’t hurt to take a vacation and get a little hot loving in the process.
Denver knows Coy is the one for him when they meet, but there’s the whole issue of who the ultimate predator is between them. There’s also the problem of all that biting. Can Denver and Coy work out their troubles before it’s too late for both of them?
Review
Denver gets signed up by his butler for the dating service and is very skeptical at first that anything positive will come from the date. Coy, once he meets Denver, pretty much agrees, two more different people couldn’t possibly exist.
But of course, our team at Full Moon Dating has it right and pretty soon Denver and Coy are biting and sexing it up with the best of them.
When Coy accidentally ingests too much of Denver’s blood and begins to burn up inside, experts are called in to see if it can be fixed and a surprising result ends in a HEA.
**
I loved this book as much as Ev and Feng’s story. It’s terribly sweet under all the raunchy sex and the ending is wonderful.
4.5 of 5 hearts
Book 4 Gage and Hamish
Blurb
Cat shifter Gage is an impossible bottom. No one has ever been able to tame him, even if he wants them to. He’s willing to keep trying, though, and when he finds out about the paranormal dating site Full Moon Dating, he puts himself in their hands. He longs for someone who will take him in hand and make him like it.
Hamish is a bear shifter who plays too rough for most subs. Gage sounds like just what he needs, so when Full Moon matches them up, he’s happy to see how they get along. Can he convince Gage that he’s the one to make the man toe the line?
Review
Gage is a slinky, bratty cat shifter who wants to be dominated but only after he fights for it. Hamish looks like a big softie but he likes to be the dominator.
There is a lot of spanking and the two realize they are a great match, but only after Gage runs several times and Hamish has to “punish him” to make him feel wanted.
**
This was my least favorite in the series. It was too short to feel connected to the MCs and had far too much BDSM in it for my personal taste.
On the upside I loved seeing more about Harve and Stone (the guys behind the scene), they are absolutely adorable!
After divorcing the woman he’d been with since he was seventeen, Nick Fuller is starting over. He owns the restaurant of his dreams and he’s determined to meet new people, find new passions, and experience life to its fullest. Easier said than done—that is until he meets his new neighbor, Bryce Tanner…
Bryce is all about a good time. He plans to show Nick how it’s done, help him meet a few women, and enjoy the gift of the single life he’s been given. But things don’t go as planned, and soon they realize they’d rather be together than with anyone else.
Neither man has ever wanted another guy, but there’s a connection between them from the start—a spark they can’t deny. They find themselves navigating an unfamiliar new world and dealing with unforeseen obstacles. Physical desire isn’t enough, and now Nick and Bryce are at a crossroads. They have to decide which way to go: the easy path they’ve always followed, or the one that’s determined to trip them up at every turn.
(Fabulous Fan Art from Karrie Jax!)
Review
Nick is newly divorced. He married his high school sweetheart (despite his mother’s objections) and was married (happily?) for 17 years before he found out his wife had been cheating. Now he’s moving on and moved into a duplex of his own.
Bryce is a player, always with a different woman, until lately. His recent health run pushed him into the arms of his best friend. When they realized (after the health crisis is resolved) that they were better as friends than lovers, Bryce is stuck with a family who will be disappointed at yet another failed relationship.
Bryce and Nick become neighbors and fast friends. Bryce is convinced Nick will be happier once he finds a new woman. The only problem is, the more time they spend together, the more neither wants a woman.
**
Double GFY people! Yes! It sounds so fantastical, but it is SO WELL DONE! Riley Hart is an amazing writer and she absolutely manages to pull this off.
She spends a lot of time building the relationship (as friends) between the two guys and then showing us that with an open mind (and an open heart) the two can explore their feelings for one another physically as well as emotionally.
I loved the similar yet different reactions each man received from their families. Though Nick had only ever been with one person, his feelings for Bryce follow a similar pattern and it’s totally reasonable that his mother would think he’s jumping the gun again. It’s also fair that Bryce’s family would think his impetuosity is throwing him into another doomed to fail relationship.
But… both men are being true to their authentic selves. Just like the motorcycles, Bryce KNEW Nick was THE ONE. And just like his cooking Nick knows his own heart and has to trust it where it concerns Bryce.
The sex is OFF THE CHARTS hot! But … so is the love. These guys aren’t afraid to reach for one another emotionally and it’s so very sweet and tender.
I loved this book – gave myself a book hangover as I had to read it all in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down at 2 a.m.
Nightmares and panic attacks following a horrific tragedy leave Professor Elliot Lawrence a prisoner in his own home. After months of relying on his sister as his only connection to the outside world, Elliot is desperate for a sliver of independence. But leaving the safety of his home isn’t an option, not yet, and he reaches out in the most innocuous way he can think of: grocery delivery.
Colton Kelly, retired porn star and recent college grad, is struggling at two minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. During one of his grocery deliveries, he meets Elliot. Although the attraction between them is instant, they must first traverse the long road of putting Elliot back together. When disaster strikes yet again, this time in Colt’s life, Elliot’s not sure he’s strong enough to be the man Colt needs him to be.
Review
Colt delivers groceries while trying to get a job teaching and hoping to stay out of porn for good. (We met him in Keeping Sweets – the super nice guy who helped Evan while Bran was “thinking”.)
Elliot witnessed a student suicide in his classroom and now can’t function normally due to crippling anxiety. When Colt delivers his groceries one day there is an instant attraction that blossoms into romance.
**
First – I loved Keeping Sweets. I was psyched for Colt’s story, he always seemed like such a nice guy!
Second – I love porn/ex porn stories because you usually get hot sex and someone who is really looking to find something more meaningful in their life.
Third – I love books about shy/anxious/nerdy types who need that out-going person to help them break from their shell, finding all the lovely hidden layers.
I was so disappointed by this book. Colt’s career is almost a non-issue and though there are a couple of references to his friends and a “maybe I’ll have to go back because I’m broke” moment – it really doesn’t factor into things. I was worried Elliot would be prudish about Colt being such a public figure, but they barely even discuss the issue and it just goes away.
Colt’s career as a high school teacher seems particularly far-fetched for a former porn star. Sure – it could happen – maybe??? But it would have to be a HUGE stumbling block for him – not just his inexperience. The ex-career more than the inexperience would have made for a far more believable plot device.
I wasn’t sure what to make of Elliot’s anxiety/illness/PTSD situation. I had a really big issue with his therapist and that plot point as well as his entire recovery. I’m not sure his responses seemed at all consistent – letting a stranger into his house and immediately befriending him while being unable to step outside then going from that to jumping on a plane… it seemed a bit inconceivable.
I generally like Cate Ashwood’s work so this was a bit of a letdown. I loved the premise on so many levels and I don’t think any of them played well. I also wish we’d seen more from the guys from Sweets and that the career had either been dealt with more or more realistically.
The writing was good and Elliot was sweet and Colt as kind as ever, but I can’t say the story was very good.
As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.
Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.
When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.
Review
Ford Hollingsworth is a very closeted, conservative gay man on his way up the Republican Political ladder. He’s not necessarily ashamed of his sexuality, but he knows it’s political suicide to act on his desires, so he remains mostly – key word
“mostly” celibate.
Trevor Moga is Ford’s opposite. He’s out and proud, the only son of the current Democratic President. He and Ford meet at a political party but it’s not until they meet again at a bar that they hook up.
Their romance is fast in the sense that they are sexually combustive and do all they can to be with one another in that sense as often as possible. However, both want something more with the other but have a hard time seeing that as a reality.
**
This is a super sweet, terribly unrealistic book about two prominent members of politics coming together and the world – blessedly – leaving them alone. It’s wonderfully sweet and hopeful and gives a plausible if unlikely way for them to be together in the public eye.
The sex between them is super hot and the romance heart strumming in the way Cardeno excels at. I loved the vision of family as defined by the Mogas because even though it was heavily flawed in some aspects it really rang true that when the cards were down they were there for one another. (I sort of imagine this is life in the Clinton household – but we’ll never know if that’s the truth or not!)
I loved the emotion and the happy ending and really enjoyed this and all Cardeno C books!
Audio
I am a person who really doesn’t like to give negative reviews – especially when I love the book! I do have to say that this narrator is someone I’ll likely avoid in the future.
I loved his sweet and sexy bedroom voice and the dialog scenes he does are excellent. For that I was able to continue to listening to the book. However, the rest of the story is delivered in this cadence where he goes up and down and up again, over and over in a way that doesn’t make sense with what he’s reading. It’s very distracting.
I give the story a 4.5 of 5 hearts and the narration a 2.75 of 5 hearts – so an average of 3.6 hearts
With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.
As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.
But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.
Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.
Review
Justin’s dad was the only one (besides his best friend Landry) who “got” him. His conservative mother certainly doesn’t. He’s gone to college, gotten the degree and now he’s slated to go work for her, for her campaign as the manager, this fall. But before he consigns himself to a future he hates, he and Landry go on a cross country trek spreading his dad’s ashes at his favorite places.
Along the way Justin realizes he can’t keep hiding his true self. He’s an artist. He’s gay. He’s in love with his best friend.
Unfortunately, he makes a lot of mistakes along the way, fortunately Landry’s the forgiving sort.
**
I really, really liked this story. I loved how real and sincere Landry was and how realistically the couple acted and responded. They both screwed up – ran away, lied, hid, did other stupid things – they’re kids! But in the end they make the right choices and “man-up”.
The sexy-times were appropriate to the age level – some but definitely not the focus.
I also liked how – sort-of- Justin’s mom comes around. It felt authentic.
The writing is excellent, the characters were great and fully developed and the romance so sweet and touching!
My only complaint was that I got a bit fed up with Justin’s waffling. There were times when I thought he’d figured things out but since the story still had places to go he waffled some more… but that could be my own impatience with wanting the happy ending to come quickly!
The road to recovery is never easy, even when you’re just an innocent bystander to someone else’s addiction.
For Jack, it’s especially hard because he blames himself for his son Rick’s drug problems. It took Jack over half his life to admit to himself (and his wife) that he was gay, but years later, he still carries guilt over what his realization did to his son.
He never thought Rick’s treatment would help him rehabilitate too, but when Jack meets Seth, the man trying to help his son get back on his feet, it’s the breakthrough he never knew he needed.
Review
Jack is a divorced man who split up because he realized he’s gay. He’s been holding on to that guilt – the perceived guilt of breaking up his family – for the last decade. When his adult son enters rehab, Jack feels responsible, so he’s willing to do anything to help – even group therapy.
While in therapy, Jack meets the amazing Seth, younger than Jack but older than his son, and manages to have a significant breakthrough on dealing with his own guilt issues.
Over the course of the next few months, Jack and Seth become email friends, supporting each other and just being friendly. But both men harbor secret desires for the other – the question is – will it ever happen?
**
This is a short story that feels like a full-length novel. JH Knight is a gifted writer and is able to condense the timeline in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or awkward or altered to meet page expectations. It felt organic and whole.
I loved Jack and his crying jags! Seth was a bit more of an unknown in this story and if we ever get a sequel I’d love more from his POV. Even the ex-wife is a wonderful person, and not a shrieking harpy!
All in all this was a sweet, loving and even a little bit hot and sexy, short-story!
On Perfect Harmony, the ambitious competitors heat things up on stage and off…
Cody Rivers is determined to be a rock star, but couch-surfing between bar shows gets old fast. Joining an a cappella group for a new singing competition show could be his last chance at real fame—unless the college boy from the heart of the country messes it up for him. Lucas Norwood is everything gothy, glittery Cody is not—conservative, clean-cut, and virginal. But when a twist in the show forces them together, even the sweetest songs get steamy as the attraction between them lights up the stage. Lucas wants to take it slow, but Cody’s singing a different tune—and this time it maybe a love song…
Review
Cody is the goth-hot-snarky-toppy, openly out singer and dancer that hopes to take his group to the finals in this singing competition. When he meets Lucas, the “I’m gay but celibate and a virgin” farm boy from Iowa, he’s openly rude to him. But…
He can’t help but be attracted to all that goodness and at first he views him as a challenge but later it turns into something more.
**
This is a long book, maybe a bit too long, with a lot of time spent on the actual show.
Though I wanted to love this book – the cover rocks, the premise is awesome, and plus – music!- yay!- I didn’t. I never felt the “love” between Cody and Lucas. Lucas was conflicted and conflicting. He claims he’s confident in his gayness, but Cody really called it when he tells Lucas he’s ashamed to be gay and hiding it behind the celibacy thing.
Cody is mostly a harsh jerk throughout most of the book and even when the couple is “tender” with one another there is an underlying meanness to it.
I guess I just never quite bonded with the characters, so I didn’t fall for their relationship and to me, that’s what I look for in a good book.
The writing was excellent and the characters were well formed, just not my cup of tea, so to speak. I may be in the minority here, so … give it a go, especially if you’re a fan of the author and music shows and gay virgins and snark.
In medieval England, duty is everything, personal honor is more valued than life itself, and homosexuality is not tolerated by the church or society.
Sir Christian Brandon was raised in a household where he was hated for his unusual beauty and for his parentage. Being smaller than his six brutish half-brothers, he learned to survive by using his wits and his gift for strategy, earning him the nickname the Crow.
Sir William Corbett, a large and fierce warrior known as the Lion, has pushed his unnatural desires down all his life. He’s determined to live up to his own ideal of a gallant knight. When he takes up a quest to rescue his sister from her abusive lord of a husband, he’s forced to enlist the help of Sir Christian. It’s a partnership that will test every strand of his moral fiber, and, eventually, his understanding of the meaning of duty, honor, and love.
Review
Christian and William are both sons of nobility and live in a time (Medieval) when the church and society fear homosexuality (while ignoring it if Royalty are involved.) There is absolutely no way these two can be a couple – except that Eli Easton manages to find a beautiful solution to their problem.
The romance is slow to build but hot and tender. Eli is a master at making us fall in love with her characters and given the time period and constraints it was a daunting task but she did it!
I even loved Christian’s wife – yes wife!- and thought that aspect of their lives was really depicted marvelously.
In the end we see our lover with a HEA and …. Well… I’m not so sure why the end needed to go beyond the HEA – I suppose ripping my heart out was a requirement! – but it was beautiful even if I’d wished I’d never read it.
**
I love this author, she is absolutely gifted in her ability to draw you into a story and immerse you in the POV of her characters. She is never too wordy and chooses her words with the utmost care.
I am NOT a historical romance fan, and I put off reading this for a long time. When it came out on audio and I listened to a sample I just had to have it!
I was not disappointed. The narration coupled with the expert writing are superb. Truly an immersive experience.
The narrator does all kinds of wonderful voices – appropriate to the time and place of the story – and makes you feel like you are watching a movie or something similar. He’s a new narrator to me and I hope to see more from him in the future.
I have to subtract a little bit – one smidge down from perfect – only because I’m not sure I needed the Epilogue with all it’s … completeness. It was very, very touching, but I enjoyed thinking of the lovers in their happy glory and didn’t really need anything else to make me appreciate their love – though it was magnificent.
Blurb
Blurb
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