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REVIEW: Say You’ll Be Nine by Lucy Lennox
Say You’ll Be Nine – Lucy Lennox
One dilapidated cabin in need of renovation.
Two stubborn men pretending to be a couple.
Three summer months to get the job done.
Four tangled legs in only one bed.
Five cameras catching it all for YouTube.
Six hundred thousand Instagram followers.
Seven nosy family members with Opinions.
Eight thousand reasons they should never fall in love.
Nine million reasons why they will.
Say You’ll Be Nine is a standalone novel.
NINE! (♡´౪`♡)
Isaac ‘Nine’ Winshed is all kinds of adorbs and sweet and gentle and shy. He would rather be hit by a train than let someone be hurt under his watch. When he was a child he didn’t want his favorite chicken, Sir Pecks-a-lot, to be eaten so he let it live in his closet.
The man lives to help other people. He wields a hammer like Thor and has the heart of Captain America. His superpower is home renovation. He vlogs about DIY projects on Youtube. The best thing about him is that he didn’t feel too good to be true. I loved how author, Lucy Lennox, made him alive and relatable.
Nine is the ninth in a family of 12. All his life, he’s been dating girls but never really felt the spark. It wasn’t until he was with Cooper when he realized something about himself. For him, it’s not the the gender but the person. And Cooper was that person.
Cooper Heath is an aspiring actor hoping to make it big in Hollywood. He’s best friends with Eli, Nine’s big brother. Cooper was the opposite of Nine in many ways. He’s witty, extroverted, very talkative and a bit dramatic. He’s highly self-reliant and doesn’t like asking for help. He’s currently back in town, living with his mom and twin brother, Jackson.
Jacks has a rare blood disorder and they needed money for a bone marrow transplant. The fastest way was to accept a sponsorship for an LGBT-oriented DIY show on Youtube where Coop and Nine pretend to be a gay couple and renovate a cabin in the woods.
Coop can’t tell his Phillips from a Robertson but he’s very social media savvy. His superpower is Instagram. The project should be easy. All he needed to do was make them look good.
Except…how NOT to fall for the very attractive lumberjack+fake boyfriend whom you were kinda crushing on since when you were a kid? The same lumberjack+fake boyfriend who’s the younger brother of your best friend and by all accounts, straight?
Things are getting real really fast!
I want to see that time-lapse video of the cabin being renovated. As Nine said, it was like watching him and Cooper fall in love. It was fantastic to see how the characters developed and their romance transition from reel to real.
I totally loved how Nine embraced everything with an open heart and an open mind. He himself admitted he was naive but he learned fast and he gave it his all. Coop was very patient with him and they talked everything out, at first. It was wasn’t until the latter part that they headed towards that notorious miscommunication+separation route.
After which we are rewarded with a grand gesture moment that was so cute and so endearingly Nine. I wished this was a movie because that scene would be so beautiful on screen.
Cooper was no slouch either. He pulled off his own grand gesture with perfect timing with the best Christmas present ever. That ending was pure ♡ ♡ ♡ !
Say You’ll Be Nine is my first book from the author and I loved it to bits! This is a contemporary, opposite-attracts, forced proximity, fake boyfriend romance with a slight enemies-but-not-really angle thrown in. There’s also the brother’s bestfriend trope and first time gay going on. Everything came together in the best way possible.
It’s pretty much guaranteed, after reading this book, you’ll want a Nine in your life too!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: You’ll Be Mine
Artist: Irma Kooper
Album: -
REVIEW: Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker
Zero Hour: Ground Zero – Aimee Nicole Walker
Ground zero, noun: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change.
Heat, humidity, and homicide are things veteran detective Sawyer Key expects to encounter on his first day with the Savannah Police Department, but the hostile reception from his new partner catches him by surprise. Sawyer isn’t a stranger to heartache and recognizes that Royce Locke is a wounded man who’s reeling from a devastating loss. Relentless and patient in all things, Sawyer is determined to make the new partnership work.
Savannah, Georgia is known for her quirky people, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and antebellum architecture. Beneath the Southern charm and hospitality, festering hatred and violence is soaring with the summer temperatures. Locke and Key find themselves at the epicenter when their first case involves the death of a former shock jock who appears to be the victim of vigilante justice.
Opposites in nearly every way, the two detectives set aside their differences to take back their city and restore law and order. From this reluctant truce, an intense attraction grows that will either tighten or shatter their tenuous bond. Falling for his partner spells inevitable disaster, but Sawyer’s always been a sucker for wounded things. Sawyer could be the key to the life Royce has always wanted, if he’s brave enough to trust him. The fuse is lit, the clock is running, and the zero hour is upon them. Tick tock.
Ground Zero is the first book in the Zero Hour series, which follows Locke and Key’s investigations and evolving relationship. Ground Zero has a happy-for-now ending with no cliffhanger. It contains mature language and sexual content intended for adults 18 and older.
“I mean, I want you to mourn me properly, but then I want you to find an epic love. Promise me right now, Sawyer.”
Sawyer’s husband, Victor, has passed away two year ago, leaving a hole in his life. After some scandal in his old precinct, he was recruited by the SPD and partnered with the notorious Royce Locke
Everyone knows Royce Locke is an asshole. He’s quite flirty with the ladies but gave the impression that he doesn’t really care. He just lost his old partner who’s also a close friend and so very not looking forward to his replacement. It was kind of funny how their co-workers all took bets on how long Sawyer would last (one day) because Locke lost no time antagonizing his new partner.
But Sawyer was no doormat. He’s not about to throw away his new job so he sassed him right back. I loved their banter! The chemistry and tension rolled off them like waves. All these while doing good work as detectives.
Sawyer also cannot resist strays and wounded souls. He took one look at Locke and knew a cry for help when he saw one.
The romance here started insta but evolved slowly. It first appeared that Locke was straight with his sexuality hinted as bi later on. I almost didn’t like him but I really liked how the story let the two men talk candidly about whatever issues they have, whether personal or work-related.
It wasn’t easy nor did the conversations came out smooth but I appreciated how petty misunderstandings were avoided by laying it all out in the open. It also lead the way to Locke finally taking a step forward and me connecting with him.
I would have paid good money to get inside his head too. He was a mystery himself. But seeing him through Sawyer’s eyes, we see how his walls come down bit by bit. Now and again, we catch glimpses of the ‘not asshole’ Locke. Somebody who’s vulnerable and grieving. A friend who took care of his late partner’s widow. A man who adores children. It made for a satisfying momentous moment when it was time for Locke to bare his soul.
Somehow this reminds me of Hazard & Somerset but written in Somers POV. I have the audiobook and Tristan James is the narrator. He used his Somers voice for Sawyer and his Hazard voice for Locke. The book is written entirely in Sawyer’s POV and his personality reminded me of Somers. Friendly, popular but with hurts aplenty.
One thing that sets this book apart from other law enforcement/police procedural romance, is that Locke and Key worked on multiple cases. Normally, the partners would be working just one major case, almost always a serial killing.
Working on different cases in one book is a more realistic depiction of police work. It also gave the story a slice-of-life feel to it. The cases were complicated and interesting. There is enough procedural work here to satisfy any fan of the genre.
This is a great opener. There’s just the right amount of mystery, suspense and romance. The HFN ending builds the anticipation for the next book. Right now, there is a future waiting to be explored and a promise waiting to be fulfilled. The two men just started their journey together. I can’t wait till they get there!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: 1313
Artist: The Big Pink
Album: Future This -
SERIES REVIEW: The Marchesi Family by Silvia Violet
I wrote off Silvia Violet because of His True Nature, a novella that had the personality of an oatmeal. That was way back 2017. Since then, I never bothered with her works.
Then Angelo caught my attention. I was in the mood for some dark mafia-themed romance and the blurb intrigued me. So heck, why not.
The thing with this series is that, for the most part, I really didn’t care for the romance. BDSM is not my thing.
But the Marchesi family charmed me with their unconditional love for each other and willingness to die for their loved ones. No one could question their loyalty to each other.
They are portrayed as a typical close-knit Italian family who always have good food at their table. They take breakfast seriously. I almost wish I am a morning person so I could eat the smorgasbord of delights their housekeeper always prepare every morning.
The books are classified as erotica and there are a lot of sex scenes. You can just skip those if you want (makes the reading go faster too). The plot is substantial enough. There are probably some nuances to the couple dynamics I might have missed but I don’t really care.
There’s also the mafia politics, something I always loved reading about. This part worked well with romance especially how it brought the couples together. I liked how the various plotlines were integrated.
Each book features a different member of the notorious Marchesi family and the men they brought into their world of crime and cannoli.
The overarching arc is the threat to overthrow the Marchesi family by rival mafia families. The Marchesi have their allies, among which, Vinnie, who was a son of another mob boss and who was featured in a short story.
We’ll start with Lucien…
The Marchesi Family: Lucien – Silvia Violet
I never imagined the protector I longed for would be a mob boss who demanded complete control.
I shouldn’t have gone to Lucien’s office.
Once I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t leave.
He commanded me to kneel.
Beg.
Obey.
I couldn’t help myself.
One taste, and I craved more.
Lucien vowed to protect me from his enemies…
But who’s going to protect my heart from him?
Lucien is the illustrious head of the family. He’s bossy and scary AF. He’s always perfectly put together. He has a sweet tooth. He can drink until he passes out but wakes up the next morning sparkly and fresh. He is, according to Peter, ‘magical‘.
Peter is a sweet young man struggling to find a job. He was tricked by his cousin to fill in a position as a receptionist at some posh company. Little did he know, the company was own by the Marchesi.
So at Peter’s first day of work, in walks Lucien, saw the angelic new receptionist and decided, then and there, he was his. It was that insta.
Stripped of the BDSM elements, this is a whirlwind romantic fairy tale of sorts where the damsel was swept away by the prince to his castle. But instead of the prince, you get a crime lord.
Lucien is Lucien but Peter was a little to submissive for my liking. Still, you couldn’t really hate on somebody pure like him. He’s not entirely helpless and has quick wits about him. He even helped save Lucien. He was exactly what the mob boss needed in his life.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: You Belong To me
Artist: The Boxer Rebellion
Album: Promises
The Marchesi Family: Mob Boss – Silvia Violet
I let Vinnie seduce me.
I was an easy mark.
I would have granted him anything, but I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know I was setting a man up for death.
But even now I still want him, and he has no intention of letting me go.
This is pretty much a condensed version of Lucien and Peter’s story. The difference is that Tom witnessed a crime and Vinnie had to protect him. This is 40 pages of alternate sex scenes and whatever plot there is so there’s really not much of an exploration of their characters and relationship.
This would have been better as a novella than a short story. All in all, it was kinda okay.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Safe & Sound
Artist: Tonight Alive
Album: What Are You So Scared Of?
The Marchesi Family: Angelo – Silvia Violet
Cameron didn’t realize how much he loved his grandparents’ bakery until Angelo Marchesi, a man he’s hated since high school, threatened to take it away.
But Cameron owes Angelo a debt.
A debt he can’t pay…
Unless he accepts Angelo’s indecent proposal and risks finding out how thin the line between love and hate really is.
Angelo is more similar to his cousin, Devil than his autocratic brother, Lucien. The cousins are Lucien’s enforcers.
Angelo and Devil were inseparable since they were toddlers. They were both reckless and bisexual. They cover for each other, especially when one or the other is in trouble with Lucien or the police.
Angelo and Cameron had mutual crushes on each other from high school but with Angelo’s reputation being what it is, he scared Cameron away.
Cam came back to his hometown after burning himself out in the corporate world. He inherited his family’s bakery and was determined to make it work. His deadbeat dad had almost run it to the ground. Then he learned the bastard owed the Marchesis money. One day, Angelo came to collect.
Angelo and Cam’s interactions were antagonistic from the start. Angelo thinks Cam looks down on him for having the kind of family he has. Cam wants nothing to do with the mafia but he was secretly envious the kind of loving family Angelo had.
I’m not a fan of the dubcon scenes but unlike Peter who was 100% submissive, Cameron has more fire in him. It also took him longer to accept the mafia part of Angelo’s life but when he finally did, he fit right in.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Thinking Of You
Artist: A Perfect Circle
Album: Mer De Noms
The Marchesi Family: Devil – Silvia Violet
Devil is a mobster with a dangerous secret…
There’s a cop who hates him.
A cop he caught and released.
A cop he can’t get out of his mind after the one forbidden night they shared.
This is my favorite book and Devil is my favorite character in the series. Whereas Angelo was a health buff, Devil relishes a good cigar. Devil goes above and beyond to protect his family but he’s not above keeping his affair with a cop secret.
I liked the cop/criminal dynamic between Joe and Devil. Joe is actually a forgettable character in any other book, but being paired with somebody as unpredictable as Devil added another dimension to his personality. Plus, the fact that he was attracted to a dangerous man shows he’s not exactly vanilla. He also brought out Devil’s endearing mother-henning side which was fun to see.
I also liked that both men were dominant so the power dynamics were balanced. It made the tension between the two so much enticing because you’ll never know who’ll come out on top.
This book wraps the series up. The threat to the family was put to an end for good. Characters for a new series weres introduced. They piqued my interest so I’m looking forward to that.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Me and The Devil
Artist: Soap & Skin
Album: Sugarbread
I guess I was too hasty with this author. She made me care about the Marchesis so much that I read all the books in quick succession. The series is dark but has a lot of heart. Certainly no oatmeals this time.
If the new spin-off series is as good as this, I’ll probably end up binge reading it too. Moral of the story: Don’t judge an author by one bad story. Sometimes, they could surprise you.
P.S.
These Marchesis are a tight bunch so while the books could be read as standalones, it’s best read in sequence.
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REVIEW: Two Rogues Make A Right by Cat Sebastian
Seducing the Sedgwicks: Two Rogues Make A Right – Cat Sebastian
Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world.
Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on.
As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?
Congratulations to the Seducing The Sedgwicks series for reaching peak fluff-tastic adorableness in the third book, Two Rogues Make A Right!
It’s for books like this that incoherent squeeing emojis are deployed.
I mean, that cover is pure ✧♡〜ヾ(◍’౪`◍)ﾉﾞ〜 ✧♡!!!!
A perfect cover that captures the ✧♡➴✧♡。❣╰(⋈◍＞◡＜◍)╯❣。✧♡ ➴✧♡!!!!-ness of the story.
Yeah, foreheads touches ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
I will try to write a saner review now that I had the squeeing out of the way.
Two Rogues Make A Right is as sweet and gentle as an idyllic summer. It is a quintessential story of falling for your best friend. As such, there is the fear of losing a life-long friendship if romantic feelings become known. Mutual pining ensues. It is a tale as old as time, but Cat Sebastian was able to spin Will and Martin’s story into something more.
It was also about Martin coming into his own. His constant attempts to be a better person than his father ever been. His struggle to gain independence and make choices for himself. His determination to be useful in a world where an entry in Debrett’s pretty much guarantees you a lifetime of decorative lounging.
Martin came across as an almost villainous minor character in the first book, It Takes Two To Tumble. He’s grumpy and seemed to hate everybody. The second book found him in the attic, sick and cold. My sympathies were stirred. In this third installment, Martin turned out to be an utterly endearing tsundere. I really loved the scene where he spontaneously gathered posies on his way home and upon arriving, thrusted them to Will like he’s getting rid of something nasty.
Will is the kind of guy who’s free with his affections. He’s also “unspeakably loyal” to Martin and Martin knows that. I respected the heck out of Martin for steadfastly refusing to take advantage of Will’s loyalty. Even without the romantic aspect, their friendship were goals. I really loved how they selflessly took care of each other.
Martin rescuing Will from opium dens at the cost of his health. Will patiently nursing Martin back to health, telling him ridiculous bedtime stories. Them reading to each other! When Will was in the Navy, he got a tattoo on his arm with Martin’s name on it even before there were amorous feelings involved. To Will, Martin is home. Simple as that.
I want to build Will and Martin a blanket fort and keep the big bad world away from them. These are two precious dorks! Protect at all cost!
P.S.
Seducing the Sedgwicks is best experienced by reading the books in order. The series might not be 5-stars across the board like The Turners series, but It Takes Two To Tumble was also a highly enjoyable take on the Sound of Music. Read my review here.
I DNFed A Gentleman Always Keeps Score. I wasn’t connecting to the story. I will not be posting a review for it.
Cat Sebastian books here.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Fallingforyou
Artist: The 1975
Album: IV -
REVIEW: Ex Meridian by A.E. Via
Nothing Special VII: Ex Meridian – A.E. Via
Police Lieutenants, God and Day are under intense pressure from the chief to take back control of Atlanta’s streets.The last thing their task force needs is a pair of trained killers in town with a personal score to settle.
Take a man and strip him of his ability to feel compassion, empathy, remorse, or any of the emotions that make him human, but leave the ones that ignite rage and aggression and you have the perfect killing machine—now imagine two of them.
Code names Ex and Meridian are synonymous for ‘guaranteed death’ to international terrorists. Two broken men from the same crooked streets, recruited into an unsanctioned government program that few know about. Trained to operate most efficiently—lethally—together.
When Ex returns from an op in Bolivia to learn his little brother has been accidentally killed in a feud between drug gangs, he’s stateside before he can consider the rules he’ll be breaking, and of course Meridian is right beside him. There’s mayhem on the streets of Atlanta and the police are losing control. If Godfrey and his elite team of detectives can’t get the job done then they’d be happy to lighten their caseloads for them. And Ex nor Meridian care about doing it quietly.
“I know who you are.”The man grunted when Ex turned to leave.“You’re the fucking devil.”
Meridian walked past, glaring one final time.“Say that loud enough… maybe God will save you.”But after their first run-in with the big lieutenant and his protective husband, Day, Ex and Meridian start to reevaluate their own relationship. Wondering if they could be even deadlier if they let loose the feelings for each other that they’ve been forced to suppress for years.
Meridian’s dark eyes stayed locked on his, “A man who can fight beside the one he loves doesn’t make him weaker, Ex—it makes him more dangerous.”
No multiple pairings. No cliffhangers. Ends with a HEA.
Note: This title focuses on two new characters in the series. And while it can standalone, there are appearences from prior main characters.
Note: This is a partners-to-lovers, out-for-you, action romance.
Note: There are depictions of violence in this novel.
A grieving brother out for revenge.
A killer whose blood is literally cold.
An assassin who kills with a whisper.
The Devil in the house of God.
A most compelling partners-to-lovers romance that slow-burned for eight years! Squee~!
OTT action and suspense that’s perfectly balanced with the rest of the plot.
God and Day’s boys coming together with their bounty hunting friends.
Some of God’s most vulnerable moments!
Day still winning and annoying everyone with his mouthy ways.
The King brothers’ most painful memories coming out in the open.
Ruxs and Green are tested as they have never been before!
Ex seeing Meridian in the truest light.
Meridian giving Ex the world. Ex doesn’t even need to ask. ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
The baddest, toughest alpha pair of ’em all!
Meridian’s dark eyes stayed locked on his, “A man who can fight beside the one he loves doesn’t make him weaker, Ex—it makes him more dangerous.”
P.S.
Okay, so I’m addicted to this series and I’m sticking around for good or bad. Luckily, it’s mostly good. The last two books showed huge improvements. My thoughts on the rest of the books here.
Ms. V’s books here.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: This Is A Call
Artist: Les Friction
Album: Dark Matter -
AUDIO REVIEW: Just Like Heaven by T.L. Bradford
The Young Americans: Just Like Heaven – T.L. Bradford
Noah Sinclair
Noah Sinclair is best described as an egotistical, pompous, anal retentive, asshat. And those are his better qualities. Lately, Noah has lost touch with his playboy character “Jace” on the show Americana and can’t quite put his finger on why. The studio decides it is time to shake up his character by making him an offer he can’t refuse, literally. They will introduce a new love interest for his character “Jace.” Only this time, there’s a twist.Josh Hill
Josh Hill is up a creek and sinking fast. He’s got no job, no money, no credit and is about to be kicked out of his apartment. Opportunity comes in the form of a job offer from the show Americana. Everything should be perfect; only there is one hitch. He will be the new love interest for Noah Sinclair’s character on the beloved show.So, opposites are supposed to attract, right? Not so fast. No one said life was that easy. Both actors find themselves in untested waters. Will they be able to play a same-sex couple with no prior experience authentically? Well, they say practice makes perfect.
Carefree, fun-loving Josh and uptight, overbearing Noah, realize they need to make the best of their bad situation and are forced to find common ground. Over time, their roles in each other’s lives become blurred. Is their attraction fake, or is it real? To top it off, Noah has a dark skeleton in his closet that can prevent them from ever moving forward.
Can they get on the same page and save both of their careers and their relationship?
Or will they end up yesterday’s tabloid fodder?
(Just Like Heaven is a full-length, slow-burn love story. It can be read as a standalone. It contains a cast of fully-developed characters that encounter romance, heartache, laughter, and life lessons. The book has darker themes that may act as triggers to some readers. It contains adult language, mature themes, and is best enjoyed by those over the age of 18.)
Just Like Heaven is a case of life imitating soap. It’s just as long, just as melodramatic.
I think the author was trying to cram every popular trope possible. Noah and Josh started out as enemies, then friends then lovers. There was a slow-burn gay for you thrown in with both claiming to be straight. Then coming out issues with Noah refusing to even admit to himself he was gay because he was so traumatized by his abusive father.
Sometime later, we get Josh admitting he had a crush on his football teammate back in high school and revealing he was bisexual. There’s even the big breakup and a second chance romance of sorts.
All of these would have been one hell of an epic saga. However the book had an unfortunate tendency to tell rather than show. There were chunks and chunk of paragraphs of just telling.
The book could benefit from taking out some passages. For instance, there was Noah looking back to the time he was caught kissing a boy. The same scenario was later described in dialogue by the actor to Josh in almost the same way.
I wasn’t particularly drawn to the two MCs. Noah was as difficult as advertised. Josh was the more likable one, the type who’s friends with a person within 5 minutes of meeting them.
Their honeymoon phase was indeed sweet but on the whole they weren’t exactly the healthiest couple out there. There were petty jealousies and possessiveness. They don’t talk properly. They had better relationships with the other people they hooked up with. So their relationship wasn’t something I could root for.
On the upside, the other cast members were great supporting characters. I could see how their real life chemistry would translate well on screen. They were like the millennial version of the Brat Pack.
The Hill family Christmas was the most fun part of the book. Everyone had a blast at their Christmas Olympics. This was where Noah and Josh synced perfectly together. We get a glimpse of what they could be if they were simply regular guys named Noah Sinclair and Joshua Hill instead of Primetime Emmys’ Best Couple.
It wouldn’t be your favorite daytime soap without scandals and messy breakups. The big fight was ugly, the separation painful. But it wasn’t long before they started hooking up with other castmates. At this point, my interest petered out.
Narrator Corey H. Bennson was a major reason why I stuck around for as long as I could. He’s one of those narrators who acts rather than just reads. I really enjoyed his style.
I wish Noah and Josh well. I know they would eventually find their way back to each other. And stay there, hopefully.
P.S.
Sorry, this was supposed to be posted yesterday but my blog’s I.P. address had some technical issues.
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: The Magic Position
Artist: Patrick Wolf
Album: The Magic Position -
AUDIO REVIEW: Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh
Rented Heart – Garrett Leigh
Ex-surfer-turned-businessman Liam Mallaney moved back to Holkham, Norfolk, to mourn the loss of his husband. Grief and loneliness keep him a solitary figure, and he likes it that way. There’s no room in his broken heart for anything else.
Rentboy Zac Payne left London and most of his demons behind, but he still only knows one way to make a living. When he spots Liam in a club one night, it seems he’s found his mark. But Liam proves nicer—and their connection far deeper—than he’d bargained for.
Their arrangement quickly becomes too complicated for Zac, who has other things on his mind: namely his BFF and wayward flatmate, Jamie. Zac owes Jamie the world, and even as Jamie’s drug addiction destroys all they have, Zac won’t leave him behind.
Besides, Liam knows nothing of Zac’s home life, too caught up in his own head to think much beyond the crazy heat he and Zac share. But when trouble comes to Zac’s door, putting his life in danger, Liam must set his grief and anger aside to pick up the pieces of Zac’s shattered heart and his own.
I am the type of romance reader who would all but demand exclusivity between the intended couple the moment they started noticing each other. I have no patience for love triangles unless its heading towards poly which is the only acceptable conclusion for me.
However, if your MC’s a rentboy, it could get pretty… tricky.
Fortunately, Rented Heart made the process almost painless. I don’t know what sorcery Garrett Leigh did but I somehow didn’t mind Zac hustling and even sleeping with his friend, Jamie while already having feels for Liam. So yes, trigger warning here, Zac had sex with other people.
This is a short book clocking in at around 5 hours plus. Dan Calley is the narrator as usual. I’m becoming a fan of how he’s bringing the author’s books to life. Realistic dialogues are one of the things I enjoyed the most about her books and Calley always delivered them in such a way that felt like you’re listening in on actual conversations.
The story did a good depicting the grim realities of of Zac’s world without diminishing the blossoming romance between him and Liam. Their meetings were bright spots that stood in contrast with the struggle to keep roof over head and help a friend in dire need. Although, it did feel too insta given that they didn’t even spend that much time with each other in the first parts of the story.
Still, it was quite an emotional rollercoaster. There’s fear that it would be over soon and the very real possibility of losing a best friend to addiction. There’s grief and hurt aplenty and comfort wholeheartedly given. There’s roadtrips, doggy cuddles and more cuddles.
There is also, trouble you could see coming from a mile away the moment Jamie came in the apartment with his stash. Wished it went another way.
Happily, Jamie redeemed himself. Zac and Liam acknowledged the rom-comness of their situation, shipped Jamie to California and lived the Pretty Woman dream.
Vivian Ward would be proud.
P.S.
Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
For angsty stories with lots of heart, Garrett Leigh is your girl. Read reviews of her books here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Ghosts That We Knew
Artist: Mumford & Sons
Album: Babel -
AUDIO REVIEW: Promise by R.J. Scott
Single Dads: Promise – R.J. Scott
Leo Byrne is a cop, Jason Banks is an ex-con. Even after one stolen kiss, something has to give before Leo can convince Jason that falling in love is even an option.
Adopted at a young age, Leo is part of the sprawling Byrnes family. With his dog Cap, three siblings and a whole mess of nieces and nephews, he is never lonely, and his life is full. Love is the last item on his to-do list, but seeing his best friends Sean and Eric happy and making new families makes him want things he doesn’t think is possible. Kissing Jason at an event to honor his bravery was one thing, but anything other than that is off limits. Until Jason has no one left to turn to, and it’s Leo who helps him at his lowest. Taking Jason and his daughter into his home is one thing, but falling for the ex-con is something else altogether.
Jason made a deal to keep his daughter safe and spent years behind bars as a result. Volunteering as a convict firefighter was as much about helping the community as saving his sanity, but now that he’s out, he doesn’t even have that. He’s lost his future, his self-respect, and has no friends or a place to call home. Worst of all, even after rescuing his daughter he still can’t keep her safe from the man who wants to use her as a bargaining chip for money. Meeting Leo might give Jason a way to keep Daisy safe, but falling for the stubborn cop means the truth has to be revealed, and he could lose everything all over again.
Prepare for a chockful of ex-con+cop tension and sweet father-daughter moments in this moving contemporary romance by R.J. Scott.
Promise is the third book of Single Dads, a series featuring three best friends who work as emergency responders and the men who came into their lives. I started this series with Today, the second book about Brady and Eric, the firefighter and one of Leo’s bestfriends.
Jason was introduced as the convict working alongside the firefighters in a big forest fire incident where he saved Eric’s life. Eric and his friends promised they would do everything to help shorten his sentence.
Jason immediately piqued my interest. My gut told me he was a good guy who was dealt a bad hand. I knew there’s some big story behind his imprisonment that’s worth checking out.
Fast forward to the present time, Jason is out of prison and on the run with his 3 year old daughter, Daisy, in tow. Daisy’s mother, who came from a rich but shady family, was involved with an abusive boyfriend who was demanding money and threatening their lives. The man is wanted by the FBI. Jason and Daisy aren’t safe until he was caught.
Leo found Jason and Daisy outside his doorstep. His protective cop mode immediately kicked into high gear. He didn’t hesitate to take them in.
Jason’s backstory was indeed interesting. There were mob connections, drug overdoses, stint in bands, hacking and so on. However, most of these were told rather than shown. I wanted to see more of Jason’s life before he showed up at Leo’s house.
Leo and Jason had a history of sharing a kiss neither of them forgot. When they saw each other again, the attraction was still there. I liked that the story took time to build the trust and connection between the characters before things got physical. For sure, there were a lot of internal angstyings and things left unsaid. It would have saved them the agony if only they talked. But it took a while to gain Jason’s trust.
The book focused primarily in developing the romance, establishing the bonds between Jason, Leo and Daisy, and helping Jason and Daisy heal from their ordeal. There were plenty hurt/comfort to warm the heart.
And we also have Daisy lighting up the story by being her adorable self. Also lovable doggie antics courtesy of Cap, Leo’s black Labrador.
Narrator Sean Crisden hit the right emotional notes and I generally enjoyed his narrations. My only niggle with his speaking style is that when he reads, the words kind of run together, like he’s reading them a notch too fast. They’re not as enunciated as other narrators. I mentioned this too in my review of his other audiobooks. This could be a me problem since I’m not a native English speaker.
IMHO, pure contemporary romance of the heartwarming variety could get pretty sappy sometimes. Promise has a good balance between the emotional elements of the story. It’s the book to read for tales of angsty men with trouble on their heels, conflicted cops falling for ex-cons and precocious toddlers ready to save their dads.
P.S.
Thank You to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Read about how Jason saved Eric’s life in Single Dads Book 2, Today, review here.
R.J. Scott books here.Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Lifted
Artist: Birdy
Album: Beautiful Lies -
REVIEW: Murder Aforethought by Parker St. John
Cabrini Law: Murder Aforethought – Parker St. John
A ticking clock. A deadly enemy. Can they keep their heads in the game when their hearts are already on the line?
Valentine Rivetti made a horrible mistake when he became a Marine Sniper at the age of twenty. Returning home with PTSD and a guilty conscience, he’s blackmailed into working for the mafia to save his family.
Maksim Kovalenko has everything he ever dreamed of growing up in a Ukrainian slum. As a notorious corporate attorney, he has the world at his feet. But wealth and power can’t protect him from the emptiness he feels every time he shuts his eyes.
When Val is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, his redemption is a silver fox in a three-piece suit. But Val’s lucky day becomes Maksim’s nightmare when the mafia begins to cut loose ends… starting with them.
The passion between them is overwhelming, but can two solitary men learn to trust each other before it’s too late?
It’s only the second book, but I’m declaring Murder Aforethought as the best book of the Cabrini Law series.
This is of course a completely biased judgement because I love Maks!
I first met Maksim Kovalenko in the first book, Risk Assessment. He got on everybody’s nerves and dazzled people with his perfect veneers.
Maks is a fascinating character. As the best corporate lawyer in town, he is a consummate workaholic. The type who dreads going on vacation. He was frequently described as an asshole and is only too happy to confirm the fact. The only person he cares about is his young friend, Emma, a teenage girl with neglectful parents. The rest of the world he holds at arms length.
Despite the cold, distant facade, Maksim dedicates a major chunk of his time applying his lawyerly genius doing pro bono work for Cabrini Law‘s underpriviledged clients. One of his cases involved a young ex-military held in question for suspected murder.
Valentine Rivetti was a troubled young man who has PTSD. He works as a hitman for the mob. He used to be a sniper in the military until he realized the job was not for him. His father was a petty criminal. His mother died of suicide.
Val believed the only thing he knows how to do is shoot. But he insisted he did not kill the man his father used to work for, both of whom were related to the mob. Still, somebody tried to kill him the minute he got out of the police station.
Bias or not, this was definitely a much better book than its predecessor. For one, this was a fast-paced running-from-the-mob story. We see a lot of action and flying bullets. The excitement and suspense was palpable as we hightailed it across the city alongside Maks, Val and Emma, who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I totally loved how Maks and Val’s romance blossomed over the course of the week of them on the run. It didn’t feel rushed. The progression was paced to perfection and developed organically with the rest of the plot.
Val was just the right combination of strong and vulnerable that appealed to Maks at some core level. He recognized the young man’s intelligence and potential to do great things. Val saw through Maks’ walls, right to the golden heart that lay beneath. Maks felt it in his guts, he had to give the ex-soldier a home where he could find peace. Then he realized, he had one more person he cared about.
All the other characters stood out too. I enjoyed how each character played off with the others.
Emma was spunky and brave. I liked that the author didn’t go overboard with that. Emma acted like a real teenager. She cried. She got scared. But she was quick to help Val when he was hit by a bullet.
There were welcome appearances from Miguel, another lawyer from Cabrini. He’s an easy going guy who claims to be Maks’ friend whether Maks admits to it or not. There was also Val’s friend and former captain, Reese. This man sure has a lot of baggage. His book is next.
Murder Aforethought was a book I couldn’t put down. The writing flowed smoothly. The characterization was on point. The plot wasn’t new and I wished we had more of Maks and Val but overall the execution was done well. I was swept away by the adrenaline, the sweet hurt/comfort story and the delicious slow-burn-but- not-really romance.
Let yourself be swept away too and be charmed by heroic men ready to jump in front of bullets and silver-haired lawyers quoting The Princess Bride.
P.S.
Witness Maks being an asshole and meet Elliot Smith a.k.a. Beyonce in Book 1, Risk Assessment, review here.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Darkness Has A Voice
Artist: Amber Run
Album: Philophobia -
AUDIO REVIEW: A Way With You by Lane Hayes
A Way With You – Lane Hayes
Reeve Nelson is determined to make it in Manhattan. He’s hardworking, dedicated and willing to put in the extra hours required to be successful at his new job at a prestigious real estate firm in the city. There’s no way he’s going back to small-town living and an ex-girlfriend who won’t let go. But his boss isn’t making it easy.
Leo Rodriguez enjoys his reputation as a ruthless businessman. He’s a lone wolf who’s scraped his way from the gutter to rebuild his life and launch a distinguished career on his terms. When an opportunity to expand in the market comes up, Leo wants the eager new agent with a sense of wonder on the project. But nothing goes quite as planned. Reeve expected to be intimidated and overwhelmed by Leo, however, the explosive mutual attraction and fierce desire between them is a big surprise. Neither man is looking for love and yet, something special just might happen if they can find their way…together.
A Way With You is the sequel to A Way With Words, starring Remy’s big brother, Reeve. This book could be read as a standalone but I recommend reading Remy and Tony’s book first because why miss out on this adorable couple?
A Way With You started strong. We meet Reeve in his first day of work. He just learned he was to work with real estate celebrity, Leo Rodriguez, a man who has a reputation as a tough as nails boss.
He was assigned to a challenging assignment which led to butting heads with Leo where he quickly lost his temper. To end his last day at work with a bang, he kissed his boss.
Then he disappeared.
Between the Nelson brothers, Reeve had the more mercurial temper whereas Remy was the more easy-going one. The brothers are very supportive of each other, constantly checking in to see how the other is doing. Their relationship was one of the highlights of the book.
I didn’t warm up to Reeve much. I didn’t hate him but I didn’t like him either. We could all do without the tantrums. What’s admirable about him though was that he’s brave enough to quit a 6-figure job and carve his own path in life. He doesn’t even mind that he had to start from scratch all over again.
Leo was the stand out here. I wished we had his POV. When we first met him, he appeared cold and aloof. The kind of personality you would expect in a terror boss.
It was when we meet him again, this time outside the office, we could see he’s a genial, warm-hearted guy who offers sofa cuddles and lends his underwear to the under-dressed.
I loved the way he doggedly pursued Reeve’s company. Not taking no for an answer but never pushy. He consistently kept a cool head whenever Reeve threw his tantrums. Best of all, he followed his love declarations with actions. Truly a keeper!
While I liked both books in the A Way With series, I enjoyed this a notched less than the first book. It has the same feel-good charm as its predecessor and I was having a good time with most of it. After the big scene at the office, I was led to believe this was going to be conflict-free but alas childish behavior reared its ugly head.
Reeve’s infamous temper flared up at the latter part of the story where, although in keeping with character, resulted in a rather ridiculous fight scene. I wasn’t particularly impressed with this moment. I felt it was thrown in just so there would be conflict.
Nonetheless, Leo’s winning ways saved the day, cartwheel fails and all.
Narration-wise, Alexander Cendese continued to do a good job giving life to all these colorful characters. While the voices are not that different from each other, he was still able to imbue distinct personalities to each so it’s wasn’t difficult to recognize who’s speaking at the moment. His reading style was appropriately energetic in keeping with the vibe of the book.
All in all, A Way With You was an enjoyable office romance story that happened mostly outside the office. It’s also about following your dreams and doing it your way. Because trying to making it big in the Big Apple is a hell lot easier if you got friends, family and the right boss to kiss.
P.S.
Thank you to Indigo and Audible UK for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Book one, A Way With You, review here.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Up & Up
Artist: Coldplay
Album: A Head Full Of Dreams
