Never Hollowed By The Stare

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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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  • Home
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    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
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    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
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  • Uncategorized

    SERIES TOUR: West Coast Forensics by Elle Keaton (Giveaway)

    September 29, 2023 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

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    NEW RELEASE: Beautiful Mistake by Felice Stevens

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    FLICKer FADE SUNDAY: Brace

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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Real Thing by Elle Keaton

    August 25, 2023 / 1 Comment

    West Coast Forensics: The Real Thing – Elle Keaton

    An oblivious prince wishes for his knight in shining armor. His knight has been under his nose all along, will he claim him before it’s too late for them both?

    As deeply as he craves his own fairy tale happily-ever-after, resort owner Cody Prescott doesn’t have time for a relationship. That doesn’t stop him from crushing on most men on Piedras. Luckily for him, they’re emotionally unavailable or already taken, so he doesn’t have to worry about getting attached.

    Wade Buckner, the island’s handiest handyman, is tired of waiting for Cody to wake up and realize Wade is the man for the job. He’s ready and willing to rescue Cody from just about anything, even questionable hotel guests.

    The Harvest Feast is the kick-off for the resort’s one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary and they have a full house. But something sinister is afoot at the resort, something that even his knight might not be able to rescue Cody from.

    Are they trying to kill him, put him out of business, or both?

    #grumpy-sunshine #FamilyHistory #OnlyOneBed

    The Real Thing, book five in the West Coast Forensics series, is dual POV and follows Cody and Wade all the way to their happy ending. Can be read as a standalone but might be better enjoyed if you start with Real Trouble, first in the WCF series.


    West Coast Forensics started as a spin-off featuring members of the WCS, a PI agency. It has expanded to stories of Piedras Island’s notable LGBTQIA+ citizens.

    The Real Thing is the fifth installment, staring Cody Prescott, owner of the island’s landmark hotel, Brooch Resort. This is a historical establishment owned by the not-so-upstanding but wealthy Prescott family. As the last living descendant, Cody is determined not to have the old hotel fail under his watch.

    Wade Buckner is the hotel’s most reliable handyman, who almost single-handedly keeps the resort from breaking down. He’s a grumpy bastard, an ex-military who keeps saying he’s going to leave the island but can’t seem to stay away whenever his boss a.k.a. secret crush, Cody asks for help. Wade is a great guy, but his characterization needs to be more than just “growly” which was repeatedly mentioned several times.

    Wade describes Cody as a geek with sunshine personality. He thinks the younger man has this Cody glow that charms people and make everything shine, even when they were kids. And perhaps Cody’s glow worked its magic in the book itself because despite the murder and the family drama, the storytelling has a fun and joyful energy that made this a one-sitter for me.

    The overall vibe was light and humorous. There’s some angst regarding Wade and his father, but later on, Cody won the old man over with hardly any effort. Cody has been notorious throughout the series for falling for the wrong guys and being a disaster-magnet, so I’m glad our boy finally found his knight in coveralls. Also, Wade’s family drama gave the handyman’s character more dimension.

    Wade and Cody’s romance was a mutual pining between a grump and sunshine with a childhood connection angle, one of my fave tropes. The two are polar opposites but fit together seamlessly in a yin-yang of personality quirks and work skills. I loved how they navigate their relationship and uber-hectic work life, while solving a murder mystery in a middle of a storm.

    As a huge fan of the series, appearances from old friends never fail to make me smile. We have cameos from our favorite taciturn Viking, Niall Hamarsson and his husband, Sheriff Dempsey, Deputies Birdy and Soren, even Shae Delacombe and his formidable Great Aunt.

    The supporting cast was memorable too because we have Chef Danny Petras, star of Book 1, Real Trouble, and Dutch Schumacher and his daughter Hazel, stars of Book 4, Real Hazard, and Ben, assistant manager and an awesome friend to Cody.

    The mystery was twisty-turny and well-crafted, with lots of suspicious individuals, a.k.a. guests of the resort. The best part for me was how it wove hotel business with the mystery solving. The book did a great job portraying how crazy busy running a hotel can be, especially with Cody seeming to be everywhere, greeting guests, organizing events, putting out fires, and even tailing suspects. It made me want to watch The Bear.

    Also, the writer who won the contest and the island mortician piqued my interest. I need their book.

    One niggle is that there are at least three characters with similar names. Rey, Wade’s father, Ralph, pronounced “rafe”, the writer, and Raffy, the young kid working in the hotel. I’m audiobooking this, and sometimes, the names confused me.

    The Real Thing is another entertaining installment of West Coast Forensics. There’s danger and suspense, the frenetic energy of non-stop hustle, and the sweet, heartwarming moments of a hard-earned HEA. All in all, Brooch Resort is well-worth the stay.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: The Real Thing
    Artist: Three Legged Fox
    Album: The Real Thing

    P.S.

    The Real Thing can be read as a standalone but a visit to Piedras Island is not complete unless you meet the rest of the gang:

    Real Trouble
    Real Risk
    Real Hazard


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of The Real Thing. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    THE REAL THING: Kindle | Audiobook

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: The Real Thing by Three Legged Fox

    August 25, 2023 / 1 Comment

    Soundtrack to West Coast Forensics: The Real Thing by Elle Keaton

    The Real Thing by Three Legged Fox for a book about a shining prince who always falls for ogres and the battered knight who always comes to save him.

    I don’t care about what he said she said
    I don’t care who’s going out with you
    I don’t care what you did last weekend
    I don’t care what they pretend to do

    Let’s go back…
    Together, but a little off track
    A moment’s always gone too fast
    Dancing undercover
    Middle of summer
    Like when you were younger

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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Homecoming Prince by Isabelle Adler (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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  • quote,  Uncategorized
    August 25, 2023 / No Comments

    I don’t care about what he said she said
    I don’t care who’s going out with you
    I don’t care what you did last weekend
    I don’t care what they pretend to do

    Let’s go back…
    Together, but a little off track
    A moment’s always gone too fast
    Dancing undercover
    Middle of summer
    Like when you were younger

    But it’s alright, alright
    We’ll make our own getaway
    It’s alright, alright
    Not a minute too soon
    It’s alright, alright
    Everybody’s lying anyway

    I wanna believe
    I wanna believe
    We could be the real thing
    Do you know what I mean?
    Do you believe
    We could be the real thing?
    We could be the real thing?

    I’ve been scrolling through
    The same old notions
    Such a perfect-lonely waste of time
    I’ve never been but I’m thinking of going…
    We’ll find each other in a different light

    Let’s go back
    Together, but a little off track
    And I don’t think we really want that
    Dancing undercover
    Middle of summer
    Like when you were younger

    But it’s alright, alright
    We’ll make our own getaway
    It’s alright, alright
    Not a minute too soon
    It’s alright, alright
    Everybody’s lying anyway

    I wanna believe
    I wanna believe

    We could be the real thing
    Do you know what I mean?
    Do you believe
    We could be the real thing?
    We could be the real thing?

    Even when it’s so hard to find
    Maybe I’m a little out of my mind

    Alright, alright
    It’s alright, alright
    But it’s alright, alright
    We’ll make our own getaway
    But it’s alright, alright
    Not a minute too soon
    It’s alright, alright
    Everybody’s lying anyway

    I wanna believe
    I wanna believe
    We could be the real thing
    Do you know what I mean?
    Do you believe
    We could be the real thing?
    We could be the real thing?

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: The Real Thing by Elle Keaton (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 13, 2022 / No Comments
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    RELEASE BLITZ: The Real Thing by Elle Keaton (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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    BLOG TOUR: Sleeping Love by Natalina Reis (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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  • Uncategorized

    LAST YEAR I WAS READING…(November 23, 2022)

    November 23, 2022 / No Comments

    Here are the rules:

    Take your current read and compare it to what you reading this exact time last year. Which one do you like better? What is different about the books? Any special facts/things you want to make note of or bring attention to?

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  • Uncategorized

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Real Thing by Elizabeth Hollows (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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Book images and promotional materials are from Goodreads or media kits provided for blog tours, cover reveals and release blitzes. Manga covers and other images are sourced through Google image search. The two dorks in the header image is from a manga by TogaQ & Kikuchi Neko. The cat logo is my own design. Reviews and other writings found in the blog are mine unless otherwise stated. All Buy Links to Amazon and Bookshop in my posts contain affiliate links.

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🌈boy's love manga | MM romance | music | giveaways and more 🐾

neverhollowed
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
10 Jun

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬.

COVER REVEAL: Shaken and Stirred by Lilly Atlas



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/10/cover-reveal-shaken-and-stirred-by-lilly-atlas/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
10 Jun

NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Spy by Mell Eight (Excerpt & #Giveaway)


https://books2read.com/the-spy

https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/10/new-release-blitz-the-spy-by-mell-eight-excerpt-giveaway/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
9 Jun

Unrequited love can make you blind.

COVER REVEAL: Doink by Crea Reitan



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/09/cover-reveal-doink-by-crea-reitan/

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neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
9 Jun

Sometimes growing up means growing apart in this queer take on As You Like It featuring first loves and friend breakups, from award-winning author Julia Drake.

BOOK TOUR: Lovesick Falls by Julia Drake



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/06/09/book-tour-lovesick-falls-by-julia-drake/

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