Annery

3.5Well this was a surprise. In every sense. I think I had the idea, going by the cuffs on the cover, that it was BDSM. There is talk about it and Cole has allegedly been in “the lifestyle” but there's very little on page sex, and the D/s is super mild, almost non-existent. If you're looking for BDSM, despite the tittle, this is not that book. I won't be adding it to any BDSM shelf. Not a complaint. Just an explanation. I enjoyed this story and I'm happy to not have read the blurb as, like with movie previews, it revealed too much, but now I don't have to worry about spoilers. snort Cole is a genial & somewhat gangly food writer who has moved cross country for a much needed change. He immediately meets his next door neighbor, Daniel, who isn't living there by coincidence. There's a whole bit of Cole's DNA matching that of a WANTED stone cold killer, but pretty much from the get go Daniel, and the reader know, Cole is not that person, and have a pretty good idea of what's going on. Ultimately this doesn't matter as I don't think the point of the book is any kind of mystery/suspense. It's more of a pretty insta story about two nice guys meeting. That's not a bad thing, particularly because they were both so likable and undramatic. There are no hysterical tantrums, reactions, or tantrums, which is always a breath of fresh air.I'd never read [a:T. Neilson 8507370 T. Neilson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442984144p2/8507370.jpg] before but overall I liked their writing style and the sense of humor, particularly Cole's inner monologues. I'd definitely read more from this author.

4.5

What a breath of fresh air. Here's a BDSM story where the D is a lower-class, uneducated, younger man while the sub is a 37 year-old psychologist who seemingly has everything he could want.

Logan Walker has a blood kink and during a scene at a BDSM club things get out of control. To try and get a handle on his impulses he decides to seek therapy and he visits Dr. Kasper Bromley. It seems like a good idea and in the course of time Logan does learn how to manage his blood lust, but before then things take a turn for Dr. Bromley. It turns out Kasper is a latent sub and not just any sub. He's the kind who so craves to so perfectly please a Dom that he'll withstand any level of pain to prove himself even to the point of danger.

This isn't a lighthearted read but one I would nonetheless recommend. The BDSM relationship explored veers from the traditional and the authors do a credible job of analyzing the psychology of MCs, what they crave, and what they get from their D/s dynamic. I loved that everything didn't happen in a flash but rather over time giving the characters time to develop and find their way.

It wasn't a 5 star read for me due to a few things:

I always find it disconcerting to find professions misrepresented. Kasper is 37 and a psychologist and yet I can't say that I would refer any patients to him. His general behavior with Logan is questionable and that's putting it mildly; also one would expect that when he found himself in trouble his first recourse would be to go to his own therapist, but he doesn't seem to have one. See? Not good practice.

As far as the writing I think there could've been a bit of editorial help particularly in sections where there's a change of P.O.V. practically in the middle of a sentence. Jarring.

However you can ignore all of these minor quibbles and enjoy BDSM from a distinctive perspective.

This is an odd duck. Not sorry I listened to it but I'm also pretty sure it's not a romance. Not in any traditional way. It's more like one man's journey and education, if you will, from young and hopeful to a HEA???

Okay so I picked this up because I liked the sample and It's in the romance package, which somehow translates as free to me; also I've seen some high ratings for it. I'm on the fence. I don't know that traditional MM readers will be happy with this or really anyone who expects a romance between a couple's first meeting to their HEA. I'll give a brief synopsis trying not to be too spoilerish but I'll hide as a spoiler nonetheless.

Some of the story The book starts with Henry Clark flying back to his home in California from a wedding in NYC. He's annoyed because he met someone who, by his conversation, brought to the fore dreams he thought abandoned and forgotten. From there, and at first not too clearly, it's a big flashback to young Henry making his way in the world as a successful pharmaceutical rep and finding his swimming in the deep pool of the San Diego gay scene of the 90's. The place is nirvana for Henry who loves men in uniform and men who take charge. It's not BDSM, he just likes forceful guys and he's an eager bottom. At a local gay bar he meets Edwin, an older gay man who will become a friend and almost father figure, as his family is basically non existent. He also meets Cody, which is the personification of his wet dreams, until something bad happens, and then something worse. But life goes on, and Henry, with the help of his friend Scooner, he finds love and hope again in the person of Quinn, a hot Irish SD Police officer. (Scooner is from [b:Searching For Moore|18071924|Searching For Moore (Needing Moore, #1)|Julie A. Richman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371131191s/18071924.jpg|24239569], which is a related series, but you don't need to read those books, which are M/F, to follow this.) All this is fine, and some of it is romantic, hopeful, and fun. The believable experiences of a young gay man in 90's America. However .... ANOTHER shitty thing happens, such is life, but it felt almost gratuitous. I figured, by the prologue that sh*t was going to hit the fan, and this was awful, but my complaint is that we jump from a devastated Henry to present day when we're dropped into the head of a new narrator, Seth, who will become Henry's new +1. What we don't get is Henry's P.O.V. again, when the story has been all about him and has been for the last 75% of the book. We don't get to find out how Henry crawled out of the last bad thing that happened and suddenly this Seth person is his person, after a few half hearted similarities to Quinn. Umm ... NO. It's okay to move on, but show us how, why etc.

As for the rest I can say that I liked the first 3/4, though I'm pretty adamant that it's not a romance. There is no main couple or love affair, there's one in the middle, but it's seems just to be part of Henry's story. Technically there's a HEA, but if you believe that I've also got sand in the dessert for sale. The writing reminded me of one of those progressive, yet absolutely PSA movies of the 90's, which isn't horrible. Overall this was a case of diminishing enjoyment both in AB and story as the book progressed. Really a missed opportunity. I really liked Henry, the character, but it seems that he's just one of those characters who loomed large in separate series, and either readers or the author were curious about him, but in the end he wasn't done right by the author. Too bad. This is worse than an outright bad book.

COMBINED REVIEW WITH [b:Broken Bonds 17182020 Broken Bonds (Souls in Bondage, #1) Lex Valentine https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1370503280l/17182020.SY75.jpg 23628942]Sometimes, when I'm going to spend the day cooking or other activity needing my hands but not so much brain activity, I like to check out narrators, though not necessarily on a book I really want to read and get lost in. The Audible Romance Package is a nice resource for this and many times I've been pleasantly surprised by the narrator and the story. This time it was a bag of nuts. I had a vague idea that this was a BDSM story but not much else. It is a story of people who are allegedly in this community, but I think most BDSM practitioners would be hard pressed to identify any real characters here. The first book, Broken Bonds, is surprisingly Christmas adjacent, in that it takes place on Christmas Eve, and has to do with a sh*tbag who calls himself a Dom, using mourning trauma to ill treat his current sub, kicking him out into a snowy night. Said sub, Haven, is a sort of naif who, though he's been through every Dickensian cliche, from foster home bullies to rape, keeps a hope filled heart but is woefully unprepared to face the outside world without his Dom, which leads him to the brink of death. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Yes, I know. I'm a terrible person, but no one can take these seriously. Each book starts with two angels, watching over our Dom & subs, and losing feathers, which indicates that something is going wrong, and that the angels must intervene. It's a Hallmark/Lifetime Holiday movie 80's style. You watch/read these with liquor & the comfort food of your choice. I had fun, maybe it wasn't the author's intention but ... Book 2 Bitter Bonds revisits with the folks from book 1, but centers on Jake, a Dom with such an angelic voice that people are mesmerized when they hear him sing. However Jake is not pursuing a singing career or having a sub. The singing I get, dreams and plans change, and Jake is now in his thirties, the no partner? Romance nonsense of the “I've had no luck with relationships” variety which will be rectified when Finn, a Nordic version of an anime character, shows up at Darkness, the club where all the cool BDSM kids play. Finn is not only another badly used, helpless, holding-on-by-a-thread, sub, he's also a musical prodigy. What are the odds? Jake's buddies contrive to set them up, and voila. I don't want to rag on these books because I did listen to them, they got me through a long Sunday, and I laughed, but most of the credit goes to [a:Chris Chambers 3059129 Chris Chambers https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. The man almost spun gold out of straw, he even sang! My problem with these was that if I turned on my RL button I would've been saying WTF???, wanting to smack the subs for being TSTL, and having the so called Doms whipped, and not for fun. The literal “Angels watching over us” thing does afford these a fable or fairy tale flavor which could work if your feeling sentimental or in a [b:A Christmas Carol 5327 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396055652l/5327.SX50.jpg 3097440] kind of mood, which the first one does reference. My big problem is that the whole D/s dynamic is treated in an almost fantastical way. The subs are continuously referred to as The Sub, as if that sexual kink described they're whole being, and at times it was close to true. All the want to do is obey, submit, and be collared. To my liking this would've worked better in a non-shifter ‘verse where these dynamics are plausible, believable, and justified. As it was the subs seemed like people who need intensive years of therapy to repair self-worth issues that run deep. Anyway ... if you have the AB Escape package this is free. ;)

I ended up waiting to pair my read with the release of the audio by [a:Charlie David 2895612 Charlie David https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461856493p2/2895612.jpg], life got busy, other reads came and went and I just got back to North & Shaw and their super bumpy relationship road. I'm glad I took the respite because these two don't know how to do easy & sweet.Can you just jump into this series here? I wouldn't recommend it. The relationship between them and their individual histories has been teased out in the previous books and we are now getting to the part where the truly thorny things are being addressed. This book belongs to North. His still unresolved relationship with his soon to be ex-husband Tucker, the why & how he ended up with Tucker, his fraught relationship with his father, a bit about his own identity as a gay man, and most importantly his helplessness when it comes to his attachment & attraction to Shaw. There is of course a case and a victim I couldn't have cared less about save as it serves as a mirror (a horror funhouse one) to who they are or could have been given the time, place, and society they came up in. I enjoyed it way more than expected. I confess to sometimes being annoyed by the infamous N&S banter, which is charming to most readers, but I like to imbibe in small doses. Additionally the way they deal with serious issues affecting their relationship strikes me as a tad childish but then I remember that they are men, gay men, and that (much to my chagrin) the 20's are now the teens when it comes to people's development. Despite all of it I loved this entry in the series and it was in no small part because the author has never shied away from going into situations & places that perhaps many romance readers might recoil from, and he doesn't do it here either. He presents the nitty gritty of the lives of modern day gay men, the hookup culture, the casual sex that's just that, sex, the drug use, the self doubt, the acceptance, partial or completely denied by society and/or loved ones. How it affects the way they see themselves & others. It gets deep. My other cause for relief & joy was that Pari & Truck are barely in it

What did I just read and why am I now committed to the Bk.2???

A while ago I got this book, as usual only doing a cursory reading of the blurb. I hadn't a clue this was YA. Color me shocked. Apparently it was a finalist for some prize or other. Doubly shocked.

Apparently this a launchpad for a series centering on Jacob “Jake” Weston a 16 going on 17 going on a Victorian 30 y.o. teen who's extraordinary in every aspect of his life. He's tall, blonde, an Olympic calibre swimmer, some sort of literary genius (I don't know what that means), and heir to the Weston fortune which hovers at the six billion mark. Everything about Jake is aspirational and larger than life. Also fantastical. I believed zero about this, not the characters, not the relationships, and that's completely due the narrative voice.

Jake is expelled from his private school in NY and his father, but more accurately his father surrogate, his butler, Abbott, gets him into White Oak academy in England, a step sibling to the likes of Eton and Harrow. Jake arrives with his larger than life persona, mesmerizes everyone he meets, and is quickly hooked on a mystery about a decades old murder. That would've been fine for me in spite of the youth of the protagonists, I'm not categorically against YA. It's just that these teens read like P.G. Wodehouse stock characters and not XXIst Century teens. The conversations are rendered in a kind of Brit speak that the author seems to have gleaned from old movies, adults are only nominally adult, and in weird awe of these teens.

More than likely I'm the wrong audience for this and YMMV but I still can't bring myself to recommend it. Sorry.

I can't say that I'm happy I read this. And that is sad. I know I've said it before but I can't stress how much love I have for [b:Another Way 12592780 Another Way (Another Way #1) Anna Martin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386588514l/12592780.SX50.jpg 17607664], the first part of this trilogy which should've just remained a wonderful standalone. What can I say? It's not even a bad book! It's well written and realistic in following a relationship that is now 7 years down the road, how the MCs are dealing, evolving and adapting to their lives as a committed couple. But that's just it: like the previous book [b:Of Being Yours 16209638 Of Being Yours (Another Way #2) Anna Martin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356170423l/16209638.SX50.jpg 21585828] everything is fine on the surface but there is no fire or rather we are told about it but I couldn't feel it. Jesse & Will have relocated to Georgia so that Jesse can be with his family after his mother's death. That's not a spoiler. It's in the blurb. Jesse mourns, cleans house, cooks etc. Will & Jesse have sex as a regular couple & in D/s scenes etc. but it all feels kind of like something that's good for you rather than a story that keeps you up at night and yes, I know that to a large extent this is about Jesse grieving, but OMG after a while I wanted to slap it out of him.As usual Will is a saint. He buys a house, relocates his job, is patient beyond measure with Jesse and his insecurities etc. Jesse seems to have turned into a middle-aged lady, overly concerned about money, house chores & what others think. In other words his voice didn't ring true to that of an under-thirty man living in America in 2014. All this stuff that I didn't like just gave me room to notice other things I didn't like such as the Englishisms that creep into Ms. Martin's writing: advert, air con? And the continuous recaps of the previous books. If it's meant for a reader who hasn't read the previous books it's not enough & for those who have read them it's just annoying. Now that I think of it Books 2 & 3 read like that blog Jesse talks of maybe starting up in Book 1, kind of detached and clinical. For the rest he seems to be a mouthpiece to voice the author's opinions, which I mostly agree with but that shouldn't be the aim of the book.What I really would've loved would be to be in Will's head but only with the Anna Martin from Book 1.

RE-READ/RE-LISTEN 8/25/21 – 8/28/21I can't believe I did it. This is a hard one physically and emotionally for the MC and I confess I skimmed some parts. My heart couldn't take it. Having said that I'm glad I didn't skip this one in my re-red and I think I understand why the author had to take Emery & JH on this harrowing episode. For Hazard it's the logical, if unexpected, conclusion to the journey begun on [b:Pretty Pretty Boys 36623175 Pretty Pretty Boys (Hazard and Somerset, #1) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511094676l/36623175.SY75.jpg 58383961]. As for Somers, this sojourn in Hell, very much aligns with a Judeo-Christian sense of crime and punishment, which wouldn't be an alien concept to him and perhaps unconsciously welcome, atoning for the past, wearing the hair shirt, doing the penance. He can now move on. **** FIRST READ/LISTEN 1/23/20 — 1/26/20 **** Whew, what a ride!The long and short of it is that I loved this arc in the Hazard & Somers story. Is it perfect? Not exactly, but this isn't The Paris Review, just what I enjoy, and enjoy it I did. Even when I was shuddering from sympathetic pain.[b:Criminal Past 41103639 Criminal Past (Hazard and Somerset #6) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533944202l/41103639.SY75.jpg 64217590] delivers on the promise made at the very beginning of [b:Pretty Pretty Boys 36623175 Pretty Pretty Boys (Hazard and Somerset, #1) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511094676l/36623175.SY75.jpg 58383961]. Emery Hazard has returned to his hometown of Wahredua, MO ostensibly to get justice for the first boy he ever loved, who committed suicide after being brutalized and putting the past to rest. It won't go quietly or as [a:William Faulkner 3535 William Faulkner https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615562983p2/3535.jpg] wrote: “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”. This is an idea that suffuses the whole arc. In every volume [a:Gregory Ashe 1179529 Gregory Ashe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1561907752p2/1179529.jpg] has laid out a case that to some degree propels forward not only Hazard & Somers's relationship, but the overarching case of corruption in the upper echelons of Wahredua society. In this book it all comes together. IMO the strongest part of this series has always been the development of the relationship between the MC. Emery and John-Henry are fully formed and distinct individuals, with rich back stories, histories, quirks, and interests. Their behavior, past and present, is logically motivated, and I loved that though they've become a couple, they're still themselves, their histories still mark them. Somers overtly, believes/fears that his past actions are unforgivable and Hazard has tried to use the shield of reason & logic to protect himself to the extent that he's almost frozen in time. Fear not. GA, for all that he seems like a bit of sadist with all that he puts these guys through, is also big hearted enough to allow them to start to heal and love each other in the way they probably always would have if we didn't live in a f**ked-up world. Their interactions with each other, Hazard with Evie, Somers trying to ease the way with honey, Hazard stubbornly refusing to play the game, all of it seeped under my skin. Emery & JH are characters that I think of as existing in the real world, I might run into one of them at the market. I'm happy to know them.*********The imperfect part? There's the "small town / big hell" trope, which I have no direct experience of living in a small town, but so far every resident of Wahredua, other than Cora, Hazard, and Somers, seems to be ... unappealing. If that's the case they should start packing ASAP. The level of violence visited on the MCs in the space of two days almost reaches baroque heights, their resilience is a matter for medical journals. The omniscience, omnipotence, and endurance of the villains, particularly one tweaker, seemed a bit much. Also my vicious heart wanted more of a comeuppance for the villains, but you can't have everything.

[a:Bey Deckard 7855471 Bey Deckard https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1491238532p2/7855471.jpg] is amazing! In this short novella he manages to convey the breadth and depth of a burgeoning D/s relationship between space marines who also happen to be older/younger and though the much fetishized three little words are never spoken you can feel them vibrating in every word and deed. The actions and emotions have a ring of truth and not a word is wasted. Deckard expertly and perfectly limns these two characters in a few deft strokes that leave us wanting more and yet truly knowing everything we need to know about them.Did I understand all of the futuristic military jargon? No. And I didn't care. I just let the language and the sensibility wash over and envelop me in the rightness and goodness that are Sarge & Murphy. And yes your eyelashes will be singed by the hotness between the MCs.The icing on the cake: [a:Nick J. Russo 8141120 Nick J. Russo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s pitch perfect narration. The fact that as of yet there is no Audio for [b:Murphy 31866229 Murphy (F.I.S.T.S. #2) Bey Deckard https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473261042s/31866229.jpg 45321623], the follow up or continuation to this story is the only thing that has given me pause to jump right in but I don't think I can resist much longer. I. Want. Murphy.

Review with the next book [b:Goes Unpunished 159970888 Goes Unpunished (Maverick Insurance Mysteries #2) M.J. May https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1685167928l/159970888.SY75.jpg 172770672]

3.5 This is the continuation of Ryan & Zach's story. The story picks up seven months after [b:More Than Friends 16240204 More Than Friends (More Than Friends #1) Aria Grace https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471915735s/16240204.jpg 22245404] left off and boy Ryan has taken to life as a gay man like a fish to water. Let's just say he's no stranger to gay porn sites and not necessarily the vanilla ones. No judgement. He's totally into Zach and has jumped with both feet into the relationship which is on the fast lane to HEA.The guys go on a long weekend trip to Portland where Zach has some business meetings. While there they go to dinner at Steve's house. Steve happens to be Zach's ex and lets just say that things don't go well. At all. A separation ensues and I don't know about Zach but for Ryan it's a watershed moment where he gets to seriously embrace himself as a gay man, come out to his parents, and think about what it is and means to be in love with Zach. There's a bit of drama and the resolution is again somewhat rushed. I would've liked another chapter or at least an epilogue but I still trusted the HEA and wouldn't be averse to visiting with these two again.***The narration by [a:Douglas Dale 9878197 Douglas Dale https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is very good.***

Review on the blog and later here.

Re-read 4/21/18

Whatever I said below and I'll add that this is another bit of Matt & Aaron getting to know each other as a couple: quirks, likes, manias etc. It's a good thing and part of what continues to make these two believable as real people. People you'd encounter at brunch, the market, or a club.

***********

Aaron is having the Big Three -O and thanks to Jay a “small party” of 80 gathers at Peter & Jay's house to celebrate the birthday boy.

Matt continues to be ga ga over his luck at landing this beautiful creature as his own which makes him an unhappy camper when he feels that someone else is getting handsy with his man and boy do I love a jealous Matt. And I suspect that Aaron isn't complaining because he does get a Happy Birthday.

Another enjoyable stop in the Matt & Aaron journey to a true HEA

The story is a bit unpolished, but Lane makes that clear at the beginning so no grading on editing just on pleasure and these two are always my cuppa. ;-)

This is the second in the Nick Williams Mystery series, and in reality it's a part 2 or continuation of the story started in [b:The Unexpected Heiress 34709065 The Unexpected Heiress (A Nick Williams Mystery, #1) Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490774525s/34709065.jpg 50849071]. If you haven't read that maybe you should, though the author does a fairly good job of bringing readers up to date. Nick, Carter, and their friends or associates are dealing with the fallout from the events of book 1 and, Nick is still on the job sorting out the whereabouts of a closeted Hollywood (were there any other kind?) movie star. One he knows is schacked up with his former boyfriend, friend, and attorney. Carter & Nick fly to Ensenada on a work/rescue mission but encounter a bit more than they bargained for.I'm enjoying where this series is going, the tone, and distinctly male perspective. It is true that Nick and company seem to live in a slightly fantastical world, money insulates a lot of harsh reality, but, so far, these guys are living pretty much on their own terms. Yes, they've lost family and jobs, but so far no one's been arrested (though the threat looms) or beaten-up (mostly because their scrappy or 6'4”, and taller, muscle men). Also the way Nick handles money ... sigh I wish to meet him. But the situations are not improbable and if we can't allow folks a spot of happiness in fiction, where can we. I also like how the historical, geographical, and societal aspects are well researched but not info dumped. Once again the mystery isn't so mysterious, and I don't think it's meant to be the point anyway. The book is more of a continued exploration of Nick & Carter's relationship, how it's still evolving and growing. I like that despite all the hyperbole in reference to Nick's wealth, Carter being “the most handsome” man in the world, and they being the most in love couple ever, that they still have eyes to appreciate other men's assets. cough It made me like them and believe their story. I hate when male gay relationships are made to conform to heteronormative strictures. I'll definitely continue, particularly since, so far, they seem to be continuations of a larger portrait. ***Once again, as a PSA, there's no on page sex.***

3.75This is a series that quite frankly I got because of the audio by [a:David Thorpe 444643 David Thorpe https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. It's amazeballs! The book itself is a satisfying continuation of the first. I'd be tempted to say that the series, in general, is Hallmark version of [a:Joanna Chambers 3080608 Joanna Chambers https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1448012889p2/3080608.jpg]'s Enlightenment Series, which is definitely HBO. That's not meant as snark. I love me a good Hallmark movie.There are a couple of sizzling encounters between the guys and we get a little deeper into who they are and what makes them tick. I loved that Oliver is no pushover outside the bedroom and that Vincent is pretty quick to change his tune. You could say everything is on a bit of a fast track, but that's a necessity of the novella length. Overall I enjoyed it.

4.5 I love Mack starsAnother winner in a series I had somehow neglected in my reader/Audible library!This a second chance romance, featuring Brandon Good, Luke's BFF from [b:The Right Words 23547087 The Right Words (Right and Wrong, #1) Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415773611s/23547087.jpg 43146536]. At 29, despite some early set backs in his life, Bran seems to be the picture of success, and one could say he is. He's young, healthy, and easy on the eyes. He has trusted and beloved friends, some, like Luke, are chosen family, he owns a thriving home decor store in trendy WeHo, and yet ... a sense of blah has crept in. Luckily the past comes knocking on his door in the form of Jake Westley, his former boyfriend, and his dog Mack. Mack who is perhaps one my favorite characters in any book I've read. He's freakin' awesome. Jake and Bran were a couple during their senior year of high school, but only Bran was ‘out' and things didn't end well. It's now 12 years later and both have travelled far from their teenage selves. Jake, particularly, didn't have a smooth ride but he's an adult now. He might be a bit frayed around the edges, but he also knows who he is and what he wants. Bran thinks he knows what he wants, but a pair of brown liquid eyes (belonging to Mack) and Jake's steady, solid, presence are about to show him that the best plan is the unexpected one.I liked everything about this. I liked that though Bran had these rules, and who he thought Jake was, there was no long, contrived ‘will they? won't they?' The attraction clearly hadn't abated, and neither of the MCs did the coy dance. I liked how the relationship developed organically, during the course of months over which they shared deep conversation, silly times, and scorching smexy times. I love how [a:Lane Hayes 7125719 Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1559106511p2/7125719.jpg] brings to life characters who may have been through the wringer but are still on their feet and living, without schmaltz but with tons of heart. Speaking of hearts, I'll just say that Mack now owns mine. I only have two quibbles. 1) Towards the end (at around 80%) some ‘stuff' happens and Bran acts a little stupid. It seemed to me that, though he denied it, he was holding a grudge for what a 17 y.o. did or didn't do. A bit sanctimonious.2) I did the audio by [a:Michael Ferraiuolo 13467952 Michael Ferraiuolo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1498214961p2/13467952.jpg], and he did a bang up job except that at one point Michael Martinez, from [b:The Right Words 23547087 The Right Words (Right and Wrong, #1) Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415773611s/23547087.jpg 43146536] appears (he and Luke stop by Bran's store) and for some reason the narrator decides to give him an ‘accent', which is bizarre because he didn't have one in the previous book, and as far as I know, though of Mexican parentage, he was born and raised in California. Things that bother me. Shrug

I confess I've been in a sentimental mood, and I may have teared up more than once. not sorry For me, Ash Davis is one of those characters that live outside the page.If you've read [b:A Walk Through Fire 32881371 A Walk Through Fire (Through Hell and Back, #1) Felice Stevens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478431955l/32881371.SY75.jpg 74277260] or the rest of the Through Hell and Back series, you'll want to visit with the gang, and enjoy some Hanukkah miracles. As a plus we get Jonah & Gideon from [b:Learning to Love 30068688 Learning to Love (Together, #1) Felice Stevens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462122199l/30068688.SY75.jpg 49982474].

This didn't work for me at all. Was it the subject matter, the setting, the insta-love? No. I've read stories with each of these features, sometimes all in one work and I've been happy but here the execution and writing were sorely lacking.

The judicial system and prison life are presented from the viewpoint of someone with a passing knowledge of the facts an 18 y.o. with no previous criminal history getting a 40 year sentence for killing someone in the commission of a burglary is highly improbable; an 18 y.o. killing a man while said man is in the midst of beating the 18 y.o.'s mother to death and consequently getting a 15 year sentence? also unlikely one perhaps acquired through pop culture.

You'd have to go into this with sack loads of goodwill to believe that Holden & Gage would end up in the same prison, same cell (expected to remain cellmates for the duration of their sentences), and that they'd be surrounded in said prison by so many people who are supportive of their taboo relationship and perhaps partake in their own off the beaten path lifestyle. Furthermore they go from knowing nothing about each other to being in undying forever love in about a second. Everything develops like a fairytale conjured up by a not very inventive tween. a gang rape scene of someone who's had no anal sex before, one that should be brutal (spit & cum are the only lube), goes by in three paragraphs and the victim (even though he "consented" to this treatment) seems to suffer no emotional or physical ill effects save one crying bout and sitting gingerly for a day or so

In spite of all my complaining I could've squinted, had a drink, and let this wash over me but weird word choices, bizarre punctuation, and capricious paragraph breaks proved too much. The Hemingwayesque sentences (sans the talent) drove me over the deep end. Here are two examples:

“The all wore a swastika tattoo somewhere on their body and spurted the most ridiculous bullshit.”

“The kid was my blood. Even if he didn't know it yet. I didn't feel that fatherly bond for Gage. But it was wrong, immoral, forbidden. I didn't know what to do. I chewed on my lip as I continued to stare out and watch everything.”

As usual YMMV and the cover is very pretty.

3.75 because occasionally I wanted to smack one or both of the MCs

We all know that death is the BIG FULL STOP to any conversation and Nate & Presley have reason to feel it more than most. They meet at a support group for people experiencing grief over the loss of loved ones. Each has a steamer trunk worth of baggage to unload, though I'd tip the scales to Nate.

At 4o Nate is carrying the heavy load of unresolved issues dealing with his father's death, the manner in which it happened, and more importantly his attitude towards Nate's homosexuality. It's been 3 years but Nate has found it impossible to move on.

Presley is in the same boat for different reasons. When his parents, tragically & unexpectedly died while he was still in college Press pursued and ill advised relationship that also ended in death but has remained vivid in Press's life like an ever present shadow, one that doesn't let him move forward with anything or anyone new. The guilt, regret, doubt, and self recriminations have kept him paralyzed for 6 years.

When these two meet in the group the attraction is immediate but I liked that they didn't let themselves be swept away on the tide of lust. At first Nate tries to do just that, have sex be a salve for sleepless nights, it's what he's been doing, but Press won't have it and Nate comes around to the idea of actually getting to know his bedmate. In the ensuing months they do that and learn that they like each other as people. It's slow, I won't lie, but if we want realistic romance between over 30 adults grieving this is how it goes. That doesn't mean there aren't smexy times, there are, but besides that these two find in each other a person to anchor & shelter them when they need it most. They fit.

My other favorite thing is Frisco, Press's childhood friend. I'm thinking I'm going to like his story very much. For now though I may have to back to the ROCK BOTTOM series, which I haven't read, as apparently some of these characters appeared there, albeit briefly. You won't have to do that as this reads perfectly as a standalone. It's just me.

This another sweet addition to this multi-author series and [a:Nick J. Russo 8141120 Nick J. Russo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] is perfect as always. If you're not me you can jump in anywhere, the only thread is a carved wooden angel who seems to steer couples to one another, particularly around Christmas.Roger & Jack are two small town boys who've been inseparable friends since childhood. On the eve of Jack going away to college they discover that they share something more than a friendship and promise to keep in touch. Sadly this is 1939 and the world is about to explode. Six years later both boys, now men, are back home for Christmas, utterly marked by their separate experiences in the war. Do they still feel the same about each other, can they have anything true given the time and place they live in?I think [a:L.A. Witt 3185029 L.A. Witt https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1552223709p2/3185029.jpg] did an excellent job of conveying the realities of being gay in 1940's America, or anywhere really (sadly not so far removed from now) while making the story optimistic and plausible. It's obvious that Jack & Roger fit perfectly and they're the dearest guys. I rooted for them the whole time. Lovely

2.5 for Effort, clean writing, somewhat novel idea ... but the follow through & execution didn't work for me

I don't know what happened?!?! From gorgeous cover, intriguing premise, and a writer I've enjoyed before I was expecting to if not to love to at least seriously like this and yet ... I'm kind of speechless. Bad is easier to handle than this. It was like getting fast food at a white tablecloth restaurant: unexpected & disappointed.

I had to take a breathI loved this. I'm still smiling Everett has issues. He likes to ‘rectify' things, fix them to minimize risks & danger. He has reasons and I totally empathized with him.Lake is a shy boy who never had security or care from those who should've held him dear. He lives from one precarious situation to another unsure of himself or his place in the world. Everett is going to change that. I guessed where this was going, where the possible bad wrong was heading from the first chapter and my only regret is that it didn't go deeper down that road. As it is this was a tender love story, [a:Laura Lascarso 5306920 Laura Lascarso https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1488342626p2/5306920.jpg] style. Two people finding that space where they fit in each other's lives. Yes, Everett is into control, but he's learning to respect boundaries and that sometimes things elude his prevue, however he's not giving up or changing who he is. Lake is a lucky boy being the focus of Everett's attention, he's also wise beyond his years, empathetic, and kind. Come for the dominant kinkiness, which I'm reluctant to call games, and stay for the heartwarming tale of puzzle pieces slotting into place.

Two sweet novellas about the Nelson brothers who come from upstate NY to the City to find themselves and love finds them.

A Way with Words is about Tony & Remy. Tony is a member a large extended Italian family, which forms the nucleus of his work and social circle. One day he spots Remy busking in the park across from his current construction site and that's all she wrote. The love between Tony & Remy is palpable and believable. I love that this wasn't a GFY story. Remy is definitely out and Tony has known his whole life he's gay he just hasn't had the courage or incentive to come out to his family. Falling in love with Remy fixes that.

A Way With You After a failed relationship in his hometown Reeve Nelson, Remy's brother, come to NYC to make it in the cutthroat world of high end real estate. But sometimes what you think you want turns out not to be what you really want or what you need. And having Leo Rodrigues as your boss is also a wrench in well laid plans. I loved that Reeve was no pushover and that once he and Leo got together their communication was pretty open save one or two missteps which were corrected pretty quickly. I would've liked a little more about Leo but these stories are about the Nelson brothers and they're both adorable & good people.

What to say? My heart is full. I'm depleted. I'm happy. I'm sad. It's all true. ❤️❤️Way back when I read the first chapter of [b:Pretty Pretty Boys 36623175 Pretty Pretty Boys (Hazard and Somerset, #1) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511094676l/36623175.SY75.jpg 58383961] I knew I was in good hands. I wasn't wrong. In this, in what seems to be the final entry in the H&S series (I'm not mad about it) the case/mystery was to my mind unimportant. More like a frame onto which the MC get to continue the eternal tinkering of this thing we call life. The blurb pretty much encapsulates the kick off point and then the story moves on which is a good move. There are too many ways to get lost in the weeds with a subject like this. Instead we get the recurring thematic themes of this series as a whole: monstrous parents (even when they don't mean to be) and the ones who are doing their best; the past always returning like the tide (it recedes, it's never gone, and will come back); how things can and do change for the better (even when we're not looking); how people are more (and sometimes less) than what we imagine them to be and have layers upon layers that can take a lifetime to peel and parse. I'm sure I'll be doing a reread and will perhaps have more to say but in the meantime:I think this was a perfect way of leaving Emery & John-Henry, surrounded by old and new friends, family, though some can be a cross to bear. I loved how there were echoes of many of the things that have happened throughout the series. I loved that the ending was happy in a realistic, romantic, non-mushy but absolutely hopeful way. I loved that the two rather explicit sex scenes (a rarity for Greg) served a narrative purpose and were perhaps even not sexy at all. It wasn't the point.I loved that there weren't rainbows and unicorns raining down on everyone we've met in this universe but there's a path forward for them. I'm talking about Dulac and NicoFinally that last scene ... my heart stopped beating for a second because you could see things go not-optimally. But GA took pity on us the readers but primarily on his characters. Thank you.

happy sighI'd already read most of these (except for the vignettes at the end) as [a:Gregory Ashe 1179529 Gregory Ashe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1561907752p2/1179529.jpg] usually gifts them as part of his mailing list. I still reread them. They're joyful snapshots in the lives of Shaw & North and aren't just filler, they serve as bridges between one book and another.Bad Boys at the Radio GirlsGone GoatPuppy PatrolShaw Aldrich and the Case of the Missing Leash where North entrusts Shaw to dog-sit his puppy, things go predictably wrong, and it ends with North showing Shaw more of his tender, soft parts. His vulnerable self. The rest are little moments of the guys hanging out together, growing into this new stage of their relationship where they openly love each other and don't hide it from the world or each other. Sweet ❤️❤️