Annery
This is book 3 in [a:Kaje Harper 4769304 Kaje Harper https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1307630439p2/4769304.jpg]'s Life Lessons series. Can you start here? Maybe but you'd be missing the richness of these characters, how they came together, and the depth of their love. Do yourself a favor and read or better yet listen to the first two and then this one. KH and J.F. Harding won't let you down. The story picks up shortly after where book 2 left off. Mac and Tony are now living together, getting the hang of being full time parents to two kids who have issues of their own, navigating the expectations of cohabitation plus Mac being a publicly out cop in 2011. It's not easy but the author portrays it all realistically and beautifully. As in the previous installments there's a murder mystery, Mac is after all a police detective, but the victim(s) & suspects are fairly dislikable or outright heinous people. I for one couldn't have cared less about them except as to how they affected Mac & Tony, and did they ever. To me it was a frame to tease out the day to day life of our MC. This volume pretty clearly spells out the realities of Mac coming out as a cop in 2011/12 or even now. I liked how the author didn't dress up or minimize the facts of this new life they are forging together while never losing perspective that this is after all a romance. About adults. On the homefront we have Tony who is infinitely patient and understanding but not a doormat saint. Meanwhile Mac is learning that he's no longer alone in the journey of life and that companionship requires reciprocity. He's happy to learn. Meanwhile work throws a rather big spanner into their lives but seeing them wade through the hurdles is both painful & beautiful.I love how Mac & Tony were with each other. How despite the humdrum or excitement of everyday life they were always there for each other in friendship, romantic, and carnal ways. This was a very satisfying read and highly recommended. I'd also follow up with Compensations, which is kind of a longer epilogue to [b:Home Work 59639869 Home Work (Life Lessons, #3) Kaje Harper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637101001l/59639869.SY75.jpg 21370466]. I'm very much looking forward to book 4, particularly if it's narrated by [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.More reviews & fun stuff on the blog, check it out ❤️
4.5This is Bk.2 in the Life Lessons series and I can unreservedly say that it's a welcome addition along with the continued narration by [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I would however add that to really appreciate this volume you should read Bk.1, [b:Life Lessons 59074519 Life Lessons (Life Lessons, #1) Kaje Harper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1632592568l/59074519.SY75.jpg 16204726]. You won't regret it.About a year has passed since the events in the first book and Tony & Mac have settled into a kind of half life. Tony is still a teacher and Mac continues working as a Homicide Detective. In the privacy of Tony's apartment they're like any other new couple, learning each other's ticks, foibles, and contours but this discovery is only possible away from prying eyes because Mac is decidedly still in the closet and with no immediate plans for coming out. This situation cannot hold and a case lands in Mac's lap that will change both of their lives irrevocably. What I like best about [a:Kaje Harper 4769304 Kaje Harper https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1307630439p2/4769304.jpg]'s books is that while adhering to the tropes of romance she manages to keep her stories grounded in the material reality of when & where the MC live. In this case I'm sure many readers will have issues with Mac being in the closet and Tony, despite being “out & proud”, acceding to essentially being a dirty secret. To make matters worse (or maybe it's a logical side effect) Mac can't even say the three magic words. It's a lot and I appreciated the realistic depiction of a same sex couple living in this world. The things they have in common, their sexual and emotional compatibility, what makes them a couple, are the things that keep Tony clinging to a relationship that goes against everything he's fought against. He's infinitely patient and accommodating to Mac's work and frame of mind but something happens and Tony can no longer extend such largesse. Mac must make a choice and I'm happy to say he comes through in shining color when it matters.I liked how things developed fairly organically. How Mac's reasons for staying closeted, for having his daughter in the care of his cousin, were absolutely logical without being melodramatic. I also liked that though there are two children who are integral to the story they don't overshadow Tony & Mac. Yes, the children are perhaps a bit idealized, but we already have enough drama to go around. It's also worth noting that this was originally published in 2011 and it seems like the story takes place around that same time, Marriage Equality hasn't been decided, and that reality necessarily informs the mindset of the characters. It's almost historical! To recap: I really liked it, loved [a:J. F. Harding 21790011 J. F. Harding https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration, and will definitely be looking forward to the next volumes on audio.Unimportant Niggles That Will Bother No One But Me: As I said, the book/story was originally published in 2011 and in a sense is an artifact of a certain time & place. I own copies of the 2011 publication. There's been an effort (IMO misguided) to change some terms and even more to align with 2022 standards. It is/was unnecessary and at times just makes the story read anachronistic as the rest remains rooted in the past and the reader is pretty aware of it, i.e. Tony & Mac can't get married in their state. I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.More reviews & fun stuff on the blog
I'd never read this author before but I won a copy of this book in a group give-away. I'm grateful for the win and glad that I read it.
The mystery/procedural part of the story (even if unsurprising) works fairly well. The “romance” though seems a bit rushed
I read PT.1 of this story a few months ago wile on vacay and now I read PT.2 under the same circumstances. Again I've waited forever to write a review so we'll see what I can come up with
I've read this series more times than I'd like to admit, but the audio edition, by [a:Michael Pauley 1302332 Michael Pauley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png], was the perfect excuse for a re-read/listen. It was everything I'd hoped for and more. Embarrassingly I realized I'd never left a review. Shame on me. [b:Loser Takes All 23166708 Loser Takes All (Up-Ending Tad A Journey of Erotic Discovery, #1) Kora Knight https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410140125s/23166708.jpg 42712151] by [a:Kora Knight 8529860 Kora Knight https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1514682199p2/8529860.jpg] was the beginning of my love affair with this series and each successive episode amplifies and moves the story forward. You really should read in order, so I'm probably going to allude to things from the prior installments. It's been a month since Scott and Tad's last encounter, at the end of which, Tad was forced to admit, if only to himself, an attraction to Scott. Another man. Admit that it wasn't a one time fluke. Shaken by this realization, Tad has kept away from Scott hoping distance will clarify his thoughts and fade Scott in his memory. One out of two ain't bad. He's done some productive and honest soul searching but the jonesing for Scott isn't going away.“The frustrating truth of the matter was, his hopes to purge Scott from his brain via distance and time had failed bigger than shit. Even now, he'd yet to stop obsessing over the guy. In fact, his urge to see Scott had only become more persistent.”Luckily Scott is on hand to help his boy out by coming to see him, and what a good move that is because as it turns out Tad, even in his confusion, wants to be wooed. And he should be. The pretext Scott uses to get Tad to “hang out” is that he needs a spotter while he weight lifts. Tad needs no convincing. Of course once they get to the work-out the mutual lusting is as strong as ever, but Scott is holding true to his promise to not cross any lines and Tad is still working things out in his head. The spanner that kicks both of our guys off the safe and narrow trail is Max, Scott's room mate, and his request for “active” observers to his BDSM session with his sub Sean. BTW: once you're done with this series you need to go directly to the Dungeon Black Duology, Max & Sean's story. Awesome. Needless to say, the intense scene between Max & Sean, even at the distance of the viewing room and behind glass, gets the libido going and the inevitable happens. Scorching Perhaps my favorite thing, as usual in this series, is being in Tad's head. He's funny, scared, brave and daring all at once. That restless brain is always going a mile a minute, questioning and doubting but ultimately honest, if only with himself. For now.“But now, as Scott sat beside him, effortlessly looking straight into his soul, Tad knew it without a doubt. The guy got him. Really got him. And it was freeing in a way Tad couldn't describe. But now that he'd tasted it, he didn't want to let it go. Didn't want to let Scott go. But not just because of the dude's comfort card. Scott was like the whole damn package. Because not only did he enable Tad to relax in his skin, he showed him how to find pleasure through it in ways Tad hadn't known existed. Scott flat-out made him thrive.”The other absolute treat is seeing Scott lose it. His total craving for Tad cracking the veneer of cool that seems to be his trademark:“Scott cursed and kicked up the strength of his thrusts, as if intentionally trying to derail Tad's brain. Which worked surprisingly well. But the second Tad calmed, Scott slowed to a stop. ‘Don't go there,' he whispered, burying his face in Tad's neck. ‘Not back where you were. Not when I just got you out.' Tad could feel Scott's lashes against his skin, felt the moment they slowly closed. ‘Just ... say that you missed me ... like I missed you.'”As is the norm with Kora the sex is scorching but equally moving emotionally and shows something deeper about the characters and the story. It's not just prurience and [a:Michael Pauley 1302332 Michael Pauley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] captures the emotions beautifully. By the end Tad has come to terms with quite a few things and is ready to go to the next level, but on a more even ground, and Scott agrees. “Taking a left at the stop sign, he acknowledged his aching body ... and smiled. He'd be sore for a week, and not just from weight lifting. Scott had left his mark again. Tad lingered on the memory, suspecting the guy truly enjoyed making sure Tad thought of him for days. Not that he wouldn't anyway. The choice was no longer Tad's to make. It was like Scott had tattooed himself deep beneath his skin. And for reasons that were still a bit hazy, Tad was cool with that. It seemed kind of appropriate, really. If Scott was going to be in his head, have his scent all over his body, then he might as well be in Tad's bloodstream, too.”
3.75
This is a story about the compromises we make in order to make relationships work. Russ and Stephen meet at work and due to a spilled coffee and a sprained ankle end up spending time together allowing the mutual attraction they feel come to the fore.
Stephen is almost twenty years Russ' senior and also financially successful whereas Russ is 29 and still struggling with student debt and getting a foothold in his chosen profession. They work in the same company, though in different departments, and had been eyeing one another before the ankle incident.
I liked that their issues as a couple didn't rise due to age difference, if anything that was one of the main turn-ons for both men, but from Russ's struggle to let Stephen take care of him financially and his at times overbearing protectiveness. Russ did have valid concerns and his desire for financial independence made him an admirable person but sometimes he did over do it. I could totally see Stephen's POV wanting to use his financial means to make life more comfortable for the man he loves. That is one of the things that I liked most about this story: there wasn't the usual “will they or won't they” dance. The attraction, sex and subsequent falling in love all happened without contrived drama. The issues come from negotiations we all have to transact in a relationship to make it work in a meaningful way.
I'm looking forward to the next installments and watching these two merge their lives and pave a new path as a couple. My rating isn't higher because at times I felt like there was more tell than show and the conversations were perhaps a little more didactic than actual faltering conversations that people have.
** For those interested the sex scenes are more steam than explicit but to my mind still quite satisfying. **
An excellent installment to a great series.At first I was a little scared that [a:Rhys Ford 4968409 Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308678470p2/4968409.jpg] had made our man Cole go too soft, too sentimental and too needy for Jae Min. But it turns out that no. It was just the right amount of emotion for the stage of life Cole is going through. It's been a few months since the events of the last book and Cole & Jae are living in a bubble of contented bliss but all the world and its issues are still around them: mainly the very much alive Sheila and Ben, who's dead but who's presence looms like an enormous cloud over Cole. It turns out that these first four books transpire in the space of a year and A LOT has happened. No wonder Cole is still reeling, more so because he is only now truly dealing with the scorched earth that was Ben and his actions. I loved how the case turned out, Cole being his own client; how even though Sheila had crossed the line of no return Cole couldn't completely set aside who she had been. Life and love are complicated and things will get messy with lines that blur and bleed.Overall issues were resolved in a satisfactory way and I feel that had the series ended here I would be happy imagining Cole & Jae living out their lives with less baggage and breathing a little easier. Getting comfortable in their new skins.On a side note I was happy to see the human side of O'Byrne. I like her.We'll see what the next books bring. I am a devoutly in the Cole McGinnis camp so it's a no brainer I'll be reading/listening to the continuing adventures which I'm guessing will delve deeper into Ben and his issues and perhaps Jae's family? ***[a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg] does a great job again creating a voice for Cole that worms into you and pulls out of his bag of tricks a whole host of distinct characters seemingly without effort. The man is auditory gold.***
Re-Read
This was a re-read for me mostly because I just read “The Complications of T” which for some bizarre reason I hadn't read. Needless to say it lead me directly back to this and I loved it so much more the second time around so it's going up from 4 to 5. Part of that is that I just got the audio by Nick J. Russo and it's official: I'm getting a second job to have him read me everything from menus to instruction manuals. He's brilliant.
I also enjoyed all of the nuances in Rudie's character, how he's willing to be vulnerable and open but also strong and goes for what he wants. Lucky for James who, let's face it, has been a bit of a hypocrite at least with himself as far as his sexual desires. But I don't have it in me to judge someone else's reasons why. There are many and all valid. Happily James is now ready to make the leap and hopeful that things can go well. Rudie & James' HFN is well on the way to a believable HEA and I can just see James really getting into giving Rudie what he wants. Delicious.
This is a series in the loosest terms, more like a thematic thing. We hear briefly about Tim & Stuart from TCoT because it turns out James and Stuart are cousins.
My hope now is for the next installment. Fingers Crossed
Original Review
This was a sweet read. James Talbot is a successful actor whose life is less so and he is on his yearly retreat at The Frangipani hotel, which has seen better days, when his solitude is broken by the appearance of Rudie Brauer a German actor whom he is acquainted with but wouldn't' call a friend.
Suffice it to say that some beers lead to moments of emotional openness and James having to come to grips with attraction & lust for Rudie who is more than receptive, being an openly gay man who at one time harbored a crush for James.
More than panty melting sexy this was an intimate and emotional story and I liked it. James is a man at a crossroads in his life. Separated from his wife for two years & maybe on the wrong side of thirty which is no small problem in Hollywood and just feeling general ennui. Here comes Rudie showing him another possibility and that maybe if he comes out as gay the sky won't collapse. It is not strictly speaking a GFY story as James confesses to a series of encounters with men over the years, all of which he has fooled himself meant nothing as he was conveniently always under the bottle when they happened. But by the end of the story he is open to seeing where the road will lead him with Rudie and try something new and as a metaphor for James' life the author gives us the hotel which will be sold by the end of the season & the bungalows where he has stayed for years will be gone just like his old life.
In this HFN he decides to look into buying a new vacation condo on the island and is happily making plans for time spent there with Rudie and little else. I should add that Rudie is a sweetheart but in the end this is not his story, he's the catalyst that sets James on the road to living.
Wow! Color me chastened. I wasn't expecting to particularly love this “episode” but [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg], [a:Rhys Ford 4968409 Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308678470p2/4968409.jpg] and Cole McGinnis and I figured why not? Lesson learned! I freaking loved it.This book actually kicks off with the events at the end of book [b:Dirty Laundry 17560488 Dirty Laundry (Cole McGinnis, #3) Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362587276s/17560488.jpg 24490196] and then a good portion takes place during the time span of [b:Dirty Deeds 20345930 Dirty Deeds (Cole McGinnis, #4) Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388346214s/20345930.jpg 28365759] but not with much rehashing of that plot as this is about Bobby & Ichiro and how they get their HEA and it's fantastic. There is no mystery here, the action interior. The scary kind. The war inside to open up and take a risk in which you may lose everything you hold dear ... and yet there is no other choice. That's Bobby & Ichiro. On the surface they are polar opposites but they fit like a perfect puzzle in spite of or because of their emotional/familial luggage. They're afraid of coming together and disappointing Cole as he means so much to both for different reasons, but “the heart wants what it wants” and [a:Rhys Ford 4968409 Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308678470p2/4968409.jpg] made a believable case for these two and it was gorgeous. How can you not root for a HEA for Bobby who reads [a:Mary Calmes 3152411 Mary Calmes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473696272p2/3152411.jpg] and uploads her books to Cole's tablet and Ichiro a tattoo artist who decorates his body with his brothers' Chinese Zodiac symbols to keep them close. sigh I loved how we got to see Cole from other points of view. His strengths and faults. And what can I say about Claudia but that she is that voice of reason we all need.Lastly: [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg]. The man is a genius. His voices are perfect and distinct for every character. I love him so much that I gladly paid for the Audio separate as it was not available in Whispersync.
Crabby McCrabby Review
Well this happened ....
You know those illustrated, coffee-table quality cook books? The ones with the gorgeous photographs of the ingredients and the finished dishes? You look at them and you think “yes! this is going to be awesome!” and yet despite following all of the instructions to a T none of the recipes work out. I'll stop with the cooking/cook book analogy but that was this book for me. A big meh.
The good parts: Beautiful cover, no discernible errors in copy, and clearly professionally formatted & edited. Bravo. As for the story all of the principals are nice, good, and progressive people. There's no shaming anything, there's a bit of a flip on the traditional older/younger, bigger/smaller roles etc. Sadly all of the things that are “right” with the story are what made me not connect with it on an emotional level at all. Or maybe it was the way it was told.
Maybe Spoilerish from this point forth
At the age of 37 Samuel Bishop's life takes a sharp turn. After sending his daughter off to college he and his wife, Gayle, admit to each other that though they love each other they were never in love. As a way for both of them to ease into the dating pool they go to a key swap party and pretty much what you expect to happen happens. Both Gayle and Samuel meet people who will turn their lives around. In Samuel's case that happens to be Oliver Hughes a 22? up-and-coming model. Oliver is that now almost ubiquitous gay character in romance: physically slight, somewhat traditionally fem in his choice of clothing & make-up, and attracted to a bigger, older male, however he's no wilting flower in the bedroom. On the contrary he can be quite bossy. That's our Oliver, though his topyness is more alluded to than seen.
Everything else and everyone else suffered from an illness I like to call Aspirational Characters. Example: when Samuel first spots Oliver and his loins literaly stir he barely bats an eyelash. Granted we're told he'd felt attraction to men before meeting and marrying Gayle, but we also know that he's so good that he'd been nothing but a devoted father and husband in those 17 years. I'm thinking he might of had a moment, just a second, of soul searching. Nope. He's just mesmerized by Oliver's beauty. When he tells Gayle that he's now seeing a man, a way young one at that, again ... immediate understanding. His daughter is the only one who comes closest to manifesting anything but PC approved emotions and it lasts for about half a second.
Let us now talk about how insta everything is for everyone. Samuel & Oliver are exchanging “I love you” after a couple of weeks and apparently so are Gayle and her new man. And the pièce de ré·sis·tance is Samuel's very first bottoming with Oliver rimming and penetrative sex all in a premiere session and loving it. *doubts*.
There's a side story which I'd like to erase from my mind because it brought nothing to the story, which in my mind should be the developing relationship between Oliver & Samuel. Period. However since that story has zero conflict, the author has grafted on an absurd serial killer story. No thank you. Zero conflict relationship stories can still be rich territories to explore.
This didn't work for me but it was well written, hurts no one, and maybe will be someone else's cup of tea or mine on a different day. Who knows.
This was a very happy surprise. claps
The amnesia trope, the forced confinement with a stranger in an isolated cabin and the revenge plot all get a nice spin to great effect.
The story is told from Nathan's POV and this is perfect because we only know what he knows, we experience his fears, doubts and apprehensions. This makes the first half of the book quite gripping, mysterious and will keep you guessing. The second half is utterly romantic in the most wonderful way.
However what I most enjoyed about this book is that aside from the plot this story is about something else, it's about identity. About the paths we take and don't take in life. About family.
I'm dying to say so much more but don't want to ruin this nice surprise.
My only quibble is that I would've liked to know a bit more about Jason. Maybe next time. ;-)
Re-read 4/21/18**********If you read [b:Better Than Good 18048387 Better Than Good (Better Than, #1) Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1370743128s/18048387.jpg 25330069] you have to read this short. It's the perfect epilogue (I won't say ending EVER), to Matt & Aaron's love story and the true beginning of their HEA.I won't say much so as to not ruin this perfect story of how Matt and Aaron move on from dating to living together. We witness Matt growing in leaps and bounds, yet utterly realistically, as a boyfriend and a bi or gay man in a relationship with a loving, out and proud man i.e Aaron.Seeing Matt tackle small, but important things, like making dinner for Aaron to the big things like coming out to his family had me rooting for him and sporting a giddy smile all day.Do yourself a favor and don't miss this gem.How can we beg Lane to publish these stories???
3.75
Does it make me a bad person that a story set in a dystopian future Earth, where humans are living in what amounts to refugee camps, featuring an 18 y.o. virgin being subjected to non-con BDSM with two partners, who each hold very different style of “punishment”, that I found this story sweet and it even made me smile?
I would've rated higher if I got to know more about Black & Silver's world, what their ultimate intentions are, and why do they like human pets. I get how they were helpful to Benji, but what's the future for him? And is this even LGBT? Do we know know the gender of Black & Silver? They are “aliens” after all, and we only have Benji's perception of them as male. Who knows? It definitely made me curious.
Re-read 4/22/18**********
More Matt & Aaron *squee
The boys are spending their first Christmas as a couple and to say that Aaron is a bit obsessive about his decorations is putting things mildly. It comes as no surprise that the combination of a “shopping averse” Matt and an über fastidious Aaron looking for the perfect Christmas tree on a cold night will cause some friction. After running into a girl that Matt once dated but barely remembers Aaron gets snippy, Matt gets angry but ultimately a necessary conversation is had and our boys get to fully enjoy their Christmas. sigh
This is what I love about these stories and why I'm a proponent of Lane publishing them as a companion to [b:Better Than Good|18048387|Better Than Good (Better Than, #1)|Lane Hayes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1370743128s/18048387.jpg|25330069], each one furthers and grows the relationship between Matt & Aaron. They grow as a couple and learn each other's ticks and foibles and it all makes their love be on firmer ground and expand in true and meaningful ways.
Brava Lane!
3.75I got this because I've been on a short audio kick, and though I didn't totally love the AB by [a:Jerry L. Wheeler 2934317 Jerry L. Wheeler https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png], I was pleasantly intrigued by the concept of this story and its execution.James Daniels gets a fatal diagnosis (or does he?) and starts to reminisce about his life, mistakes along the way, and the one who got away. I won't get too much into the story because it's short but packs a full well rounded story. I'd heartily recommend it (read it if you prefer) and you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's particularly poignant for those past a certain age: the looking back at what could've been and the possibility of there being something more even at the end of the road.
2.75
We'll chalk this one up to Audible Package, which in my brain is FREE, and the Grand Finish-Series-You've-Started of 2019.
I have nothing bad or good to say about this book. It just was. Nothing offensive, which I might have appreciated to get the blood pulsing, or memorable. Two pretty boring dudes getting to know each other but doing the song & dance number “I don't do relationships”, each for different reasons. I'm not saying I didn't believe them ... I just didn't care much. At all. It was kind of nice to see a wee bit of Bryce & Nick.
The audio again was by Sean Crissden and I think he might have been just as bored, but I also kind of hated the voice he did for Rod and women in general. If I met a guy with Rod's voice we'd be ‘text only' friends.
Re-read 4/21/18*********Matt's continuing education as an out and proud gay man now that he Aaron are an established couple.This is a bit of a PSA for those who don't know what Pride is or what it means for those in the community and Aaron is a thorough but gentle teacher with some sexy thrown in for good measure.Matt won't be wearing boas and glitter any time soon and that's the beauty of the rainbow. Everyone has a place.As an extra bonus we get a little visit with Jay and Peter from [b:Better Than Chance 20338332 Better Than Chance (Better Than, #2) Lane Hayes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388281403s/20338332.jpg 41947269] and that's always a good thing. ;-)
3.5 Re-listen on 7/3/18 and rounded up because ... I did go back for seconds. That speaks for itself, right? Perfect little interlude for a trip to the supermarket or when you're out for a walk. My review stands.********This was going so good and then just ended. At the very least one more chapter was needed. I'm quite content with a HFN but this was just a prelude to what could be an interesting story. We're left with more questions than answers: what's Ryan's story really? what does he do? where are these two headed?A few good pages that suddenly end are way more annoying than a whole bad book. This is like a tease and denial situation. Still the audio by [a:Klaus von Hohenloe 15425372 Klaus von Hohenloe https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is perfect. small joys
I'm feeling accomplished! I've set out to finish series I've started and here I am. Done with this one. Yippee!!! Okay ... the book was fine. It lands comfortably between the first book, which I liked, and the the second, not so much. In this go around we have Drew and Justin who are related by marriage to Rod & Landon, from [b:Shifting Gears 30262695 Shifting Gears (Crossroads, #2) Riley Hart https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464037060s/30262695.jpg 48875268] and end up in the Bryce and Nick's friend circle. I must say I liked both of them. They're nice, fairly uncomplicated guys, particularly Drew, who is new to exploring his bisexuality but not tentative. He's pretty decisive about what he wants and isn't overly shy pursuing it. On the other hand I felt like [a:Riley Hart 7013384 Riley Hart https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1364660147p2/7013384.jpg], having broached some pretty heavy subjects, dealing with family, belonging, and loss, for Justin, has him resort too easily to “sex will cure everything” mode as opposed to having the difficult conversations, which can get ugly but are necessary. On the other hand we hear about EVERY reaction or internal thought one MC has about whatever the other one said. Trust the reader. We get it. Also Justin's father gets off way too lightly for what he's done. I wasn't feeling so “kumbaya, we are family” but I know I'm a spiteful creature. The audio, again by Sean Crissden, was okay??? No one was hurt and it filled my commute time, how's that?
This was sweet surprise. Thank you Audible Romance Package. :D Those allergic to vaginas might not warm to this, but for me, this being the story of two bi guys who find each other made it perfectly appropriate. At 15 Colt felt the stirrings of attraction for a male friend, but like most kids, he didn't feel comfortable, or know how to pursue those urges. Ten years later he's living life as a straight guy, casually dating a girl who thinks it would be hot to see him with another guy. Colt, being an accommodating boyfriend, and perhaps due to the lingering memory of his teen attraction, decides to do a video with a guy he finds on line, as gift for her. Life of course throws him a curveball in the form of a scorching attraction between himself and said guy, Jake/Sean.I liked how Colt worked out in his head, honestly, though not flippantly, what he was feeling and the author didn't rely on the everyday “oh no! I'm gay now, what will I do?” trope. Colt was understandably cautious, even while lusting, and embraced his bisexuality with minimum fuss. For his part Sean already new himself to be bisexual and was just primed for someone to waken him from feeling numb inside. Colt is that person. In this short novella the author did a good job of giving full and authentic lives to both MCs without overselling the story and [a:Tristan Josiah 17525309 Tristan Josiah https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does an excellent job of the AB.
2.75This is the second book in what, I surmise, is a spinoff series meant to take up the mantle of the Nick Williams Mysteries, because obviously Nick & Carter won't live forever. They're not vampires. If [b:The One He Waited For 34695427 The One He Waited For (Golden Gate Love Stories, #1) Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490592235s/34695427.jpg 55874221] was a companion piece to [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] and [b:The Amorous Attorney 40623889 The Amorous Attorney (A Nick Williams Mystery, #2) Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529853325s/40623889.jpg 51155447] this jumps forward to 2003 when Nick & Carter, already in their 80's charge Dr. Robert “Bob” Jenkins, a hydrologist, to find out why coral reef is dying off an island in the Pacific Ocean. To that extent they ship him on a freighter that will take him and a smaller vessel, manned by Captain Mario Ossler, near the shallow waters surrounding the island, so that he can test water and get samples. Once they reach the island a storm hits and the end up having to stay longer and there's some quasi forced proximity. They also find a house and some journals etc. I haven't read all of the NWM, but it's implied that perhaps Nick & Carter knew the owner of this retreat house, Henry Harkaway, a man from Australia, and that might be an interesting story. This one is not.The idea is to usher in Nick & Carter 2.0, but for me, the author has failed. No successful case is made for Bob & Mario as a couple. Bob is a sort of fuddy-duddy who I wouldn't mind as a BFF to a main character but somehow doesn't translate as a romance MC. And Mario? Ugh ... I kind of hated him. I really didn't see what Bob saw in him, aside from being tall, fit, and having some kind of Tarazan-like mane which Bob lurvs. He's a bit of an ass with a chip on his shoulders the size of a boulder and aside from Mario being a widower we don't really get why he has such a short fuse. All of these failings, IMO, makes the niggling stuff I've ignored in the Nick & Carter books, because of their charm, stand out in a non-complimentary way: the insta-love, which is almost like a predestination thing, the size difference, body type difference, etc. It's a pity and a bit of a loss opportunity because there's some writing about authentic people and experiences, like this:"He turned 50 last June. We had the same birthday. Both on the 25th. He was fifteen years older than me." Bob nodded but was quiet. "He was going bald. He had bright, blue eyes. He had a nice belly that I loved to rub. His laugh was infectious. He hated Bill Clinton but loved Hillary. He was good at darts but lousy at bowling. He never learned how to use a computer but he was good with a sextant. He was shorter and rounder than you and a good fuck."I want to meet that guy. Anyway ... maybe I'm being fussy and maybe you'll enjoy it. It could happen. Maybe.
I'll keep this brief. I'll try. This is an offshoot of the Nick Williams Mysteries, the beginning of new series, and the only unifying theme I can see is SUPER EXTRA INSTA LOVE, with Nick as nudger, pusher, and guiding force for the couples at hand. The insta is a prevalent quality in the NW Mysteries, and was a big component of Nick & Carter's relationship, but I didn't mind. Nick is such good company and so cantankerous that he cuts any kind of treacle. Sadly that's not the case here. Ben and Carlo are a couple who feature 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] and more prominently in [b:The Amorous Attorney 40623889 The Amorous Attorney (A Nick Williams Mystery, #2) Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529853325s/40623889.jpg 51155447]. In the first book Ben, who works for the police, is set up on a date with Carlo, a firefighter like Carter. Ostensibly it's meant as a ploy to get information from Ben about the raids on known gay establishments and the leaking to the press of such events. However all of that is sort of set aside and Nick moves on to other things. By the second book Ben & Carlo are enjoying a “honeymoon” in Ensenada, courtesy of Nick's deep pockets. This book sort of does a recap of both those books, but from Ben's POV, and solely to do with the relationship between him and Carlo. That would be fine save for the fact that these two are perhaps the most uninteresting people ever. I don't think I even mentioned them in my reviews for the other two books. I don't hate them and I think they may have an ongoing role in the rest of the series, and perhaps become more interesting, but I could've done without this book, brief as it was, or if needs be, a short story would've sufficed. Ben is an average height blond boy who fell into being a police officer as he could've been anything else. He really wants to work in Hollywood, not as an actor, and maybe that's something that will pan-out int the rest of the NW series. He's also a bit timid (we can't all be brave), obsessively clean & neat, and a tad judgey. Carlo is the son of an Italian family, who in the first three books, counting [b:An Enchanted Beginning 32067313 An Enchanted Beginning Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474157809s/32067313.jpg 52712435], touted his sexual prowess with women, and even got married! Of course it was only a matter of time until he “came out” and I thought perhaps we'd get a bit of that story here. Nope. Not a peep. He's built and tall like Carter, and something of a slob. When this story starts Carter knows he's part of their team ergo the set up with Ben. These two proceed to fall in love immediately. Over a weekend. Moving in together falling in love. Meet the parents who will disown you for loving a man falling in love. Yep. That happened. Still ....I can't be harsh, because I think that what the author is getting at is this notion that gay people have had to create their own family, safety, and happy out of whatever is available. Sad but honest. I think that the insta in this series goes down a little easier because clearly these stories (just check the title of this one) are premised on predestined love and also, for me, in a more realistic and pragmatic sense, the fact that at the time there wasn't a variety of partners to choose from. No dating apps. You had to be cautious about whom you could be open with. The consequences of a mistake could be fatal. They still are. So maybe, maybe, .... love the one you're with wasn't such an outrageous thing. Anyway ... you can read this as an extra to the NW mysteries or not. On it's own? I don't see it working too well for those who haven't read at least the first two books.