Annery

There are several tings that, for me, this author does really well: tell stories set in NYC, where the City is more than just a setting, portray Jewish characters front and center, with all their cultural diversity, and tell love stories about adults who, even though past their 30s, are still trying to figure out how navigate romantic relationships. [b:The Promise 52187084 The Promise (Lost in New York, #2) Felice Stevens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583590842l/52187084.SY75.jpg 77127558] delivers on those fronts and I liked it but I couldn't love it. Why? I spent a good portion of the book wanting to smack Monroe “Roe” Friedman, one of MC, upside the head.Ezra and Roe were high school sweethearts who got separated when Ezra's parents moved their family from NYC to California. Plans to keep in contact and eventually have their own HEA are sabotaged, they lose touch for 23 years until Ezra moves back to NYC and tries to reconnect with Roe. I LOVED Ezra. So hard. I liked his resilience, his dedication to his friends and clients (he's an agent), his willingness to put himself out there even though he's up to the brim with fears & self-doubt. He persists. He's a good person. Monroe? Maybe not so much. Monroe is the therapist who leads the support group Lost in New York where Presley & Nate, from [b:Fool for Love 50992941 Fool for Love (Lost in New York #1) Felice Stevens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580785181l/50992941.SY75.jpg 75519104], met. He's a psychologist counseling people on grief and loss and yet he's totally myopic when it comes to his own relationships. I know that this is a THING and why doctors & attorneys shouldn't care for their own or themselves but IMO Roe takes it a step too far. He's perpetually judging, second guessing, and undermining anything Ezra says. Unwilling to see the other side. The “woe is me” song and dance goes on a bit too long and it just made me wonder if Ezra was just hanging on to an adolescent dream. Eventually he sort-of-kind-of came around but his “poor me” stretch just gave me a chance to remember that I didn't quite like him in the first book where he flirted with Presley who was going to his support group for grief counseling. Uh ... NO. On the plus side the rest of the characters, the setting, and Ezra are great. There are appearances and mentions of characters from other series by the author but it's not necessary to have read them to enjoy this one.

4.75Loved, loved, loved this! A true age gap story exquisitely narrated by [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Kel is 24 y.o. and he's been living truly & metaphorically under the yoke of his religiously intolerant parents. They love him but expect him to conform to the life plan they've set out for him, something that Kel is trying, albeit gingerly, to shake with varying degrees of success. When tragedy strikes Kel finds himself unable to cope and is dangerously close to losing himself until his kindly neighbor steps in. Luc is said neighbor. One who doubles Kel in age and has known him since birth. There is some level of kink in this book but not the bad-wrong type. Instead, to my eyes, it read like a honest portrayal of the development of a relationship between a confident, secure, & mature man and a perhaps younger than his years, shy & inexperienced one. I loved the how caring and mindful of Kel's needs Luc was and that he didn't take for granted that Kel would bend to his will. I liked seeing Kel bloom under Luc and figure out what he liked and that it was okay to like those things. I was so happy with how the relationship developed, Luc being a natural caregiver and Kel being so in need of guidance & reassurance that the final step into Daddy territory seemed kind of unnecessary, IMO the labeling was redundant. My other niggle (why short of a full 5 stars) was that Luc kind of disappointed me sticking to the trait that I find most annoying in Doms: when it comes to brass tacks they're the weaker part of the equation leaving the heavy lifting to the subs. He waited for Kel to speak of love first under the excuse of not wanting to pressure him but me thinks is because he didn't want to say it first and be shot down by a younger man. Coward. Rant over. The other thing I LOVED was that ridiculously gorgeous cover which I'm guessing was made to order or the reverse as the description of the characters matches the models perfectly.

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.

So you know that thing we always say: ”{insert name of your favorite narrator/voice performer} can read me the phone book and I'd be happy”? Turns out it's not true. Live and learn. I got this book solely because it's narrated by two of my favorites, [a:Kale Williams 15569309 Kale Williams https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] & [a:Sebastian York 7266223 Sebastian York https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png], what could go wrong? Everything. As usual YMMV but my level of enjoyment was nil. One of the stars is for the narrators who did the best they could

... and this is how you do it.If you'd asked me if I'd like a series about Hollywood types I would've said no, yet here I am 5 books later and wishing there was one or two more. Never say never.[a:Tibby Armstrong 4141522 Tibby Armstrong https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532577446p2/4141522.jpg] brings Greg & Aaron to a logical conclusion in their long running relationship or more accurately Aaron comes to realize that they've been carrying on a BDSM-style relationship and wants to a) learn more about & how to do it right and b) name it. Greg was already cognizant of this but saw no need to label it or talk about. He just enjoyed the game. The story happens in 3 days over a 6 month period where Aaron lays out what he wants the relationship to be and Greg has to decide if he's on board with Aaron's plans.Overall I liked the progression of Greg & Aaron's relationship, though I am in Greg's camp of “why do we have to label it” I understand Aaron's need to give what the do structure and a safety net. I wasn't too thrilled with the revelation that Aaron is/has always been some kind of sadist, IMO there hadn't been any intimation of that. Rather I always felt it was something he did for Greg. Anyway ... I did like how things didn't go as Aaron expected and Greg continued to be Greg. It seems to me that the new arrangement will also have bumps but that's what makes this series seem realistic. There haven't been any smooth HEA or cookie cutter characters. The narration by [a:Noah Michael Levine 7056713 Noah Michael Levine https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was aces and I'd recommend it to anyone.

This series has been one of the happier surprises I've had in a good while. I really like how the author has followed these two couples and the progress of their respective relationships without contrived issues but rather realistic ones. I could go on reading about them for a good long while and be happy. Sadly there's only one book left. Kit & Jeremy have been together for 3 years and in that time Jeremy's star has ascended in the Hollywood firmament to action star levels whereas Kit is stuck, unable to get the roles he hopes for, and feeling that Jeremy doesn't need him anymore. Part of his professional stagnation has to do with the events in [b:Acting Out 13530038 Acting Out (Hollywood #2) Tibby Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331492382l/13530038.SX50.jpg 19091090] and part the difficult transition from teen heartthrob to adult roles. The problems they face, including a snake in the garden, are realistic and well handled, within the constraints of a novella length book. I liked that sex didn't fix everything, but rather hard conversations and our boys come out stronger and knowing one another on a far deeper level. And here's a surprise: I loved Greg!!! [a:Noah Michael Levine 7056713 Noah Michael Levine https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] performed some kind of alchemy where I can't fathom these guys if not through his voice.

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.

4.5Well damn! I got this series basically because I needed an audio and we had a bit of a bumpy start. Greg wasn't my favorite MC, the basic story in [b:No Apologies 29217197 No Apologies (Hollywood, #1) Tibby Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455796064l/29217197.SX50.jpg 15917825] seemed at times a bit much, and the narration was just ok. Now I'm hooked and loving every book. I bow to [a:Tibby Armstrong 4141522 Tibby Armstrong https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532577446p2/4141522.jpg] for having a vision and sticking to it and to [a:Noah Michael Levine 7056713 Noah Michael Levine https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] who breathed life to four very different men.If like me you had issues with Greg in the first book this one's for you. We get a clearer/truer version of his life with Aaron and of Greg himself. I actually felt for him, but what I loved most was that the author didn't change him from being a prickly ass who needs Aaron to keep him in check. He didn't become a rainbow & unicorns kind of guy. He's a creative hard ass who also loves hard and unconditionally. The author shows a relationship plausibly and logically growing. Aaron realizes who Greg really is and all the ways Greg has been brave and unflagging in his love for Aaron, how Aaron has been shielded from society's ugly face when it comes to LGBTQ people mainly because he presents as masc and is an easy going guy and Greg has not because he's a porcupine. Porcupines need love too. Aaron finally comes face to face with some hard truths. By the end of this book it's a New Day for Aaron & Greg. A better one because they finally see each other for who they truly are or are striving to be. I love that Greg & Aaron, and to some extent Kit & Jeremy, carry on sexual dynamics that can fall within the BDSM spectrum without calling it anything. It's just what works for them and I'd venture to say that it's accurate of most couples. No label needed.

sigh I decided to reread this as rumor has it that Bk.3 may be coming out soon and I'm so glad I did. I grew up on a steady staple of Mexican & Venezuelan telenovelas and I loved them but I vividly remember when I finally laid eyes & ears on the Brazilian soaps. They were just ten steps ahead in terms of acting, tackling RL issues, and story telling. You got more than ‘Cinderella and Prince Charming meet, face obstacles from the meanies, and live HEA. This story by [a:Taylor V. Donovan 4959678 Taylor V. Donovan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480953309p2/4959678.jpg] reminded me of those Sonia Braga days in the best of ways, and that's my convoluted way of saying I loved this even when wanting to repeatedly smack some sense into Sam.If you don't know this is a big, sprawling ensemble piece about a group of queer men, their friends, and acquaintances, how we're all interconnected, hence the Six Degrees angle. The main couple are Sam & Mac who superficially couldn't be more different but who in reality are not. They both share a deep sense of loyalty and devotion to their loved ones, they're looking for connection, though Sam is in the ‘lying-to-himself' phase because of reasons, and they're apparently sex monkeys. I'm not complaining. I also love, love, love that the L word hasn't yet uttered. I'm ornery like that. Sam is a busy, busy, busy bee as head of an FBI Task Force dedicated to crimes against the LGBT community and dealing with complicated personal & family issues. When the book opens he's in the midst of tracking a serial killer. It's the most inconvenient time to fall in lust but one look in a crowded airport at the smile of the tall drink of Texan water that is Mac O'Bannon and Sam is toast. He denies this. sets up rules and boundaries, often in a terse bordering on rude fashion, and Mac abides by them, but it's hopeless. One encounter leads to another, intimacies seep into a ONLY SEX relationship, and even when Sam lobs hurtful comments to try and stave off the crumbling of his walls it's a moot cause. He undermines himself because he can't help but want to be Mac's guide as an out and proud gay man. Mac's known forever that he's gay but to please his family and holding on to a scummy lover who treated lower than dirt Mac has remained a bit of a sexual novice and socially even worse. That's all about to end and Sam wants, nay needs to be the one to open doors for Mac. I love how naive these two are (mostly Sam) about keeping their relationship as friends with bennies, not even friends going by Sam's original plans. You know what they say about plans? I also love how giving they are to each other without turning to mush. Mac particularly knows how to coax Sam without seeming like he's doing anything which is the best approach for the prickly bear that is Sam. While Mac & Sam are the main draw in this book the whole cast shines and I'm eagerly awaiting to see their stories develop as they are all charming and interesting in their very own way. Yes, I am talking about Logan, but after reading [b:Southern Winterland 13082148 Southern Winterland (By Degrees, #0.5) Taylor V. Donovan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1321733857l/13082148.SY75.jpg 18251682] I'm super curios about Chris & Remy too. As for the mystery I'm fairly confident that I know the who and the why, though I'm ready to be surprised, but I'm mostly eager to see the how the team trails him and how his actions affect everyone. Keeping all limbs crossed for future installments.

Here's a case for perseverance. I didn't love Bk.1 in this series but I decided to go on and I'm glad I did. I really liked this one.I'd say that reading/listening to Bk.1 is helpful in setting up the story though not strictly necessary. [b:Acting Out 13530038 Acting Out (Hollywood #2) Tibby Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331492382l/13530038.SX50.jpg 19091090] is the story of the filming of the movie we saw/see in [b:No Apologies 36117928 No Apologies (Hollywood Book 1) Tibby Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503606441l/36117928.SX50.jpg 15917825]. The story this time is about Kit & Jeremy, the leads in Greg Falkner's autobiographical coming out movie, and life imitates art. Kit, a former teen idol hoping to transition or restart his career in adult or prestige roles is cast in the role of Aaron, while Jeremy, an absolute newcomer, down to his las penny, lucks into the role of Greg, partly because of his strong resemblance to Greg, but also because of his raw talent. Filming turns out to be an education for both of these young men. Jeremy is out but knows very little about how to navigate life in Hollywood. Kit has grown up in the industry but finds himself at loss feeling attracted to Jeremy. They help each other out and though their relationship echoes some aspects of Aaron & Greg they're their own people, which I really appreciated. I loved how they complemented each other, how Kit's laid back nature tempered Jeremy's hotheadedness and how Jeremy forced Kit to face his inner fears & demons. The sexual attraction felt real and palpable. I really liked these two, how they showed care for each other, but if I had to pick one I'd lean towards Kit. How can you not love a man who bakes when he's feeling stressed? If you read the first book you get to see more of Greg & Aaron but mostly Greg and I can't say I like him any better. Every person deserves their own love story and I guess Aaron loves Greg but I'm still not sure why. He's still pretty insufferable, of course under the guise of brilliant artist but to me he was more than a bit of a dick. Regardless I'll go on with the series hoping to see more of Jeremy & Kit and I'll give Greg another chance. LOL

EDIT 5/14/20 AFTER FINISHING THE WHOLE SERIESWhile I stand by my review, it's what I thought/felt after reading this first book, I'd encourage anyone who felt so-so to go on. You won't regret it.************3.5This was a weird book and one I only went into because I wanted an AB for “busy-hands” chores and this is part of Audible Escape package so kind of free? The AB itself by [a:Noah Michael Levine 7056713 Noah Michael Levine https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is serviceable. The story by [a:Tibby Armstrong 4141522 Tibby Armstrong https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1532577446p2/4141522.jpg] held potential but the execution didn't quite work for me.I was intrigued by the way this story started. After 10 years together a couple has come to an impasse. One, Aaron, is a movie producer and the other, Greg, a screenwriter. Aaron is tired of Greg hiding their relationship, by Greg being in the closet. Greg has been working on a film, that is closely based on how they came to be together as 18 & 19 y.o. The bulk of the book is them watching the movie about fictional Aaron & Greg in a military school. Greg is bullied, mostly because he has a more than prickly personality, for reasons, but he's also just annoying. Movie Aaron ends up becoming Greg's protector and inexplicably falls for him. It's a fairly standard NA with explicit sex, which I'm not knocking, but I found it hard to believe that Aaron who's had sex with like two girls is suddenly and unerringly not only leading the way in gay sex but also exhibiting traits of being a sexual Dominant without ever having contemplated gay sex or questioned his sexuality. And Greg pretty much submits to him. I'm sure every person who ends up in some kind of kink relationship starts somewhere but I'm pretty sure too that they don't pop out of the box knowing stuff perfectly. I mean Aaron hasn't even heard of Nirvana, doesn't know what a twink is or anything much at all because his parents are strict Southern Baptists! Everything else about the fictional couple is OTT: everyone in school is horrible, from teachers to every classmate, their individual families, save for a grandmother and an uncle, are crap, and Greg's post graduation adventure is pretty ludicrous in the details. All of the above is sort of shrug worthy but the bigger problem is that the ‘movie' is 80% or more of the book. We get to know fictional Aaron & Greg maybe more than we wish but know very little about RL Aaron & Greg as most everything in the movie is fiction. I found myself zero invested in them and their HEA. The other thing is that Greg has made the movie as a mea culpa to Aaron and IMO it's too little too late and sort of a crappy way to make amends. It turns out RL Aaron is a pushover and not a Dominant at all! See what I mean. We know almost nothing about the supposed MCs of this book. Anyway ... the rest of the series is on AE so I may listen to it while I walk or do dishes. Apparently I'm like Aaron.

This was a happy surprise! Quinn Donahue is hiding in a “pushing 30 party boy” persona. He has a one-time-only, quasi anonymous, hook-up policy and it's as joyless (and sometimes dangerous) as it sounds. The point isn't fun but a chance at oblivion. It's not working and his plans are further subverted when he meets 22 y.o. Aaron Miller. Aaron is tall, blond, from a family of equestrians, a virgin, and the embodiment of goodness. After one encounter he becomes fixated on Quinn, not in a creepy sort of way but in a way that Quinn's armor doesn't stand a chance of resisting.I really loved the setting at farm and the horses and how they so aptly represented Quinn. Like horses Quinn needed the gentle but steady hand that Aaron and the rest of the Millers offer. I liked how both Quinn and Aaron did what they thought was best for the other. That translated into a super slow burn with Aaron pining for Quinn and Quinn on the journey to accepting that maybe he is deserving of Aaron and his love. These boys are unapologetically Canadian suggesting a shower before rimming? a breath of fresh air and I loved it. I did this as an audio and production-wise this could use some tweaks but I loved [a:Robert Nieman 1338008 Robert Nieman https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s warmhearted delivery which overcomes his occasional odd pauses and, metaphorical, hiccups.

I've started and deleted about ten sentences trying to start this review. I'm feeling conflicted but here go my thoughts. It might get long, and slightly spoilerish. Sorry. This is the fifth book in the Promises Series, and I guess it's meant as a reset and introduction to a new generation of hunters for Duke's Bail Bonds. That makes sense as the original guys are aging out and settling down with their honeys. I'm down for that. Between [a:A.E. Via 7354860 A.E. Via https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392500556p2/7354860.jpg]'s relentless (in a good way) romanticism and [a:Aiden Snow 14257884 Aiden Snow https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]'s top notch delivery this series has grown on me, sometimes despite myself, and I've been generally happy. I'm not sure about the new guys.The new recruits to DBB are Tyrell “Ty” Jenkins and Kellam “Kell” Knight brought in by Brian and Quick respectively. They've both gotten to 27 or 28 still flailing in the pond of life searching for ...? I'm not quite sure what, but when they meet they fit the mold of insta-lust/insta-lust/fated-mates, a given in shifter books, which doesn't overly bother me, but this isn't a shifter story. Kell is a poor little rich boy who was abandoned to his own devices when he came out to his rich politician father. We never see said parent or other family again. He'd been a student in Quick's dojo and was, to some extent, taken under Quick's wing and has become a martial arts master. Meanwhile Ty's father was Brian's commander and fellow cave dweller during his captivity in Afghanistan. Since his father's death, when he was sixteen, Ty has spent his life trying to care for his mother as his father would have, she was evidently so sheltered by his brand of love that she found it impossible to buckle up and care for her son after her husband's death. (major side eye) This has translated into Ty living in the ‘hood so that his mother can live in comfort. He's also looking for his own queen befitting a king like himself. Yep. When Ty and Kell meet that's it. In the course of a month or two we get a forever love story with wedding bells included. My problems with this story are many but the main one is the character of Ty. It pains me and I'm conflicted because in a note at the beginning of the book the author states that he's based on her recently deceased brother. How can I find fault with him? I'm so sorry but ....We're introduced to Ty as he goes about his job of delivering ‘goods' for Cheddar. As you can imagine Cheddar is not exactly a businessman who's on the up & up and that's fine except that Ty is more than a bit sanctimonious. He's been celibate for the last two years and has dedicated a fair amount of that time to finding his Queen. Ty has a running inner monologue of his father's teachings, mostly based on Muslim beliefs (his father was a Kenyan so I don't know where the surname Jenkins comes from) and his own cobbled together life dictums. They mostly amount to being judgemental of women who dress skimpily, have sexual agency, and men who don't conform to Ty's notions of manhood. I won't say I disagree with some of his assessments, but IMO he's far from being without sin. He works for Cheddar! This search for a woman who conforms to a Muslim or conservative Christian ethos of modesty is fine, I guess, to each their own, but Ty should be doing something else too. He went to prep school and two years of college but somehow his job is delivering stuff for Cheddar? I don't buy it. Kell is cut from the same cloth as Ty. He went to prep school too but since graduating HS has been subsisting on teaching a few classes in Quick's Dojo and that's it. Why? To my knowledge there are quite a few things one can work at, particularly being a white, prep school educated man. This notion of Kell scraping by in a bad neighborhood seems more like a plot device to make Kell fit fully in the ‘damsel-in-distress' mold, ripe to be rescued by Ty. I know that Kell says he's competent to care for himself and we get scenes of him whipping out his martial arts expertise to the detriment of bigger, brawnier guys but he falls like limp noodles to Ty's every request.I'm reluctant to criticize relationships for the roles each partner chooses to take or the ones they're comfortable in. We love what we love. I cut my romance teeth on what are now considered “problematic rapey bodice rippers” and I still love them, but this gave me niggles. Kell has long blond tresses but is otherwise hairless on his body. He walks around covered, almost cloaked, dressed in black because he's a ninja and to avoid problems with neighborhood thugs who taunt him for looking like a girl, for being pretty. Sure. Actually, it read as Kell physically representing the type of woman Ty wants. Pure. Modest. Demure. No wonder that despite not previously identifying as gay or even curious Ty jumps right in. Kell is everything he wants, and willing to follow him two steps behind if necessary. He's even a virgin. Again, though not being my jam, to each their own: follow your own moral code that doesn't harm others, follow your God without denying others the dignity, rights, and choice to not believe, pair up in (dated) heteronormative roles of male & female behaviour, or D/s without the BDSM component. I'm peachy fine with all of it. But Ty's Holier-Than-Thou attitude, even with the DBB guys, was off putting to say the least. Sadly I've found this to be the case with most True Believers in anything. Moral certainty (save the obvious things) is dangerous territory and one I prefer to visit seldomly. For the rest, aside from being kind-of smart young men, I didn't see the wow factor in these two for Duke and the others to be so impressed by them. I'm sure they'll grow into their jobs but two months in? They were okay. Clever but not reinventing the wheel or anything close. Also one nice, decent person in Ty and Kell's respective ‘hoods wouldn't have come amiss. Poverty isn't equal to meanness. As for the romance it rested on Kell allowing Ty to be THE MAN in ALL things: Ty will provide a home, protection, and food. Kell will remain covered in the presence of others, follow Ty'slead, and cook. They even wait for marriage to fully consummate their union so don't expect much smex. That's fine. We all pick our paths but I'm pretty sure this is the type of relationship now widely pilloried in the MF romancelandia world of empowered women. I don't care. Just saying. Anyway that's enough rambling to say that this didn't work for me due to the MCs and we got very little of the previous guys which would've been a balm for me. As usual YMMV but I think even [a:Aiden Snow 14257884 Aiden Snow https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] couldn't inject excitement into this. I'll read more from this author but this was just not a good fit for me.

... and so we begin

AB on 6/26/20 - 6/27/20I just revisited this little gem in audio and it was brilliant. [a:Liam DiCosimo 20244841 Liam DiCosimo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does a perfect job not only with distinct character voices but, like all great narrators, enhances the story by bring the emotion to the fore. My feelings on the story remain the same. I loved it.******************* I read a short story iteration of this and I'm super happy that [a:Onley James 19283434 Onley James https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562751774p2/19283434.jpg] decided to amplify the narrative. It went from a slightly taboo, super hot amuse-bouche to a tale with depth about two broken people fitting into each other's cracks and making each other whole, despite the seeming chasm between them. Cal and Gideon meet under less than auspicious circumstances and yet the spark between them is palpable on page and fierce. After losing everything Cal needs solid ground and Gideon is the right person to provide it, though it takes him a minute to get with the program. Once he does he's ALL IN. No one touches Gideon's property and Cal is his Boy body and soul. I liked how the author made this more than a series of sex scenes between a Dom and his boy. She incorporated stories from recent headlines giving reality to this world (think Madoff and the recent college admissions scandal) and treating them seriously. The villains did feel multitudinous, omniscient, and omnipotent, but sometimes the world feels like that. I like how Cal awakening to his submissiveness is organic and believable but he didn't lose himself as person. I really liked, in a heartbreaking way, the glimpse into Gideon's past. I'd say I like to read it but I'd be crying and furious at once. I'll just hate Grant for him and feel better. My other favorite character? Alexa, the best girl EVER.This story went beyond what I expected in all the best ways. I'm thinking Cal & Gideon's HEA is not only well deserved but that it will be long lived, full of all sorts of sexy times, and joyful.

At 24 y.o. Mitchell Wellington has been knocked hard by life. His parents died shortly after he started college and Evan, his first and only boyfriend, unfurled his true colors revealing the abusive and controlling human turd he truly was, isolating Mitch from the world and using him in ways both painful and degrading without Mitch's consent. Wrapping himself in scraps of courage Mitch escapes to Chicago hoping to hide in the anonymity of a big city and trying, for the first time, to function on his own as an adult.

Jenson Delaney is a renowned movie star who at 40 y.o. is looking to find the same kind of success in his personal love life. He's a Dom and until now hasn't had issues sharing Boys with others, being a third, but he's yearning for something of his own. Some love & domesticity.

Luckily, Mitchell is me driving, and in a panic swerve to avoid hitting a dog hits Jenson's car. The two meet, and it's a sweet, slow burn, hurt/comfort, and sexy road to HEA. I liked it very much.

Mitchell's journey from an abused young man, whose sense of self-worth has been crushed to the ground to someone who's finally able to stand on his own two feet, albeit or thanks to, the help of friends and a real lover is poignantly and realistically portrayed. That he is able to achieve this within the parameters of a BDSM relationship (mostly D/s) is a love note to an expression of sexuality that is often misunderstood and a testament to how strong & courageous Mitch really is. We also get Jenson as the embodiment of what we hope a partner will be: loving, patient, and all about consent.

Jenson never forces anything on Mitch, his help or love are not subject to conditions. He lets Mitch take every step on his own, lets him decide even when he should probably push, but when Jenson is Mitch's Dom there is no mistake about who's in charge. Perfect.

I liked all the friends that come into play, the ones who are clearly set up for future books, and the ones who are just part of this world. I liked that though Mitch found Jenson, or the other way around, Mitch very much saved himself in every way that counts and got someone to love & love him in return too.

Recommended

File this under “things-I-find-on-my-phone” and I'm glad I did. I wanted something manageable in time and content to entertain my ears while I did a jigsaw puzzle and this pulled me through on both fronts. [a:Karen Stivali 5170527 Karen Stivali https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1315009861p2/5170527.jpg] delivers a a sweet NA about to college roommates finally acting on their desire for each other. Collin and Tanner have shared a dorm for a while but haven't progressed beyond superficial friendship. They're very different. Collin is the son of a tight knit, conservative, Irish Catholic family. The idea of being attracted to men is something he can't allow himself to contemplate for the very real fear of losing his family. Hell, Collin isn't even comfortable being nude alone, save for the shower! Tanner is the son of NYC theatrical people and has recently come out as bi, though not to Collin. These two have been secretly lusting after each other and a fortuitous masturbation session spills all the beans. What follows is the boys having all the loving behind closed doors, Collin struggling with how much he's ready to reveal to his family & the world, and Tanner being patient but also getting antsy. It's sweet, seriously HOT, and narratively consistent with age of the characters. There was a bit of a rush to feelings towards the end that IMO could've been postponed for later installments (there seem to be 3 books with Collin & Tanner). The draw for me was [a:Robert Neiman 386292 Robert Neiman https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s warm and sexy voice but the story drew me in. Sadly I happen to somehow own bk.4 but not #2 & #3. Ugh. I'll be heading over to Audible and dropping my shekels.

This is a lovely little extra on the author's website. It's the final scene in [b:Think of England 20822874 Think of England (Think of England, #1) K.J. Charles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392588466l/20822874.SX50.jpg 40168913] extended and told from Daniel's POV. Just swoony and a warm hug for all the fans of these two great characters.

Once again I couldn't write up a review when I finished and this could all be a jumble of words which all translate to: I LOVED THIS. I knew [a:K.J. Charles 7123498 K.J. Charles https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1418032373p2/7123498.jpg] would be a favorite author and I haven't been let down. The anglophile in me is thrilled. I have always been a fan of historical, but when I started my career as a romance reader it was mostly Regency to early Victorians with a bit of Georgian and a dash of medieval. I'm really enjoying these Edwardians. I always read them with my heart in my throat, knowing the characters will soon be faced by the horror of WWI, and yet enjoying this waning days of the Empire kind of vibe. Like in [b:Proper English 44420645 Proper English K.J. Charles https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554298689l/44420645.SY75.jpg 68974183] we have another Country House party hosted by some pretty unsavory characters. The guests are there for pleasure, except two. Archibald “Archie” Curtis, a former Captain in His Majesty's army is looking for answers as to who is responsible for the defective munitions that caused him to be injured & disabled, but more importantly lose friends and comrades under his command during the second Anglo-Boer war. The other is Daniel Da Silva, an effete Bloomsbury poet and aesthete, or is he? The two couldn't be more different temperamentally, physically, or anything else but they soon discover that they do have common ground. Quite a lot in fact.I won't get into the plot save to say that I loved how the author didn't make Archie's reactions anachronistically PC just because he's a decent man. His initial reactions to Daniel align with how many in “high society” viewed (and infuriatingly still do) an overtly mannered man, a Jew, and someone who's name proclaims them to be “foreign”. Upon first meeting Daniel Archie thinks of him as a pansy and an “unspeakable creature” (that one made me laugh). However he soon realizes there's more to him, that Daniel is like one of his poems, which Archie stumbles upon: “These poems were full of broken glass and water -which was not clean water - and scaly things that moved in the dark.” I also like that this was in no way a GFY scenario but more like Archie coming into his own and finally being able to honestly see what was before his eyes the whole time. What to say about Daniel Da Silva but that he's the bravest soul around. Never hiding his true self, but ever practical, and using his intellect to slice through societal hypocrisy and stricture. However he never envisioned a force like Archie, a man without guile or artifice. A person who means what he says and does what he means. What a novel concept. When Archie & Daniel come together sparks fly and they bring out the best in each other. Still I loved how the author left their relationship at a plausible stage given the time elapsed in the story. It's like the ending of Casablanca brimming with possibilities.If you read Proper English you'll be delighted to see Fen & Pat again and if not you'll be curious about them and should run and read their story. I paired the book with the AB by [a:Tom Carter 137976 Tom Carter https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and I couldn't recommend it more. He perfectly captures the speech inflections of British public school boys and Daniel's range from party remarks used as a scalpel to when he's bared emotionally to Archie. My only problem now is nervous anticipation of the next book. Soon?

Psst ... here's an embarrassing secret: this is my first FF and my first [a:K.J. Charles 7123498 K.J. Charles https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1418032373p2/7123498.jpg]. hangs head in shame KJC is one of those authors that for a host of reasons I've known I'm going to like or even love, in fact I own quite a number of her books, but keep postponing the reading of them. It's mystifying and it ends now. I loved this story and the audio by [a:Bella Lowe 19656285 Bella Lowe https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is aces. In a way it was return to basics for me: An Edwardian Country House PartySecrets and otherwise uncomfortable facts are revealed at the worst dinner parties everRomantic entanglements ensueA murder occurs, everyone has a motive, and everyone is suspectThis read to me like a mix of [a:Patricia Veryan 68595 Patricia Veryan https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png], [a:Georgette Heyer 18067 Georgette Heyer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1336748892p2/18067.jpg], and a dash of [a:Agatha Christie 123715 Agatha Christie https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1321738793p2/123715.jpg] and I was a happy camper. The characters are smart, with properly English Dry humor, and even when they're falling in love they remain themselves. I love how the author portrays them warts and all. The Merton siblings have a permanent place in my heart. Bill and Pat are people you want in your corner when the house is on fire. Jimmy is all heart which sometimes lead him to serious blunders, but I kept rooting for him and Bill, I hope to read about them in further books, however my absolute favorite was Fen. She's an absolute gem and Pat didn't stand a chance in her presence. Surrendering with grace was her only option.

I'm grateful for the day I picked up [b:Among the Living 5603414 Among the Living (PsyCop, #1) Jordan Castillo Price https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375991614l/5603414.SX50.jpg 5774782] because it was the gateway to a great writer and IMO one of the best series around. What [a:Jordan Castillo Price 268722 Jordan Castillo Price https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1325364144p2/268722.jpg] has done is trace not just the love story of two unique individuals but, more importantly, one man's sometimes tortuous, but always relatable, journey from abandoned boy to a (as of this installment) forty year old man who's finally coming to terms with his past and his true worth. The interesting cases and compelling cast of characters that people the PsyCop universe are just gravy as is [a:Gomez Pugh 8435087 Gomez Pugh https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s always masterful performance in the audiobooks. You should really read them in order to get a whole picture, each installment is like a step in a ladder. You won't regret it. In this outing Jacob & Vic are racing to find the source of a drug that's killing the psych community, working on an ongoing case, and trying to figure out when/how to bring about their wedding. Along the way Vic continues to deal with his past, seeing it through the prism of his new experiences, and still a bit dumbfounded that people trust his abilities without question and that he does too. Vic coming into his power is a beautiful thing, particularly since he continues to be such an empathetic person. Another thing that makes this series so great is the incorporation of storylines for characters who would just be part of the background elsewhere. For those who've been following along you know about Jackie and the development in her story had my eyes watering. I'll say no more but leave you with this quote, the love here is strong and unwavering:“But Jacob ... if it's ever a choice between me and you ... it's gotta be me.”He knew exactly what I meant. If someone's gotta go ... “Why would you say something like that?”“You have family.”He balled my jacket in his fist. “Damn it, Vic, so do you. I am your family.”We sized each other up with our bloody eyeballs, Jacob and me. Each of us aching to throttle the other. Both of us breathing raggedly, waterlogged with emotion. When our mouths crashed together, it was more in desperation than love. A realization that neither one of us was invincible.And neither was expendable.

*3.75Review for all 3 booksI decided to review this as a whole because, though split into three (3) parts or five (5), counting the prequel [b:Family by Fate 42989897 Family by Fate (The Accidental Master #0.5) M.A. Innes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543529102l/42989897.SY75.jpg 66823990] and Orlando, a sort of extended epilogue included in the AB of the complete series, it's one story. This another of [a:M.A. Innes 15179896 M.A. Innes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612039247p2/15179896.jpg]'s vanilla-kink stories that hits the spot when you want sweet with a nod & wink towards kink, like right now. [a:Kenneth Obi 17596815 Kenneth Obi https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s delivery is the necessary cream on top. Cooper and Sawyer are two boys who, after graduating from high school, found themselves discarded by their families. Four years down the road they've made themselves into their own family of two and along the way have embraced their preferred kink: puppyhood. The only hitch is that they're both subs and need/want a Master. After a screw-up with an ad they come into contact with Jackson a forty-something who owns an actual dog training business. One things leads to another and they find they're each what the other needs, even what they didn't know they wanted As usual with this author, she gives us a story with a kink or composition that can quite frankly be weird or taboo and render it like a mainstream contemporary MM romance complete with HEA and more loving than angst. Not an easy feat. She gives us believable romance and credible insight into the why of a preferred lifestyle all wrapped up with good intentions & humor. In the Innes world there are more good than bad people in the world, even when they express themselves inartful ways. I agree. Cooper, Sawyer, and Jackson complement each other's empty spaces and I was okay with that. Probably my favorite of them was Sawer, who thinks and deliberates his actions, Cooper is more of an eternal optimist who always sees the glass as half full, which is nice, but he's also hopped up on boundless energy which I'd find exhausting in RL and I felt he's sometimes portrayed as a bit infantile. I get a D/s relationship but IMO subs need to be able to function like rational, grown-up adults without having a constant minder. Jackson was this perfect Dom, all patience, caring, without a sadistic bone in his body, and the perfect family to boot. I liked him very much but had to add some goodwill to accept how quickly he fell into Dom mode. We're told he's always been a bit domineering in his past relationships, and he does do his research into the lifestyle, but it still felt too easy to me. Not the falling in love, which is fast, but Jackson's ALL IN to Dom mode in the wink of an eye. It felt only romanclandia true. I also would've liked to see Sawyer & Cooper deal or resolve the issues with their blood relatives. Cooper's are swept into the “all will be well in time” folder and Sawyer seems to have no family. It happens but ... odd. I'd still recommend this, particularly when you just want to be distracted or wrapped up in an eiderdown comforter, however it's probably better to parcel out the parts and not do it in one go as I did. It's 20.5 hours and many of those are dedicated to sex which YIKES can get repetitive? Yup.

3.5What a difference a day makes. If I'd read this earlier this month I would've ended up between a meh and sort of disappointed.* This month? It was a sweet and innocuous distraction that filled up a couple of hours. No small feat. [a:Sara Dobie Bauer 7226363 Sara Dobie Bauer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1572634427p2/7226363.jpg] sets us in a present day alternate world, specifically NYC, where vampires and other paranormal creatures are acknowledged and live openly in society with rules governing their kind. Very little of the vampire trappings, mythology, back story etc. is developed, rather the story counts on the reader knowing vampire canon and the author tweaks a few, convenient, bits. It doesn't really matter and I'm not sure that the vampire aspect contributed anything to the story but the romantic idea of truly eternal love. Ethan a.k.a. Etienne a.k.a. the Marquis de Marteau a.k.a. The Butcher has been among the undead for over two hundred years and has yet to quench his lust for death, which he currently slakes by being a mercenary. Just for fun and giggles. During that time he's also been dead to any kind of kinship or affection but all of that changes one October day when he wanders into a coffee shop and meets his destiny, Tristan “Tris” Clement. Tris is the wet dream du jour: a tall, all limbs, blonde, musical prodigy (aren't they all?) who's the doe-eyed proverbial babe in the woods, good to the last fibre of his being, and in need of protection. Ethan will be that for him and so much more. You could get stumped by some things like how Ethan, despite being an 18th Century Parisian speaks like your average Twitter bro, but I digress. I chose to squint through most of the niggles, ignore the vampire angle, and enjoy the tale of a man who was emotionally numb, a young man who's been knocked down a bit, and how they fill each other's empty corners. Sexually, they're like a match and strike, they scorch the sheets, and dabble in some kink. Tris loves Ethan's domineering brand of love, Ethan can't get enough of how Tris clings to him like a barnacle, and wants to swaddle him in gauze. They're both deliriously happy. And if you want an uncomplicated and angst free read to escape the doldrums this will do nicely. *My whole disappointed thing has to do with my previous SDB read [b:We Still Live 52575351 We Still Live Sara Dobie Bauer https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571926976l/52575351.SX50_SY75.jpg 73672624]. It was such a vital read for me, and the tone from that one to this one was so different that I guess it just jarred me. But I appreciate that not everything has to be heavy and I like a writer who has range.

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.

4.5Periodically, as in on a weekly basis, I troll around Audible listening to samples and saving to Wish List books just because of the narrator. Every so often it pays out in spades. It brought me to this story. I loved it. In most instances I'd be tempted to say that the fantastic narration by [a:Michael Fell 47441 Michael Fell https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] solely sold me on the story but that would be disingenuous to say the least. [a:Casey Cameron 15489004 Casey Cameron https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473549361p2/15489004.jpg] is a NTM author and based on this outing we'll become more closely acquainted in the future. She has managed to create one of the most endearing characters I've come across in a good long while and to surround him by a chosen family we would all be lucky to have.River Burke is an artist who at the age of 34, and after some half-hearted attempts, has decided to jump fully into the submission side of the BDSM world. Towards that aim he goes on a speed dating kink event at a club where he crosses paths with Ellison Fitch, a Dom who at first glance doesn't seem like a good fit for River. Ellison isn't physically imposing, he's slim, maybe 5'8”, and with a nerdy professor vibe. He doesn't resonate with tall & buff porn Doms River expects or thinks can handle him, though he does find Ellison attractive. Needless to say after some left turns their paths cross and they embark on a relationship, one that colors outside the lines of what they both expected.My selling point to this story was River. The story is told solely form his POV and I freakin' loved being in his complicated and self-aware head. His willingness to be vulnerable, his openness, his heart wrenching desire for intimacy & connection, his self-deprecating sense of humor completely won me over to his side. I'm always on the side of the subs but River is special in my heart. As much as we're diametrically different as people I was able to identify with his inner hopes and fears. River more than most subs I've read made me understand, in a good and bad way, why someone would put themselves, their physical & spiritual life, in the hands of another. A person who will hurt them in more ways than carnal under the guise of caring and to bring them pleasure. So yes, I loved River, Ellison? hmm ... I liked him?In the vast array of Doms Ellison isn't the worst, far from it. I liked him very much. In his own way he's kind and caring towards River, he's very much about consent etc. My main problem was that I felt he was late to the game in expressing his feelings, even after River had bared himself bare, and when he did so it was in a paltry way. Anther thing is that though Ellison is an experienced Dom, in fact he's a professor of human sexuality, his feelings and intentions toward River are pretty obliquely rendered even after River's feelings and motivations are writ in large neon lights for anyone to read. It led me to believe that, disappointingly, he could fit seamlessly with the selfish, sadist Doms I hate without loving at all. Maybe a chapter from his POV would've helped but I don't think so. He is who he is which I really liked on a general level. I just wanted him to be more open or accessible to River, who's unabashedly trying to give him everything. Ultimately Ellison turned a corner after some last minute deeds & declarations. But just barely. As usual for me in D/s relationships I felt that River (the sub) offered way more than Ellison (the Dom) deserved or gave in return. In fact one of the things that endeared Ellison a bit to me was his assessment of the reasons for River's willingness to submit to Ellison's ‘tender mercies' and that it gave him pause. If you like well developed characters, whether in BDSM stories or not, you can and should absolutely ignore my previous complaints and just enjoy one person's journey from flailing through life to blossoming into a possible and only dreamed of life. Extra kudos to the author for respectfully including a gender queer character, Tea, who's a fully rendered human being and caustically funny to boot.