Annery

When you pick up a book thinking you're getting some dirty, delicious, bad-wrong only to find yourself reassessing long held social mores, you know you've stumbled onto a special writer. You also question the universe as to why this author isn't better known. Thanks to Moony for putting this in my sights. Here's Moony's ReviewI've noticed this has no blurb and pretty vague reviews but I don't think any of this, below, is spoilerish. This is the story of the Cavanaugh brothers, Connor & Aiden. After their parents' divorce Connor went to live with his father. Now done with high school he's come to spend the summer before college at his mother's home and more importantly with his beloved younger brother Aiden, who due to his “eccentricities” has essentially been abandoned by their parents (also they're horrible). This is Aiden through Connor's eyes, and a good blurb for the story: “... for Aiden's whole life we've been waiting for him to figure out how to act like everyone else. It was starting to become obvious that he was never going to be like everyone else because he simply didn't know how. He didn't know what to say, so he stopped saying anything. He didn't know what to do, so he stopped doing anything. He didn't know how to act around friends, so he didn't have any. He was fifteen years old and so lost inside his own head I was afraid he might never get out. I made up my mind about a few things right then: The little fucker was weird as hell, but he was my brother, and that made him MY weird little fucker. He needed to be touched, because no one was touching the kid and he was starving to death for human contact. He was also obviously queer as a three dollar bill and while I wasn't gay, I was almost eighteen, and I knew exactly how to spend those kinds of bills. Finally, he needed to be told what to do because he had no fucking clue on his own.”They live in a nowheresville hick town which means Aiden is the favorite and frequent target of bullies, homophobes, and assorted sadists. However all of that is about to change if Connor has any say in the matter. And he does.Aiden worships Connor. Like a deity. Connor loves his little brother, and though he identifies as straight he's willing to use his “assets” to quiet the cacophony in Aiden's brain and offer him comfort. Yes. That kind of comfort. But it's so much more than that. [a:Seth Kirkcauldy 17558354 Seth Kirkcauldy https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has created characters whose motivations and actions you believe in and root for. Connor doesn't have all the answers, he's 17, but he tries his damnedest and is willing to stand up for Aiden in defiance of their parents or the other adults. And Aiden doesn't so much need to be rescued as to be loved and the love Connor offers is limitless and true. The icing on the cake is some beautiful writing which I highlighted the hell out of (I'll post some). There are moments of utter horror and pain but also pure and unwavering love. And while there is quite a bit of sex, most of it transgressive, I wouldn't call this erotica or even bad/wrong ‘cest. It's just two people holding tight to each other in spite of or because of everything. “No one has to understand what we're doing but us. I get what you need, and I get what I need, and I don't think it's a coincidence that those match up pretty much perfectly. I plan t keep you.”SK brings everything to a HEA that had my cold cold heart melting. I loved this through the tears. For those who are sensitive or just plainly have a heart there's some tough going (looking at you, Ch.6) but none of it is gratuitous. All is sadly & infuriatingly true. Lackadaisical parenting and the aforementioned ‘cest. Also the characters are teens.

I needed a little palette cleanser and this hit the spot.

A year after his Master, Cole's, death Owen is lost and almost literally in the gutter. At 47, he hasn't had a job for over 15 years, other than being a slave/househusband, and that's not a marketable skill. He's been kicked out of his home by Cole's evil sister and finds himself turning tricks for sadists at a BDSM club. Rescue comes in the shape of Mitchell, a man much younger than himself, but one who knows what he wants, how he wants it, and how to get it. In other words he's exactly what Owen needs.

There isn't much BDSM per se and that was fine. I really liked these two and would read more about them in a heartbeat.

This is the third installment in the author's Golden Gate Love Stories, which is a spinoff of the Nick Williams Mysteries. I'll be honest, so far these have not worked fo me, and I'll probably stop at this one, because taking a whirl at other reviews, I'm clearly in the minority opinion. Perhaps these stories are not for me, and I'm at peace with that. I love the component parts: non-traditional MCs, age difference, MCs with bodies that don't conform to IG six-pack models, but the ‘couple' stories have not felt true to me. Not liking these more makes me sad. I can feel that the author is coming from a good place, a good heart, and has based his characters in the real world. Sadly the writing and progression of the story doesn't bear out the wished for results.As I feared Bob & Mario, from [b:Their Own Hidden Island 34851086 Their Own Hidden Island (Golden Gate Love Stories, #2) Frank W. Butterfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492091469l/34851086.SY75.jpg 56088384] have inherited the mantle from Nick & Carter, but as I said in my review of that story, and continues to be true here, I don't think they're worthy heirs or I can't say we know enough about them to bequeath them honor. The book opens in January 2019 with the titular Eddie, Eddie Smith, getting a call from Bob & Mario who've inherited Nick & Carter's empire after their deaths. Eddie is, by his own definition:”... a light trance channel which, for some people, sounds all fancy but it really isn't. It just means that I've taught myself how to let another kind of voice talk and write through me.” So. Yeah. Some kind of medium? He occasionally also dabbles as some sort of life-coach and general New Agey type activities. Bob & Mario want him to go to San Antonio, Tx. and perform some sort of coming out intervention for Whitley “Whit” David Hall, a recently retired football player, who they're not even sure is gay. To complicate things Whit's parents are leaders of a megachurch in Lakewiew, Tx., which preaches a prosperity gospel, and put me in mind of Joel Osteen & co.. Needless to say that more than complicates Whit's life. I felt for this man-child who at 35 is struggling be his own person, and I would've been interested in his journey but the book is really a love letter/wish fulfillment for Eddie, whom I suspect is a bit of a stand-in for the author or people near and dear to him.Eddie Smith is 52, 340lbs., and hairy. A bear. But not a muscle bear, though he does work out, and has killer legs, if he says so himself. He's more like a chub who wears a CPAP mask to sleep. He's also a bit of a wanderer with “alternative employment”. Whit at 35, has football money, is an athlete, and at 6'7” some kind of Texas size demigod, who resembles the book cover model or Rob Gronkowski, I'm hoping for the former. Wishful thinking and dreams are my bag but ... I didn't buy these two as couple. Not within the immediacy of the story. Not in my book. And quite frankly my stumbling block is Eddie. Like someone past a certain age he's pretty set in his ways, maybe a bit judgemental (yes lefties can be prejudiced too) and I'll say nothing about his wardrobe choices. He goes to Texas and I can't say how his conversations with Whit actually helped, rather they were opportunities for Eddie to expound on his opinions, likes, dislikes, and then he leaves. Perplexingly Whit follows him to Florida (that's not a spoiler, it's in the super long blurb & title) and suddenly they're in love. How? Why? Worse yet this ends in a sort of cliffhanger with our love birds running away together and what felt like a tacked-on, preposterous subplot about the church & criminal activity on a honeymoon. I'm sorry. I can believe that Eddie being the first gay man Whit opens up to, he could develop an affection for, but I just didn't buy the insta “we're in love”. I believe in insta. Have loved quite a few insta books. But insta must be earned. If you're interested their story continues in what seems to be yet another series, [b:Getting to Know You 45277213 Getting to Know You (The Romantical Adventures of Whit & Eddie #1) Frank W. Butterfield https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556021783l/45277213.SY75.jpg 69986708] Will I follow them? I dunno.

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.

Okay ... this is a sequel of sorts or more like a complimentary, other side of the coin, to [b:Vacancy / No Vacancy: Peter's Story 25293227 Vacancy / No Vacancy Peter's Story 5amWriterMan 5amWriterMan https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428165181s/25293227.jpg 45020195]. I had hoped it would fill the gap between the final and penultimate chapters in that story but it doesn't, which was disappointing. What this is Sammy's story during the 10 years he and Peter stopped talking, the relationship(s) he had and how it all led back to Peter. The problem, for me, is that we don't see even a glimpse, of the events that transpired in the first book, through Sammy's eyes, and that would have been nice and helpful. Still a good read but you should definitely do Peter's book first.On a side note, maybe the author should of told us what happened with Brad. I'm still worried about him. Also is we already have one character named Xander, do we really need another named Xavier, in the same book? Just saying.

More from the found-on-my-Kindle file3.5 Not recommended for those seeking hearts & roses romance.This is a story which I feel would be right at home in AO3, and that's not a criticism. I've read [b:Infected Thoughts 22421626 Infected Thoughts 5amWriterMan https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420750365s/22421626.jpg 41843378] by this author, and that story seems a bit more polished but I generally enjoyed this story of second-chance love between to university BFFs. I particularly liked it because it's written by a man and those always have a different flavor. Peter is basically your average a**hole bro, who happens to be gay. He drinks like a fish, smokes like there's no tomorrow, and generally hops from one night stand to another, despite his questionable hygiene. His excuse for this crass living is that 10 years ago he had a one time, drunken, “thing” with his BFF, whom he thought was straight, and his friend, Sammy, ghosted him. Peter is now a crass and slovenly dude who picks needless fights with friends and strangers alike. Sammy comes back into his life and unexpectedly, and a bit unbelievably, is head over heels for Peter after one ALL sex night. Peter freaks and ... things happen. I don't want to give much away as this is very short anyway, but I liked, believed, and understood Peter's reaction. I didn't love the consequences, it felt like punishment for no discernible reason, and I would've appreciated another chapter prior to the epilogue. On another sort of unrelated matter:Peter hooks up with a fuck buddy, Shawn, who likes to dominate Daddies and though Peter is barely in his 30's, they've played this game before. That's neither here nor there, where I scratched my head was that once they're at Shawn's apartment their mixing puppy play with Daddy kink with spanking ... my head was spinning. I'm not sure those seriously into these kinks would mix them willy nilly, but who knows? I'm off to read [b:Vacancy / No Vacancy: Sammy's Story 44588659 Vacancy / No Vacancy Sammy's Story 5amWriterMan 5amWriterMan https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1553515563s/44588659.jpg 69213186] in hopes of satisfaction.

Another successful things is find in my reader outing. This is a well executed BDSM story that takes place between two office workers, one's an IT guy and the other is in projects? No billionaires with a fully equipped dungeon or exclusive club in sight. There is one weird thing they seem to live in some alternate, but familiar world, where Doms & Subs have visible markings on their skin, and are known and recognized in their roles in society at large. Other than that everything is exactly our reality. No fuss. However the author never dwells on this, it's just casually mentioned, almost in passing. Maybe this is part of a series? Dunno. but it's totally ignorable and doesn't really affect the enjoyment or progression of the story. I liked David and being in his head, I liked his rebellious nature, and his insistence on being his own, independent person, in spite of being a sub. Needing to be a sub. To be punished. Disciplined. I loved easy going, charming Sean, who was all business when it came to being a Dom, and can still surprise David. His care and understanding of his sub are palpable.There's no insta anything, but some lust, and the story progresses in logical and believable steps until we believe, and more importantly Sean & David know they're in love. I hope to find more from [a:Hazel Domain 17065014 Hazel Domain https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I really like her voice/

3.75Okay ... I won't whine ... not much. I've already read a couple of [a:Mercy Celeste 4615197 Mercy Celeste https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1504635471p2/4615197.jpg] books and I keep coming back for more. Evidently I like batshit crazy and plot twists out of left field. But where do I begin?Tucker is a hot college quarterback, good enough to be scouted for the NFL. He's also on de DL and tired of boys his age. One night he goes out to a club, all geared up in tight jeans, super tight shirt, and blond streaked hair, to find himself a man. He finds two. Quade and Byron are two thirty-something detectives, work partners, and best friends. Quade, the “straight” one is trying to get Byron, or By as he annoyingly calls him, laid after a long dry spell and bad choices. Suffice it to say that the three meet and nothing will be the same afterwards.I don't want to say too much, but it wouldn't be out of place or spoilerish to say that this turns into a menage, not necessarily because the principals, except for Tucker, want it so, but because Tucker is the bridge via which Byron and Quade can finally come together. He's the link that allows Quade to recognize all the gay lust he's been having and denying for Byron, and Tucker is the only way Byron is able to finally be with Quade, whom he's always secretly and quietly loved. For Tucker it's sort of a win-win, having two hot, rugged, manly-men using him and taking care of him. It's also a bit sad because he doesn't think they'll want anything beyond a night and he'd like more. Also our QB has a bit of a Daddy kink. It seems to be going around. I would beg to differ and say that Tucker just wants one area of his life where nothing is expected from him but compliance. Understandable. The Daddy talk, which Byron accedes to do just seems ... dunno? Not like someone who's really into the kink (which he wasn't) and then when Quade's in the equation ... weird? I'm not sure I bought that any of these guys were into this beyond the occasional, random night, to spice of the daily drudge. So to recap: we have one college sports star hiding his sexuality, two law enforcement BFFs who are steadfastly ignoring/denying their sexual attraction, and we have one potentially good book. But there's more! And this is what's up with MC, she has a gazillion good ideas but she puts them ALL into one book. I'll mention some, but hide them, in case you want to just be surprised. Aside from the aforementioned we have Byron, who apparently besides being dominant, likes his boyfriends to get rough with him, and chooses bad boys to hurt him, in one way or another. We have Quade, who seemingly always had feelings for Byron, to the point of using his image to masturbate, but never thought he was gay! Really?!?! We have Tucker with all the pressure from school, potentially playing at a professional level, and a family who doesn't know he's gay and will perhaps not accept it. Any one of these themes are enough to fill a well reasoned book, but instead they're just touched upon and we move on to another subject. And then comes the final act.If you're sensitive, be prepared to be horrified and angry at the events and the fact that there is no satisfying comeuppance, as far as I could discern. I confess to being a blood thirsty revenge wench and in this case punishment was needed. Also there's no on-page resolution for the Byron/Tucker/Quade triad or even a tender/smexy scene. I've been cursed with this plague in my last couple of reads, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better outcome in my future reads. According to an author's note this story is related to [b:The 51st Thursday 13481490 The 51st Thursday Mercy Celeste https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1329023015s/13481490.jpg 15703861] and I think (I haven't read that one yet) one the MC from that book appears towards the end, but you can read this as a stand alone.Despite all my nagging I'd still recommend this for whenever you just want to be open to crazy. All of the good daytime soap operas are gone and the night time ones can't hold a candle to the likes of Dallas, Falcon's Crest, or Dynasty. Mercy is here to fill the gap. :D

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.

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

4.5A few weeks ago I read [b:An Enchanted Beginning 32067313 An Enchanted Beginning Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474157809s/32067313.jpg 52712435] but his is the beginning, proper, of the Nick Williams Mysteries, and it serves as a set up, for what I suspect, will be the series as whole. In essence it's a bit of a gay fantasia of the 50's etc., or a could've, should've been of our recent past. What I mean by this is that though Nick et al. inhabit a recognizable, rooted in reality, and history San Francisco, he's also set up, and by extension his near & dear ones, as an openly gay man who, due to his socio-economic class, is almost immune to the repercussions of being “a lover of men”. Nick very firmly exists in 1950's America, and as such he's a witness or is on the receiving end of injustice, bigotry, and hatred, but thanks to his \(\)$ and [a:Frank W. Butterfield 6522971 Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508622639p2/6522971.jpg] warm heartedness, he's able to be a bit of a Faery Godmother to a group of men who thought themselves without family and friendless due to whom they love. Nick, along with his inseparable Carter, provide a soft landing for many, and Nick indulges in matchmaking. This first installment, more than a mystery, is a ground laying for a couple of different interlocking stories some of which I'm sure will continue to play out in subsequent books. The heiress of the title is Nick's sister, who like most of the Williamses, has a colorful and sad story. Meanwhile, after another raid at a known gay meeting spot, Jeffrey, an attorney, Nick's former boyfriend, and stalwart friend, tasks P.I. Nick with finding out who, within the SFPD, is leaking information to the press. The publishing of photos on the front pages ruins people's lives, and Jeffrey has been an unwavering defender of these unfortunate souls. He also has skin in the game, as his current paramour, one Taylor Wells, is among the victims. The third strand has to do with the Hearst corporation and their brand of yellow journalism which Nick won't stand for. Like in RL all of these stories intersect, and weave. There is no real mystery and yet I had a satisfied smile. Nick and Carter will go on with their adventures, their chosen family, and friends. I like that Frank Butterfield has given these people a place where they're able to carve out a slice of happiness, one which was infuriatingly denied to many in real life, so why not? However don't think that it's all wine and roses. Nick is cantankerous, stubborn, and sometimes wrong; he and Carter sometimes have blowouts but later work them out. Their friends have ups and downs and though cushioned to the harshest of societies irrational judgments they still have toe a few lines and cross some Ts. Spending some time in Nick's world is just a nice respite where you know acceptance and the possibility of true love are around the next corner. For those looking for smex this is not the place, and I didn't miss it. The stories are told in the manner of B&W movies of yore, everything is more than suggested, with some heavy kissing, and some “rolling around”, but nothing descriptive. When the lovin' time comes it's curtains and walking up in each other's arms. Perfect.

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

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

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

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

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

This is the final, as of this writing, available installment of the FRED series, but I'm hopeful it's not the last. For one thing this is one of the absolute best audios series I've listened, and I can say that despite liking Fred, his friends, and his adventures very much, it's [a:Kirby Heyborne 2740918 Kirby Heyborne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361505917p2/2740918.jpg] who has kept me coming back almost slavishly. Bravo. In this installment Fred has to come to terms with what it really means not only to be a Vampire but also a clan leader. The inevitable loss of his humanity is not something that sits well with our Fred, nor should it. In any case Fred's life isn't in his control at the moment. Due to the events of the last 2 books, or really everything Fred's competency and really his whole existence is being judged by The Blood Council, which is the highest Vampire authority, in the form of Deborah, one of their representatives. As usual the book is divided into “adventures” but in this case they're all about Fred's abilities as a leader. He learns where he's been shortsighted and where his strengths are and his friends, as expected truly come through for him. Deborah is a super interesting character, but being a Fred fan, I couldn't completely warm up to her. Though I see the logic of the things she tells Fred and the lessons she means to impart, I couldn't help but feel that she's a representative of the Old School guard, telling the younger vampires how they don't understand about the enormity of the passage of time, because essentially they are babies. This may all be true and she does put Fred in touch with the vampire instincts he's been trying to ignore or suppress, but ultimately it also had that feel of “you young ones don't know anything” which is really a way of keeping the status quo going. Change can be good. Scary. But good. All Hail Fred.

I'm starting the Nick Williams Mysteries and because my OCD demanded it I had to start at the very beginning, and I'm not sorry. Though I'm sure you can enjoy the series without reference to this, or probably read it somewhere down the line, I wanted to know who Nick was and what he was all about. This book is a collection of stories that cover from 1947, when Nicholas Williams, and his true love, Carter Jones, meet, to 1950 when they've settled into as good as married, with the ups and downs of any long term, happy couple. Carter is a Georgia boy, who in 1939, along with his friend Henry fled the bigotry and small-mindedness of his hometown, with no plans to go back. He alights in the, once and future, gay haven of San Francisco, and becomes a firefighter. Blond, and enthusiast of physical culture, and standing 6'4” it's job he's imminently suited for. However, despite an initial hot-between-the-sheets with his friend Henry, love has remained elusive. Nick is the black sheep son of a prominent and native San Francisco family. After being kicked out at 17, joining the the Navy and serving during WWII, Nick is working as an orderly at a S.F. city hospital purely to keep himself busy. He's also foundering in the relationship department. Living with a boyfriend, who's long ago become more of a friend, but stuck and not knowing how to move on. Luckily fate, karma, or the long reach of Cupid's arrow intervenes. If you've heard Some Enchanted Evening that's pretty much a snap-shot of how Nick & Carter meet on a Sunday afternoon at La Vie Parisian, and once you've read the stories, I think this song perfectly captures they're relationship. Can you tell I loved everything about this? I did. I love how [a:Frank W. Butterfield 6522971 Frank W. Butterfield https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508622639p2/6522971.jpg] perfectly captures the flavor of times, doesn't superimpose modern sensibilities onto Nick & Carter, and keeps them distinctly male. This doesn't mean they're the gay Douglas Sirk martyrs, quite the contrary. Nick, in particular has been able to arrange his life where he owes very little to the court of public opinion, however they're still full and eager participants in the life and society of their time even with it's attendant public limitations. They have friends whom they care for deeply and they're going about gathering up, our modern, chosen family. I love how, while saying very little explicitly, the author tells us everything about Nick & Carter's physical and romantic relationship; how their height difference checks all their buttons, who's a bossy bottom who won't get bossed around outside the bedroom etc. This is the very beginning of a great love story, seasoned with some heartbreak along the way. Excellent. I'm eagerly going into the series proper, which I know are not romances, but Nick is good company and I'm sure we'll have more than a few glimpses of that tall drink of water, Carter Jones and the rest of the Nick Williams' friends.

Let's hear it for accountants, sweater vests, and people who do the right thing just because it's the right thing! This is installment is comprised by a series of “adventures” or, as Fred calls them, accounting jobs that come his way, now that he's been approved to do work for The Agency. Each story is entertaining in itself, but also helps to further Fred's journey to fully embracing his station/nature as a vampire and now a clan leader. Some things remain elusive and there are some bittersweet, but logical, changes, some tantalizing revelations, particularly about Arch, and also dash of romance. What's not to love. [a:Kirby Heyborne 2740918 Kirby Heyborne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361505917p2/2740918.jpg] continues to do an amazing job.

Okay ... I evidently have issues. How did I not know this was a BDSM novel? I probably just chose it because of the gorgeous cover. Clearly I need to rethink my life choices i.e. in reference to reading blurbs or maybe not? This turned out to be a Happy Surprise.

This is the story of how Dilly becomes Dylan. He's 19, working as a waiter, he's probably not cut out for higher education, and his family is imploding through the bad deeds of his psycho brother. He's also wondering if his kinky desires are valid and obtainable which leads him to Stonewall, an old school BDSM club. It turns out he's about to find so much more than he knew about or expected in a totally awesome way: Vin!!!

For fans of SSC this might not work. The bulk of the story takes place within a week and safe words, negotiations, or contracts don't come into play. And I like it. It's not that I want people putting themselves in danger, but it seems that all of these almost clinical conversations in “correct” BDSM make the relationship almost clinical and devoid of reckless passion which is the heart of romance. IMO.

Dylan knows, has known for a while, that he's attracted to BDSM but hasn't had the opportunity to explore because he still lives at home. Plus he and his sister Carmine are trying to protect their parents who are dealing with the fallout from their oldest son's, criminal actions. While I commiserated with the parents, I did feel that they, and Dylan's mother in particular, are doing the ostrich thing and hiding from what they don't want to know. Avoidance of everything uncomfortable which has lead to nothing good and caused hurt along the way.

At Stonewall, through the auspices of the owner/resident Queen Miss Dolphinia, Dylan meets Vin, who is the oldest 25 year-old in history. Vin is an absolute and uncompromising Dom, even if he chooses to bottom. He considers it using his sub. He's not interested in pushy bottoms, topping from the bottom, or any kind of negotiation because he's confident that he can gauge what will give his sub pleasure and in Dylan's case he's not wrong. Dylan is a bit of a damsel in distress and he wants nothing more than to be tied down and ordered around. He doesn't want to have to make decisions or think too much beyond obeying. In other words he's perfect for Vin, whose dominant streak verges on the stalkerish. What ever makes you happy. However after a relationship gone wrong Vin claims to not want to get involved once again. It takes some not-so-subtle elbow twisting from Miss Dolphinia to get him to take on Dylan, but he's not sorry afterwards. Dylan and Vin fit each other's kinks and civilian life perfectly.

“But I don't want you going in and playing nice. I like that you do your own thing and don't change for anyone. I like that you're so unbending that maybe there's room for me to fit myself in the cracks of your life because I like your cracks a lot more than the cracks I have been living in.”
What I really found endearing and touched me in the feels was how the story dealt with this passing generation of the LGBTQ, subset BDSM, community who are aging-out and being swept away by age and the new kids on the block. It's sad, but real, and maybe that's how it always is but I do think that folks tend to forget or belittle the shoulders they're standing on. Vin & Dylan's story is certainly centered around their BDSM relationship and not what people would traditionally term romantic, but it works for them and I liked them exactly as they were. I don't think there's even an “I love you” moment, more like “that's what he loved about ... “ yada yada, and I didn't mind one bit. I also liked that though Vin was super confident in his Dom persona he was wobbly and aware of his lacking interpersonal skills and that Dylan could perfectly shore that up. I liked that there were no millionaire Doms. Just working class people living their lives and doing the best they could.

I really feel like these two, given their age, deserve and could do with a short dealing with them somewhere down the road. If wishes were horses ...sigh

3/19/19 PSA
Clearing up some confusion: this book is emphatically not a menage story in any way, shape, or form. There's nothing wrong with m/m/m or any permutation thereof, but this is NOT that story. /// also gave me a chance to edit some CRAZY in my review. eek!!! I do know the difference between your & you're face palm

**************

I'm so glad I listened to my GR peeps. Your gushing over this book tipped the scales (fine, I already owned the paperback) to my reading it. I purposely only looked at ratings and GIFs because, aside from what I already knew from [b:An Exaltation of Larks|29637128|An Exaltation of Larks (Venery, #1)|Suanne Laqueur|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475940614s/29637128.jpg|49995616] and suspected, I wanted to go in blind. I didn't even read the blurb on the back of the book. Best decision ever. I. Loved. It.

After a brief, present day prologue, this book picks up a year ago, pretty much where Larks ended. Jav is heading back to The City to regroup and lick his wounds, but before leaving Guelisten and the whole Alex & Val mess he stops by Trelawney's and fate gifts him with Steffen Finch. His own personal curator. With Stef comes a whole world: hard, soft, and lived-in, a garden planted chock full of White Jasmin, Honeysuckle, Black-Eyed Susans, and Corpse Flowers too. It's just around the corner. This is what I'd been missing in the previous book. A living breathing community of people I believe exist, some of whom I'll run into at a local coffee shop. I'm sure.

Stef is an art therapist and an an artist. One of the strengths of the book, IMO, is that though the author, doesn't shy away from the horrors mental health professionals have to try and shore up everyday, she doesn't indulge in suffering for suffering's sake. The cases that Stef and his colleagues deal with are sadly and horrifically familiar to anyone aware of current events, even if just in passing. I like how [a:Suanne Laqueur|8317803|Suanne Laqueur|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1403016536p2/8317803.jpg] shows Stef doing his job with care and dedication but also being human, a pretty great human, but just human. He does his job because it's his vocation, he's a kvater, but he also protects himself, as he must, by meditating, tattoos, or the embrace of his near and dear ones. Also he loves food. Did I mention I love him? Because I do. I really, really do. heart eyes

One of Stef's cases ends up being Geno Caan, a teenage boy who goes through hell on earth and lives to tell the tale. Genos's journey from sad, but innocent, to victim of unspeakable horror, to where we leave him at the end of the book has the ring and smell of truth, optimistic perhaps, but why not? he deserves so much more. Maybe he'll have another story to tell that's less gruesome. I think it was smart to bring Geno in contact with people like Micah and Lilia. Living proof that it's possible to go on and have a life despite of or to spite the forces of evil in the universe; and isn't that why we read romance? Kicking sand in the eyes of the Sauron's of the world.

I'm sure the readers of Larks are wondering, what about Jav? He's great. Finally at 45 Javier is getting to be the person he always wanted to be, has freed himself from the shackles of his past, and good riddance to bad rubbish. He's also making strides to patch-up his fk up with Alex & Val and all of this is thanks, in no small measure, to having Stef in his life. Stef who opens up his heart and home to Jav without demands or subterfuge. He has permission to go as fast or slow as he likes in their budding relationship and that, to Jav, THE CHOICE, is a revelation and a gift. He's on no one's timetable but his own. It's a beautiful thing. Much to their surprise Stef & Jav find that despite their individual experiences with other men, with relationships, and with love in general that they've come to the right place at the right time and there isn't much to ponder. Jav, being a writer, had a whole story in his head about how his first relationship, with a man no less, would go but as it turns out:

“You're the last chapter,” Jav said. “I went from the prologue to you: I skipped everything in the middle and now I'm in love with you and I don't know what the hell I'm doing.”

He spent long moments tallying up Finch knowledge like gold coins. Stef loved The Police, U2 and R.E.M. He'd read Frank Herbert's Dune series three times. His sneezes always came in threes and fours. He got weird but tremendous satisfaction from sweeping floors. His expression turned distant and sad when he talked about his childhood cat, Ping. Mallomars were his favorite cookie. He kept a stash in the kitchen cabinet and his eyes narrowed when Jav took one. He often laughed in his sleep. He loved to be touched anywhere and everywhere, except the backs of his knees - he'd jump clear out of his skin. Jav kew things like this now.

It was the little things.Things like Jav, who had an enviable and natty wardrobe, choosing to wear Stef's clothes instead. Ignoring cashmere V-necks or merino pullovers, he spent weekdays in Stef's grubby old Skidmore hoodie, his scent lingering in the collar and cuffs. ... It was Roman trotting up to greet Stef at the door, genuinely glad to see him. Or Jav carrying shopping bags for Rory and Lilia.”

what's up with these three letter, one vowel names??? Stef, Stav, Jav???

This is a sequel and though it can be read as a standalone why would you deny yourself the pleasure? Aside from enriching this story, some of the events from the first book find a measure of closure here. Go ahead and read it, I'll wait. Post [b:Aftercare 40909927 Aftercare (Ever After #1) Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532311605s/40909927.jpg 56343944] Syed is still reeling, trying to find a way of going on, of living again. [a:Tanya Chris 15067939 Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477705931p2/15067939.jpg] does an excellent job of showing someone, realistically going through the stages of grief and loss while remaining authentic. The story develops during the course of a year, during which Syed goes from feeling physically ill at the sight of BDSM play to finding a whole new, yet equally satisfying, way to be a Dom, which he will always be. His counterpart in this journey is Dashiell, sweet, self effacing, and convinced that he's somehow unlovable. He's been smitten with Syed from day one but can't fathom why anyone would want him, and though curious, wonders if he could be in a D/s relationship:“Doms gave orders and doled out punishments. They commanded rather than seduced. Why would anyone even want a Dom? Dashiell wanted someone to love him, to keep him, that was what he wanted.”Meanwhile Syed recognizes a sub who can bring him to a new life:“... Dashiell had continued to respond to him in that particular way that called out Syed's dual-natured desire to both protect and crush. There was something about taking a man who would let you do anything to him and then treating him very carefully ...”The author perfectly captures the journey from absolute loss to being able to walk and breath again, in a life that, while different from the one you thought you'd have, is just as beautiful. Thematically, in both of these books [a:Tanya Chris 15067939 Tanya Chris https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1477705931p2/15067939.jpg] sensitively and accurately explores mourning as an ongoing process, and not something with a hard and fast beginning and end. It brought to mind [a:Max Porter 13807841 Max Porter https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1428676362p2/13807841.jpg]'s [b:Grief Is the Thing with Feathers 34601020 Grief Is the Thing with Feathers Max Porter https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489577679s/34601020.jpg 45070849]:“Moving on, as a concept, is for stupid people, because any sensible person knows grief is a long-term project.”The fact that Syed and Dashiell are wading into a relationship never erases Jamie. Syed can't allow it and Dashiell doesn't want it. “Syed had loved Jamie. How could Dashiell not love Jamie on his behalf even as he envied him for the way Syed loved him?He didn't expect Syed to ever love him more than he'd loved Jamie - how could he? - but he's happily settle for just as much.”But worry not, Syed is very much in the here and now with Dashiell and who he is:“... I don't care where a sub's boundaries are as long as I can take him there. And he can bring me there with him.”That was the crux of it, he realized. When he was with Dashiell, he escaped into Dashiell. ... He could go to a BDSM club. He could go to a gay bar. He could spend the rest of his evenings curled up on a couch in his apartment. He could wear a wool suit or black leather pants or pajama bottoms. He could string a man up by his wrists or tie him down in four point restraints, could tickle him with a feather or bleed him with a crop. It didn't matter so long as he took his partner so deep that he lost himself there too.”I loved how the author, in both books, doesn't shy away from representing multidimensional Muslim characters in the full spectrum of their humanity. I'm hopeful for a follow up book, perhaps featuring two characters that left their mark in my psyche Casey & Bhupati? and maybe getting to visit with Garrett, Aayan, Dashiell and Syed. fingers crossedOn a side note I have say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the author for getting NYC right and also the legal & court system. Eternally grateful for small mercies. Anyway ... I'll stop. Read this even if you're not into BDSM. It's not really about that. Also it ends on one of the most hopeful & romantic notes I've read in a while.

This was a surprise. A happy one. [a:Amy Harmon 5829056 Amy Harmon https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1341709289p2/5829056.jpg] has written a solid and sensitive story about life. There is a religious or rather spiritual subtext, but I didn't feel like I was being preached at, which I appreciate, since it's not my speed. What I did love were the principals: Fern, Bailey and Ambrose, whom we follow from childhood to early adulthood, and through them the ups and downs of ordinary lives. I did this as an audio by [a:Rob Shapiro 2887475 Rob Shapiro https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and I was blown away. I wouldn't recommend much listening in public as ugly crying is a distinct possibility.

4.5Oh [a:Keelan Ellis 13923273 Keelan Ellis https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1529410669p2/13923273.jpg] how I love thee! This is the second of the The Solomon Mysteries, and you should definitely read [b:Good Boys 40138248 Good Boys (The Solomon Mysteries, #1) Keelan Ellis https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526570321s/40138248.jpg 52229204] first. I think there's a strong case to be made to call them the The Cullen & Solomon Mysteries, his work partner, Tim Cullen, is that interesting and adorable. Like the previous book, and more so this one, I must stress that this isn't a romance in the genre sense, the bulk of it centers around the case, and there isn't really a main couple you're rooting for or any kind of explicit smex scenes. I didn't miss them. It's more about Paul wading into the seas of emotional maturity in terms of his romantic life. The story picks up some six months after the previous case and Paul has been dating Owen, but not fully committed, while cultivating a friendship with David. What kind of friend remains to be seen. Tim & Paul are called to a case of human remains found at Leakin Park, which turns from a cold case of a missing person to a murder investigation. If you listen to podcasts like Serial you'll get right in the picture, if fact some podcasters feature tangentially in the story. A strong sense of place is one of the strong suits of this series and it almost feels like a love letter to a lover, with it's faults and beauty exposed. The lover is the city of Baltimore. The case ends up touching close to home for Tim and testing Paul & Tim's partnership, but ultimately the mystery isn't too recondite. Rather it serves as a framework to examine Paul's emotional landscape and more crucially the nature of memory, the passage of time, family, and like before, forgiveness. Paul in one interesting Pandora's Box, so if you want pat answers about a one and only true love you'll be disappointed. I must say that I was surprised by how things stood between Paul and Owen by the end, but it makes sense and I'm super eager for the next installment. I suspect things are going to get messy. I did want more. More about Tim, Kathleen, Annie, and particularly David. Patience.

This is a PSAWhen friends rave about a book don't dawdle. Goodness could be sitting right at your fingertips while you're trudging through ho-hum stories.I promptly purchased this beauty when it came out, the cover alone is dreamy, but for some bizarre reason kept putting it off for later. Big mistake. Or maybe subconsciously I knew I'd need something to savor in low times and savor it I did. I actually forced myself to take this in small doses, one or two chapters at a time, letting the the writing, and story just seep into me. Bliss. The bare bones: Brogan Smith is an army veteran, still haunted by Iraq, but now working in the personal protection industry. During his latest assignment he meets Embry Ford, personal assistant to Brogan's primary. The rest is a love story for the ages which touched me deep and had me considering a soundtrack. It also brought to mind some of my favorite bodyguard/size difference stories, namely [b:Close Protection 13481282 Close Protection Cordelia Kingsbridge https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391963345s/13481282.jpg 19014110], not the specifics of plot, but the relationship between the MCs, their physical selves, and sometimes their dynamic.I don't know what to to say without revealing too much so I'll just say what I loved. Everything. I probably highlighted half the book just because of a turn of phrase or because I cracked up at Brogan's inner monologues. Despite or because he came back from the horror of war, Brogan is determined to live in the here and now, giving himself wholeheartedly to those he loves. Including his dog Giz. On the other hand Embry is all sharp edges and dark corners, that conceal almost unfathomable horror and pain. He feels incapable of letting himself love or be loved, for absolutely valid reasons, but he didn't count on Brogan, who's immovable once he's given his loyalty, and Embry had that almost from the moment they met. Also a man who listens to Nina Simone has a beating heart whether he knows it or not. I loved that the size difference never implied that Embry needed Brogan's help or rescue, but it did fit beautifully with their physical chemistry. I loved how [a:Sidney Bell 1655174 Sidney Bell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1469319088p2/1655174.jpg] stressed Embry's intelligence as the real asset over brute force. I love how the plot itself was, sadly, believable, and I absolutely adore her for that epilogue which deals so perfectly with the final events in the story and gave Brogan & Embry much needed closure. I'll say no more because I wish others to experience this the way I did. It's the best way. ps.“I Wanna Be Yours” by Arctic Monkeys can easily be Brogan's theme. Just sayin'

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?

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.

4.5
Who knew shopping in your owned books could be so rewarding? I'm going to create a whole shelf for this! I usually don't read or gloss over the blurbs, and this was another happy surprise.

Chad Astor is a little rich boy, who after having been shuffled to boarding school, and ignored by his divorced parents, is starting college. His new roommate turns out to be Brody King, a straight, hulking, rugby-playing jock. At first Chad thinks that a size 15 shoe is all there is to Brody, that he's just a basic bro, but he couldn't be more wrong. One night Chad discovers Brad has some rather interesting tastes in porn, tastes that coincide with his own, and he's pleasantly surprised:
“I couldn't get Brody masturbating out of my head. I'd underestimated him big time. How was I to know that my allegedly basic roommate was kinkier than me? Sexually, we had so much in common except that he was straight and I was gay. Still, kinky sex was something to build on.
Friends if you're in the mood for a straight adjacent domineering, possessive, but sweet jock who takes control of a willing twink, who knows his own mind, this is the book for you. We have:
chastitybondage and gaggingfoot worshipping orgasm denial *spanking & paddling
Are these two always SSC? Probably not. But they're absolutely all in, honest, and caring about each other. You can easily imagine them living in a long term and stable D/s relationship, one which is on the cusp of TPE, labels be damned, and yet it's totally romantic too.
You're welcome.