Annery

Well slap me around and call me silly! No really. Why would I start this book thinking it was going to be anything but amazing when [a:Santino Hassell 4942228 Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445991731p2/4942228.jpg] already took my number in the previous Five Boroughs Books? In [b:First and First 28427134 First and First (Five Boroughs, #3) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457064366s/28427134.jpg 48535333] we move on to another strata of NYC. The unhappy Manhattan dwelling sons and daughters of the 1%. Here we have Caleb Stone, David's long suffering former boyfriend who came off as something of a stiff in [b:Sunset Park 25842991 Sunset Park (Five Boroughs, #2) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445081788s/25842991.jpg 45707493] but not necessarily a bad guy and Oliver Buckley, one of David's wide circle of acquaintances whom we know next to nothing about. Inauspicious start right? Oh so wrong. These two are explosive together.Caleb finds himself at a New Year's party at which David & Raymond are too along with other people from the 5Borough universe. Seeing them so happy only highlights how rudderless, useless and inadequate he feels. One thing leads to another and he ends up spending a spectacular and utterly surprising night with the last person he expected. Oliver Buckley. Oliver Fucking Buckley. I won't rehash the plot of the book but quite a lot happens and all of it great and totally believable. What's more is that the rightness of this relationship is plain as day to everyone except perhaps Oli who because of reasons doesn't want to be a couple. Fool. Good luck with that. He's a goner for Caleb from Day One. He just doesn't know it. Caleb has lived his whole life trying to conform to an image of what his family and social class deem acceptable which was why he failed so spectacularly with David. He was too busy playing a role and not being himself. The night spent with Oli and all of their subsequent encounters throw those notions by the wayside and he's finally able to embrace himself as a gay man with wants and desires which his partner celebrates. JOY! Caleb has many hang-ups about his appearance, about his sexual turn ons and whether he is enough to hold someone's interest. I felt deeply for him and identified with his insecurities. But in the end Caleb showed a strength and backbone that we hadn't expected. He fought for what he wanted even when he was quacking inside, he came up with a plan to help his loved ones and give himself a sense of purpose divorced from his family's wealth and station. He's courageous in a real sense of the word. He risks his heart and himself even when he has no guarantee that he'll be rewarded.The person who really has to change his life plan is Oli. Oliver Fucking Buckley who had been traipsing through life in a no-strings-attached hedonistic spree. He fights the good fight but it's no use. I'd love to have a chapter or something with Oli's POV. How he sees the world, how he sees Caleb? Clearly with adoration even before he has reluctantly admitted it to himself. For proof see: the carefully chosen food and other fun stuff he sends/brings to Caleb's apartment to pass the stormI love how Oli was with Caleb, totally taking care of him, his needs and wants but not with kid gloves. Similar backgrounds give them a sort of shorthand which helped bridge their outward differences. And when they are together? Damn! My reader almost caught fire. I'll just leave this one little bit here:“I love seeing you like this.” I spread my legs farther, and my lips parted when his fingers found their way to my ass. “Like what?' “Like fucking devastatingly sexy.” Oli worked his fingers into me with nothing more than a glide of saliva and precome, and the stimulation quelled my automatic denial. “I know you don't think much of yourself. I know you think I'm lying when I say it.” “Because –” “Shh.” He curved his fingers up with expert precision, and then he was massaging my prostate as he said, “But regardless of what you think of yourself, when I look at you, I see someone beautiful. Someone who makes me insane, because all I can fucking think about is touching you. Being close to you. Being inside you And there's a reason for that baby.”That to me is as good as an I love you. Better.As an extra bonus we got to see David and Raymond. OMG Ray!!! Here he is imparting some of his Queens wisdom:“What do you fuckers want?” “They're having milk frothing problems,” David said stonily. Raymond blinked. “Is that some white boy gay sex lingo? You people be saying some weird-ass shit for no reason.” Oli started laughing again. Even David bit back a smile. “Yeah, laugh, but I'm dead serious. Like breeding. The fuck's that? Sounds like dudes have livestock in their backyards.”I almost peed my pants reading/listening to that. Which brings me to the fantastic audio work by [a:Michael Ferraiuolo 13467952 Michael Ferraiuolo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1498214961p2/13467952.jpg]. Just perfect. Every character, voice, emotion and pacing. As a last rambling note I'd love to get some short (I think it's in the works?) about Aiden & Jace. And last but not least that cover is perfect!

In [b:Sutphin Boulevard 25404499 Sutphin Boulevard (Five Boroughs, #1) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435776893s/25404499.jpg 45158379] [a:Santino Hassell 4942228 Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445991731p2/4942228.jpg] grabbed me by throat/short hairs (whichever gives you more pleasure and pain combined) and evidently has no intention of letting go.In what I'm starting to think of as one long but engrossing novel of NYC in the early XXI Century we continue with the Rodriguez boys from Queens. Meet Ray. Raymond. Michael's baby brother.Ray. What a fantastic, fascinating and endearing character. Someone you want to know now and thirty years from now. He's funny, smart, and open in a completely realistic way. And David ... such and adorable hot mess. Analyzing and thinking everything through ten times but I can't blame him. I'm the same and we have this in common:“I was basic enough to allow a mouthful of coconut-and-cherry-flavored ice to chase away my sorrows.”I hear you David. A good piragua in the summer can be a palliative to a variety of ills.I love how SH makes what in other hands would be a sappy and unrealistic FG (First Time Gay/I'm giving up the GFY tag. Too much erasure.) story of opposites attract in to a true slice of life story about a coddled, yet beset by life, young man becoming an adult. Raymond has been stunted by the overprotectiveness of his mother and subsequently his brother Michael. This means that he hasn't felt compelled to go to school or work. He's just been coasting. All this changes when Michael decides to make a new life for himself with Nunzio. This means that the chick has to leave the nest and at first he's not happy. Rescue comes in the unlikeliest of forms: David. David who we met in [b:Sutphin Boulevard 25404499 Sutphin Boulevard (Five Boroughs, #1) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435776893s/25404499.jpg 45158379] he had a threesome with Michael & Nunzio and who by the end of that book had become friend and ally. Raymond and David end up being roommates and though no one sees it they complement each other perfectly. Ray likes to just be and David needs to question everything. They balance each other out and make one perfect whole. David by his presence and faith allows Raymond to have the confidence to go out in the world and Raymond gives David a different perspective on life from the one he's used to. Here's Raymond responding to David's questioning of why Michael isn't “openly” out:“I'm not saying it's wrong to be curious and ask questions, but you do it because you want to make everyone fit into certain boxes, and that's unnecessary. You don't have to understand why Michael is the way he is. He's never going to sit down and help you figure it out, and in the long run, how he chooses to live his life doesn't affect yours. So who gives a damn?”Turns out that Ray has always been bi-curious and let's just say that David isn't indifferent to Ray's charms. They begin a “friendly” exploration of what Ray likes or doesn't but of course they're snared by their mutual attraction which easily morphs to love. I like how Raymond is not only learning about his sexuality but also about how to be an adult, putting in the hard work which may come in the form of working for a Translation Agency (they're the worst), riding the subway or swallowing his pride and making a trip to Long Island. But he isn't the only one taking leaps of faith. David too is learning how to be comfortable in his own skin, owning to his role in the break-up with his prior boyfriend, Caleb, and not just the obvious cheating.However SH never forgets that this is a love story and he delivers the goods in spectacular fashion. David: “My hands were shaking, my heart was galloping, and I was so hard I wanted to grind against him. But I didn't. I didn't want to ruin the moment. This wasn't an impatient, tongue-dueling lead-up to a quick, dirty fuck. This was ... different. Real.”Raymond: “I could catalogue my relationship with David from the beginning and list every touch and every look that led up to our kiss. How easy it was to be close to him, because he didn't need to discuss it after. He just let it happen. Let me enjoy that closeness without assumptions and complications. I didn't want to tell Nunzio that I'd started craving those touches. Those quiet, close moments.”Raymond: “I didn't wan him–I needed him. He wasn't just one of a few options. He was a fucking necessity.”Like in the previous book the characters inhabit and live in a recognizable New York with sights and smells that give you you a palpable sense of time and place. In brief [a:Santino Hassell 4942228 Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445991731p2/4942228.jpg] gets NYC and the people who live here:David to Raymond: “You have all these different identities. Being gay or bi is just a fraction of who you are. You're primarily New Yorkers, but also Puerto Rican or Italian, lapsed Catholics, and then there's the other parts–sons and brothers, teachers, gamers, etcetera.” Exactly.If it wasn't clear, I loved this and it kind of annoys me because my heart is committed to Michael (we live in a similar head) and Nunzio. Nunzio! Nunzio! Love that man. Period. However Raymond & David have pushed themselves in and gotten comfortable. So be it. ;-)***In this installment of the Five Boroughs Series the audio is done by [a:Michael Ferraiuolo 13467952 Michael Ferraiuolo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and it's major improvement. His choice of voices for all of the characters is an improvement by leaps and bounds. I liked him very much and would heartily recommend the audio. Too bad I'm sure there are no plans to rerecord the first book. The previous narrator made Michael, Nunzio and Raymond sound almost thuggish and though New York men from Queens, Michael and Nunzio are educated men. Teachers. And about the Spanish: thank God. The pronunciation is perhaps not perfect but good and that's all we ask.***I feel that there's a Nunzio story that we've yet to hear and I'd love to have his P.O.V. His voice is so rich and interesting. I kind of feel, perhaps erroneously so, that Nunzio is to a degree an alter ego or surrogate for the author.

I purchased this book pretty much upon release because it's a series that takes place in my stomping grounds and let's be honest: that cover is gorgeous. However I kept putting off reading it rationalizing my postponements in different ways: not in the mood, I'll wait for the series to be further along etc. Now I know it was a well honed sense of self preservation.How does a cis/het/female get reduced to tears by a cis/gay/male character in an M/M ‘romance'? When [a:Santino Hassell 4942228 Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445991731p2/4942228.jpg] dives deep into ones life and lays you bare blood, viscera, and bones. SH has concisely and masterfully written a life experience that is all too familiar to many but without easy outs or a saccharine solutions. The characters wouldn't stand for it.What did I like about this book? Everything. I loved the NYC setting and the fact that every geographical location was recognizable as true. I loved the the workplace setting, I'm not in the education field but have close friends who are and the situations that Michael faces ring true. I really liked that these were real, everyday, gay men as I know them. They party, pick up one-night stands, and sometimes make bad choices. No judgement. Just life as we live it in this XXI century.I loved that though dealing with heavy subjects SH was still funny. Here's Michael talking about his ex, Clive:“If I'd never watched Closer and developed and infatuation for Clive Owen, I would have never dated the fuckhead.”or Nunzio ribbing Michael for slovenliness:“You look like you're about to start doing jazz hands for change on the subway. Did you even shower?” “I brushed my teeth,” Nunzio gave me a look of disgust. “Look, I know you're upset, and I don't blame you, but we can't go have rebound fucks if your ass isn't even washed. It's inconsiderate and unhygienic.”I loved the deep, unconditional, and palpable love that Nunzio has for Michael. Everyone needs a friend like that even if it's not of the romantic variety.But overall I loved Michael fiercely and wanted to swaddle him from all the harshness life had thrown his way. Because the thing is that I've been Michael. Here's this nugget about the difference between himself and his brother Raymond:“Even covered in tattoos and drenched in bad attitude, Raymond fit in more with the family than I ever had. ... The sense of not belonging had set in the moment I'd hit puberty, but had grown more pronounced with each year I'd spent living away from my mother and the house, not seeing the rest of my family as I'd created my own life away from them all, I was an outsider, disconnected from the family and off living some foreign lifestyle in Manhattan ...”... perhaps different specifics but same experience and SH nailed the essence of that half life where you no longer quite belong to the tribe you came from but aren't free from them either. And where do you belong. And how do you get there and who will be your home. Michael has the answer to that from long ago, it's just hard to recognize it mired in the morass of family drama that has him seeking oblivion in liquid courage. Here he is talking to Nunzio:” ... if something was wrong with you, I'd drop everything to fix it just like I'm doing for them. The difference is, I'm stuck with those motherfuckers, and I chose you for myself.”Oh Michael ... I feel you!This was a gut-wrenching journey of loss, mourning, and finally coming into one's best self. Happily for Michael it also meant recognizing that the romantic love many of us seek was also within reach in Nunzio, his best friend and the person who'd steadfastly been with him for twenty years. What good fortune. I loved that SH really had Michael go through the steps to fix himself even when that meant hitting rock bottom. The anonymous sex on New Year's had me twitching Yes there were scorching hot scenes and I thoroughly enjoyed them but love and headboard banging sex won't fix us.And last but not least who doesn't want a Nunzio in their corner. Some romantic bon mots he throws Michael's way, and I'm not kidding. These are more honest than the three little words people think are magic:“Come on gorgeous. It's so much better when it's just us. We can just get off and then we can chill. Sex without the song and dance and having to spend a fortune on drinks.”and“Damn Mikey. You got me feeling some type of way.” ... “What way?” “Like I could get by pretty well fucking only you and be really okay with that.”I'm sure I'll think of more stuff but in the meantime I'll hurry on over to the [b:Sunset Park 25842991 Sunset Park (Five Boroughs, #2) Santino Hassell https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445081788s/25842991.jpg 45707493] and keep an eye peeled for Michael & Nunzio on the train or more likely walking the streets of Manhattan as I'm a 5 train chick myself. ;-)Ps. Little niggles that I got over because the emotional punch of the story made them fade in the background.I found it odd that Michael's father and uncle had anglicized names, Joseph & John instead of José & Juan. Weird that when Michael first goes home because Joseph is there there's merengue playing and not salsa, they are Puerto Rican after all but hey Dominican's listen to salsa too. In any case it's all reggaeton now anyway. Also at Thanksgiving I'm glad they're drinking Brugal (Dominican rum) but wouldn't it be Bacardí? Meh ... who knows?My only real problem was that I had the audio too and while [a:Rusty Topsfield 12547237 Rusty Topsfield https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does a great job with the different voices of the guys in English his Spanish is atrocious to the point of non existent. Too bad.

What the hell just happened?!?! I am verklempt, shaking my head and ... I don't know!Okay .. first things first. [a:Luke Itzvic 15308408 Luke Itzvic https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is a fantastic narrator. He made me keep going at it when I was wondering where the hell is this going?THIS MAY BE SPOILERISHI could be snarky but I won't because we read romance because we love love and love stories and that's what this is. But there is almost too much of it. Fin is a poor little rich boy who though he is the coddled and adored only son of supportive and doting parents always felt shy, uncomfortable and unworthy because of his looks and his sexual orientation. Of course he's a gorgeous blond twink, for some reason I kept seeing Matthew Gubler though I know that's not exactly how he's described. (Sorry I can't post pics but I can't figure out how to do so.) Anyway .. he's 22, a virgin with only one kiss under his belt, has just graduated college and starting his first job as a music teacher in a prep school and destiny awaits him his first week at work in the shape of Matt DiFiore. Matt is the gym teacher and I'm giving nothing away when I say they fall hard for each other. Matt is the physical opposite of Fin and yet they are each other's perfect person.Don't get me wrong. I love a good insta-love story and I fell for this ride but this whole story happens between the beginning of the school year and mid-December. By the whole story I mean: meeting, falling in love, moving in together, solving problems with Matt's past, confronting Matt's family issues, getting new jobs, moving, death in the family, getting married etc. I could go on. Almost everything that can happen happens. I was kind of exhausted so I wonder how the MC made it. And yet [a:Charlie Winters 8076295 Charlie Winters https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] had me. I drank the Kool-Aid and said yes to everything because I believe that love is sometimes like that: destiny, a bolt of lightning from the sky, the person on the train next to you. This is why I read this genre. To fall in love along with the characters and that I did. The romance is sweeping. These two are perfect, always say the right thing to each other in a moment of crisis and are IT for each other. I believed it. Yes there is a lot of telling and everyone these two come in contact with, save for one unrepentant meanie, are loving, accepting and progressive people and I liked that. Also the sexy times are plentiful and HOT but not too much.I would wholeheartedly recommend this if you're in the mood for a romantic story that will sweep you off your feet. But then The Epilogue Happened. I'm sure other reviewers have mentioned it but I didn't read those reviews and quite frankly would've read it anyway. I'm a cat. curiosity If you wish to live in the bubble of love stop at the last chapter. Otherwise proceed at your own risk.I didn't hate it. But it was a punch to the gut. I didn't need to know all that. I guess the author was going for the full circle of life thing. I don't know. I'm conflicted. Make your own choice. Up to The Epilogue the story is almost cotton candy sweet with a side order of hot sex in a compressed amount of time with two adorable MC and then it's like some other, realist author, takes over the story telling. SMH

I didn't even realize that this is a kind of Christmas story and accordingly it's sweet and insta-everything but I didn't mind. On the contrary I think this was exactly what I needed on a chilly spring day. I'll confess I came to this because of the fabulous [a:Derrick McClain 13845656 Derrick McClain https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1431050448p2/13845656.jpg], that man can read me the phone book, and he doesn't disappoint. Gael is a paramedic who has been living an emotionally closed off life life after harrowing experience in Iraq. On a run after a Black Friday shooter Gael encounters a wounded young man in an alley. He immediately starts calling him angel and that's what they become to each other. Gael physically saves Silas from harm and Silas cracking open the wall surrounding his heart and emotions.Like all short novellas and Christmas ones at that things happen quick, the baddies are cookie cutter and everything resolves itself with bows and bells. Regardless of the story sticking to script I liked it and didn't care that all the boxes were checked: older MC in need of love, younger virginal MC in need of being rescued, meanie with unlimited resources etc. These guys had actual heat on the page and I wished there was a sequel to see what they get up to in the future and I'd love to see Gael's friend Jim too.

I read these books and I feel at worse like an alien and at best like some kind of cultural anthropologist. Seriously who the f**k are these parents who say they love their children but can cavalierly set them aside because they “don't believe in their lifestyle” a.k.a. being gay. It's not a religion or theory. You don't have to believe in it. It is. Even if you don't believe in the roundness of the Earth it will continue to be round. Secondly what kind of weak tea kind of love is the one that lets you turn a blind eye to the suffering of your own flesh and blood over something so unimportant to your own well being as their sexual orientation? Jeremy's whole family could drive me to murder.

This was a hurt/comfort story of two lifelong friends who are still young men but who have lived through traumatic experiences and are looking for some way to cope in a harsh world. Neil has suffered an unspeakable loss and Jeremy has done one tour too many in Afghanistan. More than a romance the story focuses on how each finds in the other the shoulder to lean on and the willing ear when they were both hanging by tooth and nail. It helps that they have their past friendship as a solid foundation. I won't say much more but that if you want a good ragey, teary but ultimately cathartic read this works very well plus the ending is just right.
I may be more coherent later when I can write a review not on my phone. ;-)

3 stars for the story itself but 1 whole star for the audio which really made it for meThis is a little bit of fun to while away an hour or two. It took me three because I did the audio by [a:Bryce Chadwell 15249138 Bryce Chadwell https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and I would totally recommend it. The story is pretty much straight up yaoi which, to me at least, means some mindless fun. Here we have a pair of beautiful blonde twins, one heir to his kingdom and the other ... not. But which is the true heir? The question is left up to Kinthor, the warlord who has recently conquered their planet, and his trusted advisor Rodin. As fate would have it the twins are a match for each of these two Aliens or is it the other way around? It doesn't matter. A fun and sexy romp is had by all.As for the the audio that is where the true entertainment comes. Janus & Haine, the twins, are voiced like the brattiest twinks you've ever wanted to slap and then kiss silly. Kinthor is like some Vulcan and the true genius is Rodin. If you've watched Family Guy as much as I have you can't help but hear Roger in one of his many characters. I cracked up laughing. I loved it! Even the minor characters like Arda, Kinthor's sister, were done perfectly.So if you need a break from angst or high emotions this is the book. Enjoy.

This book is a deep dive into the mind of a high functioning autistic and it's perfectly done. The whole story is told from Elijah's POV and [a:Jordan Castillo Price 268722 Jordan Castillo Price https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1325364144p2/268722.jpg] doesn't flinch from showing us the difficult parts of being on the spectrum: the stimming, the flat affect, the disconnect. There isn't a false note and yet she also believably makes Elijah the hero of his own story. Elijah is smart, self aware and resourceful. Using the recordings to protect himself from the bully: genius. Though he's thirty-six he is perhaps in love for the first time and it's a pleasure to watch Elijah work out what's best for him, who his friends are and how he truly feels ... and Daniel sigh what a good, loving, and caring person. In spite of all that is weighing him down in life he's so patient with Elijah, he tries to read up on Aspergers to make sure he isn't taking advantage or hurting him.Once again [a:Seth Clayton 14956475 Seth Clayton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does the narration it's nothing short of brilliant.This volume builds on and augments the world of Mnevermind making it richer, giving it texture. If this were written in any other genre it would already be adapted for the screen.

Where to start??? This was all flavors of good. A very, very slow burn romance of which there isn't much in real time on the page but I found myself falling for hook, line and sinker. By the final scene I was a goner for Elijah as much as Daniel and we still know next to nothing about him. We know his physicality and his “condition” but that's not what I'd call knowing someone. What we do have is a perfectly imagined and peopled world which is what [a:Jordan Castillo Price 268722 Jordan Castillo Price https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1325364144p2/268722.jpg] always does to perfection: a recognizable now yet slightly different. In this case we have mnem artificial memories in which people indulge like going to the movies or an amusement park. Much like the Psychs in the PsyCops universe mneming isn't all that it's cracked up to be. And so we have a lowly practitioner of the art, Daniel Schroeder, who comes to this crossroads in his life as it was on its slow boat to mediocre:“So just when I figured my life had turned out pretty much the way it was going to be until I smoked my lungs black and worked my way to an early grave, everything went and changed on me.”This turn of events comes about because of ... a black feather. I'll leave it at that. The real beauty here is Daniel's seemingly drab world: Big Dan, Aunt Pipsie, Carlotta and who doesn't need a Larry Kelly as a friend? Seriously he's awesome. Another bright spot? I loved that Daniel is 45 and acts like it. He's smart. He has a history. He doesn't exist in a vacuum. I won't say more. Just go read it. And if you can do the audio by [a:Seth Clayton 14956475 Seth Clayton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is the stuff of genius.4.50 Because I'm being selfish and would've preferred the whole story in one volume. ;-)

A giant brought to his knees by his baby bird, in this case Wren. We met Wren and his Daddy Dom a.k.a. Charlie in [a:Kim Alan 5842688 Kim Alan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1403913233p2/5842688.jpg]'s prior book [b:Mission: X 18733947 Mission X (Mission X, #1) Kim Alan https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405620760s/18733947.jpg 25633272]. I confess to having some curiosity about them and this hit the spot.In a few short chapters the author lays out Charlie and Wren's story: what kept them apart and how they finally came together. We meet a pre-Xander Paul who plays a sweet but pivotal role in bringing the two love birds together. I liked it. I liked how Wren owns his kinks and goes for what he wants but is smart enough to surrender to the right hands. I liked how Charlie was this hulking, intimidating guy who is putty in the presence of waif boy Wren but can still hold it together to take care of his Little Bird.I liked the scene orchestrated by Paul to bring the lovers together. I liked the final love scene. Mostly I loved Charlie's way of being a Dom. He's not hung up gadgets or protocol but rather on making his sub feel safe and loved and protecting him, sometimes in spite of himself. Yes it's super romantic and much of it is rainbows, unicorns, and marshmallows but I happily took the ride. Enjoy.

I decided to give this a try because of [a:Derrick McClain 13845656 Derrick McClain https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1431050448p2/13845656.jpg] but OMG!!! This is the book that wouldn't end. It says 564pg. but I kind of doubt it. It went on forever and then some. There's so much going on here that I don't even know where to start or what to say. It was like six different stories and each on its own would've been enough for a full length book. I know many would've given up however I was raised on a steady diet of telenovelas and have a high tolerance for the drama. Quite frankly it became a challenge to see what else the author would throw in the pot. Struggling for air in the midst of all of the drama is a pretty good portrait of a young man, Kit/Christopher, who has lived through unspeakable horror and is battling to come out on the other side. His inner monologue is probably what I liked best in the whole book. It felt authentic and well reasoned. I liked that [a:Mercy Celeste 4615197 Mercy Celeste https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442532314p2/4615197.jpg] didn't have Kit magically cured/freed of his troubles after one good sexual experience. She followed through on his evolving recovery even through the end.I won't say much about the plot but be prepared for the bat shit crazy. Secret twins, unexpected siblings, surprise parents etc. and that's just on Kit's side. Micah has enough issues for a 4 book series. The MCs are characters out of Gothic faery tales or in the case of Kit firmly in Yaoi land. To emphasize the point most of the book takes part in an isolated estate which is referred to as a castle. There's insta-lust/insta-love. All of the main action in the book takes place in about two weeks. And yet despite the sometimes purple prose and conversations that no one has, much less young men, I wasn't deterred until the last 100 pages which felt like overkill or an attempt by the author to kill the reader via diabetic shock. You can check my reading updates for samples of the crazy.Still 3.75 because the author stuck to her vision and the writing is solid and sometimes sagas are needed. But enter at your own peril.

This is what happens when you buy a book because of an intriguing cover. You're surprised. In this case pleasantly so.
I truly hadn't the foggiest idea what this would be about but it was short and sweet.

Xander is a sweet boy in search of someone who will make him feel. He's a bit skittish having had a bad experience made worse by embarrassment. His friend Lara of course tries to help by setting him up for a night in a BDSM club and also, unbeknownst to Xander, on a date with her boss Paul. Paul is like some über-Dom who nonetheless has been pining for Xander and is nervous of getting things wrong. I liked seeing Paul sweat. I confess that sometimes I'm bored by the overly formal BDSM club scenes because they feel almost scripted or contrived. I much prefer the organic D/s relationships where it's all about emotion and here we got to see a Dom crack a bit. Yes!

I would love to see an epilogue or a scene of the couple sometime in the future to see how the relationship is faring so only three stars. But someone who respects Sunday Smut Day is good in my book.

I freakin' loved this! [a:Jeffery Self 6475432 Jeffery Self https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1468049699p2/6475432.jpg] beat [a:E.L. James 4725841 E.L. James https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308409727p2/4725841.jpg] at her own game. He succinctly told the same story but via Alex who is way funnier than Anastasia. In fact his sense of humor approximates the Ana from the movies which was a huge improvement. By making the story shorter he packs a bigger punch and as a bonus this was an audio by [a:Iggy Toma 13543759 Iggy Toma https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] who merits a full star if not more for me. If you want to have some fun and not take things too seriously you'll have a blast with this which isn't quite a parody of [b:Fifty Shades of Grey 10818853 Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1) E.L. James https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385207843s/10818853.jpg 15732562] but more like an homage that riffs on and is better than the source material and still manages to deliver a credible Hollywood romance complete with HEA and an empowered Cinderella palatable to our modern era. Alex gets his dream job in NYC all on his own and doesn't back away from it in order to be with his silver screen idol.Have a cocktail and plug in your ear buds. You won't be sorry. ;-)

3.75This was an audio for me and I'm conflicted about rating it. I think that if I'd read it I would've enjoyed it more. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, I was just kind of bored. [a:Sebastian York 7266223 Sebastian York https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does his usual bang-up job, however [a:Molly Glenmore 14138154 Molly Glenmore https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has me out of sorts. While her voice for Lucky is technically right I kind of found her too breathy, too annoying. Maybe this had something to do with how I felt about the character of Lucky. Paradoxically I really like her voice for male characters. On to the story.This is the story of an up-and-coming Rock Star, Flynn Beckham, who along with his band has gotten the break to open for Easy Rider, a band that sells out arenas. Of course there's a hitch. While at a bar to meet Dylan Ryder the lead singer of Easy Ryder, he lays eyes on Lucky and he's a goner. Problem is Lucky is Dylan's girlfriend. The attraction between Flynn and Lucky is instant and palpable and once Flynn joins the tour things heat up quickly. Flynn is sexy, charming, talented and an overall really good guy and I could totally see why Lucky fell for him. She's been with Dylan for about a year but she's not head over heels in love with him. It's more like he's the guy whose poster she had on her bedroom wall as a teen. He's about 10 years older than her but that's not an issue. She just isn't gaga over him which is why I was so annoyed that it took her so long to break things off with Dylan once she and Flynn got together. I don't care about the cheating. I'm annoyed over the handwringing and indecisiveness when things were pretty clear to anyone who bothered to look.If you have more patience than me you might enjoy this. The story was sexy, well told and the ending was nice. All of the other characters are great and believable including Dylan who is given a few nasty qualities but I just felt like he was tired of the road and trying to remain relevant and commercial in the cut throat world of arena rock.

This was non lethal way to pass the commute. However it took good will as a reader to believe the whole D/s relationship mostly because I didn't buy Asher as a Dom. Bad enough that Xander was the perfect sub just from reading and research and he was a sweet virgin to boot but then we have Asher vacillating in the will he or won't he seesaw. I was frankly annoyed. If you've already crossed the taboo line of student teacher just go for it like in [b:Just a Bit Twisted 33289905 Just a Bit Twisted (Straight Guys #1) Alessandra Hazard https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481198609s/33289905.jpg 43138453]. The whole Byron as a theme woven into the story felt forced, like the author likes Byron and wanted a chance to insert some of his poetry in a book. And while the abs on the cover guy are awesome what's up with his jeans. Okay, I'll stop.Anyway ... you won't be hurt by this and maybe the series gets better but this installment is just okay and quickly forgettable.

Happy Surprise!Covers fooling me once again. I though this would be a marshmallow Yaoi style read but the truth is that aside from the cover art this is not fluff at all. I was also surprised because I'd read [a:Yamila Abraham 151017 Yamila Abraham https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1333107113p2/151017.jpg]'s [b:Her Twin Brother 16010189 Her Twin Brother Yamila Abraham https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361154048s/16010189.jpg 21777243] and was distinctly unimpressed. Let's hear it for second chances!The first half of this this book was a fairly straightforward tale of an inexperienced young man making his way in the penal system. The details of are pretty true to life or as accurate as can be and still call a book a romance. Ryan Burgess is young but no pushover and he learns to navigate the shark infested waters of prison. Luckily for Ryan Ray Harrison takes a shine to him and while Ryan is getting acclimated to prison life, with Ray's guidance, Ray is also conducting a prison style wooing that's swoon worthy. Ray helps Ryan but doesn't baby him and makes clear his desires and intentions. Ray is in for a long stretch and he wants a relationship, not just sex. He's willing to wait until Ryan comes willingly to him. That's romantic.The second half is the organic evolution of Ryan's feelings and attitude towards Ray and a possible relationship with a man which is something that he hadn't contemplated. This done subtly and utterly believably particularly if you take into account how little chance to live Ryan had before entering prison. He was 18! However Ms. Abraham doesn't shy away from the true horrors of prison or paint those there as misunderstood angels. For the most part they are hardened felons who nonetheless remain human beings with hopes, aspirations and love to give and receive.The ending was swoon worthy and I sure I'll be revisiting this again. Also [a:Klaus von Hohenloe 15425372 Klaus von Hohenloe https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s narration is awesome. I would strongly recommend this to anyone.

Well now I know where to look when I'm looking for something good to read: my own library! Apparently I had purchased this gem in a fit of good sense but then let it languish in my queue. Big mistake. This is one of the best historical romances I've rad in a long while. Period. That praise is not modified by genre. This is quite simply a gorgeous book about two people, who in this instance happen to be men, who fall in love and overcome odds to be together. And what wonderful and complicated men they are.The central love story is between two seeming opposites. Oliver Rivington the spare or second son of an Earl who's returned home to England after 10 years among the carnage of Badajoz and Waterloo yearning for normalcy and order. Alas what he encounters is Jack Turner who upsets all his notions of order but to whom he's attracted like a lodestone. Jack feels the same pull but fights it tooth and nail as Oliver represents everything Jack hates and resents: the fickle, careless, superfluous and sometimes cruel aristocrat. Of course Oliver is nothing of the sort and Jack is lost from day one.I loved that Jack's reasons for his line of work and his dislike of the upper classes were clearly shown and it made perfect sense. But it was also nice to see him start to see things in a different light or rather make allowances once he starts spending time with Oliver and obviously falling in love with him. I loved that Oliver for his part had revisions to make to his rigid moral view of the law and was fairly quick about it. It's one of Oliver's most endearing qualities his openness to empathy. Also his general good humor serves as a perfect counterbalance to Jack's prickly hedgehog but make no mistake, Oliver with all his yielding and melting for Jack is very much his own man and not one to be trifled with. The scenes between these two, wether having tea with a hostess or burning the sheets, are always revelatory to both men and to the reader. This is a journey of discovery for both men. Jack feels that they are as different as day and night and that a relationship can never be because he doesn't do love and all Oliver wants is a home in another, something to call theirs and he's willing to go to any length to get it and prove to Jack that they can. Perfect. I loved the mystery that was woven into the story and the business with Charlotte. In fact this was one of my other happy surprises in this book, how the women seem one way to society from the outside but when you really looked from the inside you saw the love that they extend to each other in ways big and small. How they care for each other with a cup of tea or something much bigger.I loved the solution or accommodation to which Jack & Oliver came in order to be together and if Oliver lost something along the way Jack was willing to budge in his ways to make him happy and feel cherished. I loved that it didn't get resolved in some tragic way or the dreary master/servant arrangement. The author doesn't make light of the dangers of such a relationship but I'm certain that in the past people found ways to be together and happy away from prying eyes. After all we did not invent homosexuality recently.Did I say I loved this book. I did. I must add that I also did the audio by [a:Gary Furlong 4436640 Gary Furlong https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and it's fantastic and absolutely worth it!I'm off to book 2, Georgie's story.

How do you go from a spankalicious fap fest to an emotional and dare I say deep exploration of alienation and belonging? You get schooled by [a:Misha Horne 8246922 Misha Horne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442976625p2/8246922.jpg] that's how.I jumped into this because I love Misha and because I wanted to get over a pseudo serious book that left me kind of blah. I thought this would be a fun distraction and it was but it was also so much more. Make no mistake. We do get the delicious, tortuous, sweaty-palm inducing spank fests and then some: manties, humiliation, alternate use of makeup, Daddy kink, exhibitionism etc. and when you aren't looking Misha hits you with the hard stuff. Young people dealing with emotions they have no way of understanding, with parental abandonment or neglect and having to learn, perhaps a bit unorthodoxly, what it means to live in a community, to care about themselves and others and learn that others care about them too. And yes also about the dreaded L-O-V-E in it's various forms. The beauty of this gem is that all of this comes in the voice of one of the best narrators I've come across in a long while. The whole book is told from the POV of Alex Fox and what a fun and poignant ride it is. Alex is funny and sarcastic but also self deprecating and heartbreakingly honest with himself even when he doesn't meant to or want to. His roommate-guardian, enemy-love interest is Baxter. A mystery wrapped in an enigma who you can just tell needs some TLC but sadly he's a porcupine: approach at your own peril. Alex does and he has the spanked rear to prove it. Not that he's complaining. Then we have Jordon and Harry who have their own brand of crazy town going. And the master of ceremonies of this whole tent is one Percy. Just Percy like Cher. I want to know more about him.So to re-cap: I loved everything about this. It works as a grade A spankfest and sundry kinks that will have you changing underwear in no time. It works as a laugh-out-loud comedy. It works as a tract on love being a verb. By that I mean that Percy shows love for these “problem” kids by having actual and realistic expectations from them and not letting them just coast because it's easier. And most importantly it works as a romance. By the end we believe in HEA that's dangled before us. It won't be easy and the guys would have it no other way. Now starts the campaign for Misha to give us more from these two or the other guys. I'm not picky. I just want more.

I've been thinking about what I want to say about this book since I finished it yesterday and damn this is going to be difficult.On the one hand the language is gorgeous if at times overwrought but I'm game for that. The author is adept at using lush imagery to evoke emotions and memories sometimes at a sensory level sometimes those that only live in our dreams. It would be presumptuous of me to say but I felt that perhaps the author was inspired by the kind of writing you find in [b:Ingenious Pain 382468 Ingenious Pain A Novel (Harvest Book) Andrew Miller https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392070324s/382468.jpg 2346752], [b:Kalimantaan 759174 Kalimantaan C.S. Godshalk https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312063669s/759174.jpg 745283], [b:As Meat Loves Salt 271487 As Meat Loves Salt Maria McCann https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398025759s/271487.jpg 1435622] or even [b:Call Me by Your Name 98687 Call Me by Your Name André Aciman https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1283737003s/98687.jpg 1363157]. These are novels in which language is king and you're enveloped in the almost poetic heights of the writing to the point where you have reread to get the “story” but you don't mind because you're in a mesmerizing and delicious spell. It pains me to say that this fell short of the mark.When I started reading this, up to maybe the 30% mark, I was giddy with elation. I love poetic books and I was so thrilled to find one within the MM genre. This is the part of how Henry, a thirtysomething history professor, and Ruben, one of his senior high school internship students, come together. Have no fear. They meet and though Ruben starts showing interest in Henry by October Henry is a moral and ethical man and resists, that is until the school year is over and Ruben returns from his summer in the country. They meet at Henry's apartment for a tryst which is interrupted by an untimely visitor but then meet again and and spend a weekend together before Ruben leaves for college. All this is fine and dandy and told quite beautifully. The problem is that after the wonderful weekend all we have is pining and beautiful suffering. By the time the MCs finally got together I was exhausted by so much beauty, trembling, and perfection. Once the weekend is over almost two years elapse in which Ruben does some needed growing up and also decides that he's more gay than bi which is a big change because when he was first in Henry's class he was “straight”. He goes to college, sleeps around and just generally has experiences and new friendships and I was totally on board with that. He is doing exactly what someone his age would/should be doing. What I had a bit of a hard time believing was his growing fixation bordering on obsession with Henry. Oh Henry! He is the MC on which the whole story hinges and to my taste the author oversold him. THIS MIGHT GET SPOILERISHHenry is a man of quasi Messianic perfection. Even his origin story and subsequent life are there to amplify his goodness. Everyone who meets him loves him even his married agent falls under his unwitting spell while he goes about like the absent minded professor who can't even be bothered to answer email because “oh God the modern world!”. Such BS. Henry breaks and suffers beautifully and everyone loves him particularly Ruben who over the course of two years of separation has to prove his TRUE love by falling apart, reinventing himself and offering Henry a family to call his own. Quite frankly if I where Ruben's parents I'd be a little freaked welcoming a 36 yr. old to be my 21 yr. old son's husband. That's how old they are by the end of the book but before the epilogue.I understand and like the choice of having Henry be a Historian and his love of older things and their significance in our everyday lives: he was never wanted, never had a family but his insistence on not doing email or cell phones got annoying quick. Hey you can shut off your phone or just don't answer it! Problem solved. This all seemed like a contrivance to keep him isolated from Ruben and thus the two years of woe. But these are quibbles. My bigger problem is that I simply didn't believe in the all consuming love between these two and not because of the short span of time they actually spent together before they decided they were in love. I just didn't feel it. Sure bald and nerdy Henry would be blown away by an 18 yr. old former student finding him hot and letting him screw him but obsessing for two years over said guy without ever being in touch with him again in any way that's just sad or creepy. If it was a case of sexual obsession I could get on board with that but NO this was all sublimated true love. Then we have Ruben who meets at least two good guys while in college but can only love Henry. Perfect Henry. Aside from offering his own family as a surrogate for Henry he also gets him his own “mom & dad” because Henry is just that deserving of love but somehow has been deprived until now. The ending is cotton candy and marshmallow sweet to the point where my teeth hurt. Prince Henry got everything he never dreamed he wanted. Ugh! I could go on but ultimately I just didn't believe in the love story. What does Henry bring to Ruben? How endearing will fussy Henry be to Ruben once he's a fully mature man? The rating is because I liked everything else: the themes explored, the language and narrative style and I also very much loved Ruben. The cover is gorgeous. I would even go so far as to say that I might give it another go on some future date. Maybe my mood toward Henry will improve. Henry annoyed me.

collecting my thoughtsokay, I can do this and sound rationalI read [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] last year after ogling that delicious cover and seeing some really fawning reviews here on GR. I was not disappointed. One of my favorite reads ever. Period. So much so that I'd been reticent about reading [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] because the reviews were not as laudatory so why mess with perfection. In the end I took the plunge but waited to pair it up with the audio because [a:Teddy Hamilton 15007880 Teddy Hamilton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] and [a:Jacob Morgan 3145556 Jacob Morgan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493415553p2/3145556.jpg] are seriously awesome. Now I want to kick myself because I should've trusted [a:Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy 7737308 Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1402702789p2/7737308.jpg], they haven't led me astray yet and the release of the audio would've been a sweet reread. Next time.I can see why some people were not as gaga over part #2 of the series. Whereas [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] was the honeymoon phase of a romance, discovering each other and the feelings that transpire,[b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] is the story of how that love survives outside when the real world intrudes upon the bubble of unicorns and rainbows. The fact is that one can't exist without the other. As much as I loved [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] at the end the guys were left in this fairytale world of perfection. A sweet dream that if not corrected could rob their story of truth and validity. [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] is how these young men learn to navigate adult life both in the professional arena and in a relationship. You feel for them because they feel quite alone and ill equipped to handle these things. They're hiding Wes' sexual orientation, waiting for the right time to “come out” but always in fear of being discovered. They don't socialize, have no friends, Jamie's family is in California, Wes has no family to speak of and the grueling schedule of a hockey season all add up to frayed nerves and insecurities. To make matters worse they are not communicating well which has always been their forte even before they were a couple and add to that Jamie becomes seriously ill. All is not lost and one of the underlying themes of the book is that there is more good, love, and friendship in the world if we only open our eyes and hearts. To the rescue comes the most unlikely hero, Blake Riley. Like a rube at first I thought I would hate him but pretty quickly saw the error of my ways. That man is awesome and so are most of Wes' teammates and Jamie's coworkers and teen players. I don't think this was wishful thinking on the part of the writers. I've seen this in real life. People surprise you. Happy surprises.I loved how the writers were not only content with fixing Wes and Jamie's relationship but also setting them on the path of satisfying careers and learning to let go or embrace things that may rub against the grain but that are part and parcel of healthy, loving, adult relationships. This was the coda we didn't think we needed. It makes the story whole and truer to life. Yes there are chapters that are like the dark night of the soul for both guys but overcoming them and working thru these issues, be they internal or external and coming out together and stronger is what makes you believe that these two will be walking around hand in hand 30 years from now.So did I like it? No. I. Loved. It.

Entertaining morsel to fill an hour. A hint of Daddy kink, a little bit of dress up - lace panties - and age difference.

Dane Sampson is perhaps a little creepy as he clearly saw Holden sitting outside in his broken down car and let him sit there while he primped up but Holden is not complaining and I won't either. No one is promising love and roses here just young man coming into his own sexually and an older man fulfilling his fantasies, even those he didn't know he had, while getting some joy of his own.

Will this last? Probably not in the long run but some good, dirty, kinky fun is a good basis for a HFN and sometimes that's all you need.

This is a wonderful book and I really loved it.First of all let's talk about that gorgeous cover [bc:A Hundred Thousand Words 28198005 A Hundred Thousand Words Nyrae Dawn https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454294693s/28198005.jpg 46868870] for the audio and [bc:A Hundred Thousand Words 27111078 A Hundred Thousand Words Nyrae Dawn https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458698743s/27111078.jpg 46868870] for my ebook. I love them! Beauties.Tobias Jackson is a young man whom life has cheated of a normal and caring family but who finds a substitute in the Baxters, particularly in his best friend Chris who never sees him as other, either for his sexual orientation or his skin color. Chris's older brother Levi also features prominently in his teenage fantasies and when Toby is 20 and comes back home from college during the Christmas break the teenage daydreams become reality but at what price? Are they real? Sustainable or worth pursuing? Furthermore who is Levi really? And can Toby let him or anyone else in?I think what I liked best about this book is that more than being an NA about young love it's a book about identity and it applies to both the Baxter brothers, Levi & Chris as well as Toby. Each one is struggling with what it means to become an adult and none of it is the obvious you would expect i.e. being gay or black. While Toby is self-aware and talks about how he felt different in a small town in Oregon for being black and, once he entered high school, openly gay his main struggles are with letting himself be open to love and be loved because of abandonment issues and and an inability to communicate because of how virtually catatonic his father is when it comes to talking about anything important. Ironically Toby is an English major. Levi is struggling with always being the golden boy and meeting parental expectations. Being perfect is very hard.And Chris struggles with what he perceives his role to be, that of “the other son” the one that doesn't quite measure up, the one who is two steps behind. I think that all of the voices sounded authentic and the pacing of the development of the relationship between Toby and Levi was done just right. Nothing was rushed or too drawn out. There were no instant declarations of love but rather progressive lust to like to love. I liked how neither Levi nor his family had any issues whatsoever with his sexuality and his bisexuality wasn't erased in some nonsense GFY trope. I liked how Toby had to first address the issues with his father and childhood before he could openly love and accept love from Levi and to some extent the whole Baxter family.I loved Xavier and would love a story about him. I loved that the perhaps unexpected sexual dynamic between Levi and Toby and I love how Levi may be conflicted about things in his life but he's clear and unequivocal in about how he feels about Toby and unabashedly shows his affection.p.s. The audio by [a:Sean Crisden 4531094 Sean Crisden https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] is very nice. Smooth.

4.5I listened to this a while ago but had not time for a review, later I re-listened with the intention of reviewing, and again NO TIME. Finally the third time is a charm! Also these re-listens have been no hardship. I'm not a super fan of ROCK STAR books, but I really liked this story, and [a:Andi Arndt 6746963 Andi Arndt https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1381410479p2/6746963.jpg] delivers a flawless, pitch-perfect, and emotional performance of [a:Kylie Scott 6476625 Kylie Scott https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486448069p2/6476625.jpg]'s sweet romance.At 26 David Ferris, the lead guitarist, and lyricist for Stage Dive, one of the biggest rock bands around, is burned out. He hasn't written a new song in two years. Family and band stress are taking their toll. He goes to Vegas to blow off steam and crosses paths with Evelyn Thomas, who, at 21, has gone to Vegas to do what people do in Vegas: be someone else and maybe have some sex. After some epic tequila drinking, the two wake up married, except Ev can't remember the details, or much of anything at all. In fact she didn't really know who David was when they met (she's more of a country music fan). Given the circumstances they decide on a divorce but on the road to Splitsville love pushes through.These two are electric together. David is all sorts of delicious, and Ev is adorable. Sometimes I wanted to shake her, but then I remembered that she was a sheltered, 21 y.o. when she got thrown into David's world, and at first, David keeps his cards pretty close. She was sweet but not a pushover, she was honest about her sexual desires. She was funny, self deprecating, and good hearted. I liked that David behaved like what he is: a rock star surrounded by YES people. Authentic. He was a bit arrogant, cocky, sometimes suspicious, but ultimately a good man, and good to Ev. They make a good team, and it wouldn't be too difficult imagining them as one of those long term rock ‘n' roll couples, maybe Valerie Bertinelli & Eddie VanHalen (in a world where they never broke up). There are some things you might have to suspend disbelief it's impossible to get "accidentally" or "drunk" married / David relocating to Portland, OR., and eventually the rest of the band too, so that Evelyn can continue to work as a barista? Ev working as a barista after her happy marriage to a rich & famous, guitar god? All of this highly unlikely. Almost impossible., but their negligible and par for the course in romancelandia. This first installment does a great job of setting up other characters I'm definitely intrigued about. I'll definitely go on. I like these people.

I hadn't read a contemporary M/F in a while and this was a happy little interlude. This series is a spin off from a prior series but I had no trouble getting right into it. [a:Kylie Scott 6476625 Kylie Scott https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1486448069p2/6476625.jpg] is new to me author and I'm happy to say I really like her style. Funny, modern, and romantic.This book sits firmly in hipster heaven. The protagonists, the good guys at least, have what until recently were considered alternate jobs or lifestyles: rock musicians, tattoo artists, bar owners etc. Not your 9 to 5 crowd yet it's clear that these are good people and hard workers who love their friends and family honestly and passionately. The tattooed villains of yore are the romantic heroes here. Nice. On to the book.The story starts with Lydia running away from her wedding after discovering an unsavory secret about the groom to be it turns out Chris is gay but on the DL because of his family. It's kind of sad that he feels he can't be open but I liked that he is the villain (and his family) not because he's gay but because of his deceit. There's no gay bashing here. and ends up in the the tub of the house next door. The house belongs to a tall, redheaded, and tattooed sex god called Vaughn. He's just come back to town to regroup after certain setbacks in his rock and roll career. In the space of a week he and Lydia become enmeshed in each other's lives and if it's a bit of wishful thinking it doesn't feel forced. I went happily along for the ride.I liked how Lydia is self conscious about her body (aren't we all) but not paralyzed by it. She's funny, honest, and self-deprecating. She owns her sexual desires and is willing to dream up a new life plan and even a third if we count when Vaughn leaves when her first fails. I loved Vaughn and his Babe which could mean a million things. I liked all of the people in and around the Dive Bar. They feel lived in, people with actual history. Don't get me wrong, this is still firmly a romance it's just that it takes place among a younger generation of assertive women and somewhat more sensitive men who are tattooed, wear man buns and are rockers. But said men are still gorgeous, decent, and generous lovers. What's not to love.In spite of the initial wedding that wasn't and Vaughn's issues this is a low angst book. It's mostly two people falling in love during one intense week. I believed it and had a good time along with them. p.s. The audio by [a:Andi Arndt 6746963 Andi Arndt https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1381410479p2/6746963.jpg] is perfect. Loved it.

Re-listen 6/11/19-6/12/19Something non-energy consuming, so I did bk. 1 in the series, which lead to this ... and so on. My review is unchanged. **************3.75***Apparently I went on a wee hours shopping spree and have a number of these. I don't regret it.Requirements for enjoying [a:Charity Parkerson 4506281 Charity Parkerson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1519415903p2/4506281.jpg]: willingness to believe in and enjoy insta lust/love, earth-shattering beauty, consciousness-stealing orgasms, long-lost soulmates and plots right out of night time soaps. I do (when the mood's right).Much like in her Ugly Eternity series, the Hard Hit is populated by a bunch of guys who are related to one another via life long friendships and work. In the prior series it was being in the rock band Ugly Eternity, and the people around that line of work. In this series some of the guys are hockey players, but so far this is NOT A HOCKEY SERIES. Particularly not this installment. These are all novellas which is the perfect dose for the high emotional tone of the series. Here we get Ryker and Grady. Both were introduced in the previous book. It's Ms. Parkerson's M.O. and it works.Ryker is a 23 year old male model with some baggage his father is a notorious English gangster and apparently beat his son and a beauty so mesmerizing that we have Grady thinking this about him: “Somewhere in the world, there were marble statues of gods that didn't compare to Ryker's perfection.” or “There were countries in the world that would've executed Ryker years ago for his looks. The man was sinful.” Hyperbole gets a brand new definition in Ms. Parkeson's books but I choose to believe that she's just projecting the thoughts of a person in lust/love and who among us hasn't been stupid in love?Ryker is being semi stalked by Alex, an ex, who's a hockey player on the same team as Shayne from the first book. Alex is not a nice guy, ‘cause “reasons”. His relationship with Ryker is very reminiscent of Maddox and Hawke in the Ugly Eternity series, so he'll have to be redeemed in a future book. Into this fray comes Grady, a police officer who was serving an arrest warrant on Alex but instead, although heretofore heterosexual, falls head over dick in lust/love with Ryker. I'm happy to say that not much drama ensues. Grady, who has two gay besties, just kind of shrugs and jumps in with both feet into a relationship with Ryker and Ryker though initially skeptic finds acceptance in Grady. Someone who sees more than Ryker's outer beauty they share abusive childhoods and is a safe harbor for Ryker. Grady is ten years older than Ryker and D/s play is alluded to but it all happens off page, which is fine. In spite of references to people being in emotional pain and other stuff, to me, this was a “light” book about two guys hot for each other and finding their bliss. Nothing wrong with that. Did I take any of their drama seriously? Nope. But I did enjoy it. The sexy times are plenty and hot and I'll probably read/listen to couple more of these trifles.The audio is by [a:Hollie Jackson] and she's great. I've seen some people complain in outrage over a woman narrating an MM book but I have no problem with it at all. She does brilliant voices for each character. Plus let's be real: this is a genre written mostly by women, mostly for women readers. If it's a deal breaker you can skip the AB & just read with your peepers. ;)