Annery

So I continue with my Cole McGinnis addiction and boy is it a rewarding one. Once again Cole is involved in a bat-shit-crazy case but as I've said before I don't think these books are much concerned with the mysteries themselves. They are about families, the ones we come from & the ones we create and the love we find and the fight to keep them at all costs.All of the regulars are here: Bobby (I love him more with every book), Mike, Maddy, Claudia and her extended brood, a new friend in Det. Wong and the enticingly interesting Ichiro. He's a welcome piece of good stuff for Cole. As for Jae, Cole's heart, I must confess to have lost patience with him at times and had reservations but by the end he comes thru and we palpably see the anguish of his struggle to love Cole openly and losing his family. There are tears, passionate love making, good food shared with good friends and Cole's nearest and dearest but we also have to deal with the ugly hate and prejudice that's still part of our world. I'm glad that [a:Rhys Ford 4968409 Rhys Ford https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308678470p2/4968409.jpg] doesn't shy away from showing it and be tempted to only do rainbows & roses because that would belittle the hard won happiness of our Mcs. For one Jae-Min's family sucks balls in hell. Luckily all of this is narrated from Cole's POV, and what a great voice it is, filled with humor, self deprecation, doubt and love & as a bonus the audio is by [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg]!Also I don't think I've mentioned it before but the opening chapters of these books are always hilarious and not to be missed. *One question: I think (maybe I misheard/read) that Jae was born here so why does he have an accent. I know that in the Latino community (i.e. my friends & cousins) thou some are born here they do have an accent but it's more like Lower East Side or Bronx Latino accent, not a Dominican accent. Anyway that was just a quibble. I'll still be the first in line when Cole has a moment of hetero-madness.

It took me a bit to read this book but not because it was difficult or boring but rather because I decided to do the slow sip. It is [a:Hilary Mantel 58851 Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1334862633p2/58851.jpg] and every sentence and paragraph are worthy of being savored and digested with no rush. Its not as if this is a mystery. We all know of Henry VIII and his marital woes. For those who don't I'd suggest a primer on English history before delving into this book.What Ms. Mantel does so brilliantly here, as she did in [b:A Place of Greater Safety 12593941 A Place of Greater Safety Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363862651s/12593941.jpg 1168385] is illuminate and bring focus on characters we think to know so well from countless history classes. In this case it is Thomas Cromwell a man who always seems to veer between an opaque cypher or Machiavellian villain in most historical accounts but in [b:Wolf Hall 6520929 Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1) Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436162980s/6520929.jpg 6278354] he comes off as that modern day hero: the self made man who rises the heights of power despite of his less than auspicious beginning. Thankfully Ms. Mantel keeps him a man of his time, modern yes, but 1530's modern. As Cardinal Wolsey he chooses his prince, Henry, and serves him ushering in the new England divorced from Rome and all that ensued.I'm sure there are more eloquent reviews around so I'll just say that I found it brilliant: the writing, the story telling, the insight into human nature. I'll be starting [b:Bring Up the Bodies 13507212 Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) Hilary Mantel https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1330649655s/13507212.jpg 14512257], the follow up ASAP.

**RE-READ 5/4/22 **

This is best enjoyed without too much analysis. The way Cris snares Nick is nowhere near close to the much touted consent in BDSM circles but probably truer to how thing work out for some people. Still I would've liked another book in which we get Cris's perspective, what he wants, what his intentions are, why Nicky, how did he cage him the first time etc. but it never came and I think this writer (at least under this name) isn't active anymore.

Small joys and all that

I had been attracted to this book and also avoiding it because: a) the tittle felt a little FSOG, b) the cover is awful! My brother is a tattoo artist and I can say that no one would put up with that lame ass thing on their back, but I digress: I LOVED THIS BOOK.It was angsty, sad and dark because it needed to be but also all kinds of sexy hot. It was as realistic as a romance can get and still be a romance. I happen to be one of many cogs that conform the Criminal Justice system and the details of the process ring true (turns out the author is an attorney), from the months or years of surveillance that can go into a case to where our MC Danny ends up. The author gets the weird & perverse intimacy that is part and parcel of the criminal and his/her pursuer (law enforcement agent).The better part of the first two thirds of the book show the birth of the relationship between Miller & Danny and it's all on the page, no fade to black or exit stage right. Each MC is revealed in his quirks, virtues and flaws. I loved how once they acknowledged what was between them both men gave themselves wholeheartedly to the other. But what I loved most was that when we reach the point where most authors bring on the HEA with bird song and angels [a:Brooke McKinley 3128303 Brooke McKinley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png] puts these men on the path of making hard choices and looking unflinchingly into unflattering mirrors.Yes there is a HEA but it is hard fought and hard won and well deserved. This is a keeper & maybe a reread. **For those who care, there is cheating (one MC has a fiancee) but I don't as in real life these things happen. Also I got the Whispersync and I have no complaints about the audio save to say that the [a:Paul Morey 6581694 Paul Morey https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] reads quite slow, 11 ½ hrs. & this book isn't that long, however very good diction and I liked the choice of voices even for the women.

Sweet, low angst friends to lovers, gfy story that should tickle pink all romance geeks especially if you love your boys English.

I enjoyed this tale of two good guys, one gay one not (yet) who get to know each other first in the on-line world of gamers and later in the physical. It a very slow burn, getting-to-know-you story in which once the MCs become friends both are reluctant to go any further for fear of ruining the friendship but when the they finally get together you sense it will be a HEA because they've put in the work of creating a rock solid friendship. There isn't much heat on-page but I didn't mind.

WOW!!! I freakin' loved this book. It's happy combination of some of my favorite things: the hard boiled detective novel a la [a:Raymond Chandler 1377 Raymond Chandler https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206535318p2/1377.jpg] or [a:Dashiell Hammett 16927 Dashiell Hammett https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1287255332p2/16927.jpg]. An un-easy love, M/M and to gild this lily the audio is done by [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg] who can read me and Ikea assembly booklet and make me happy. Like many of these detective novels the case is almost incidental and it's resolution an afterthought. Instead we are granted entree into the world of our PI, in this case Cole McGinnis an Irish/Japanese former police officer (aren't they all) who after events that I'm sure will be more amply fleshed out in future books, has left the department with a nice bundle of cash & some enemies and has hung his shingle as a PI. Cole feels like a fully fleshed person from the get go with an office manager/surrogate mother in the person of Claudia, an older brother Mike who loves him but needs to work on accepting Cole as an out and proud gay man and the wonderful Scarlett, a trans Pilipino woman who is a performer and mother hen to Jae-Min, Cole's reluctant love interest, because what's a good PI story without a hard to pin down lover. Did I say I loved this book? Yes. I did. I do. I love Cole's voice, his sly and self deprecating humor but also how he can be vulnerable in front of Jae and basically beg him to love him back without appearing weak or clingy.I'll be inhaling the rest of this series ASAP but I can't break my addiction to [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg] so it'll have to be at the audio pace which is always slower but in this case also delicious.

I think this may be my first shifter book (I'll have to check). I've avoided them thinking they may be too silly, but as I've now read tentacle-porn and liked it I said to myself “why not” and I'm glad I did. It's got everything: fated mates, tall growly, protective, possessive guy who happens to be a dragon on the side, dark tragic past, enemies who won't stay dead and one brave, feisty human red head. And the the sex was scorching. Dragon sex. So yes I'm down for the next installment.

Ok .... so what just happened?

I was merrily reading about the growing relationship between Noah & Logan a.k.a. Mr. Kavanagh over the course of years. More specifically between Noah being 11 and when he's 19. Mr. K is Jesse's father who in spite of a three year age difference is Noah's best friend. Odd but I'll roll with it. Mr. K is also the almost parental next door neighbor who steps in whenever Noah's mother isn't around (constantly) and as far as we're told never abuses this trust. On the contrary, and I don't think I'm spoiling anything, when a 17 yr. old Noah kisses him Mr. K pushes him firmly away and does the right thing. This is all well and good but we all know where the story is headed, it's why we are reading it: a little taboo. Great. I'm all ears.

And then they hook up. Finally. Except it seems the author switched out the character of Logan Kavanagh we had read about for some kind of Dom out of bad porn or has he been taken by aliens?
He's been lusting after little Noah for a while now, has watched him grow up, been almost a father figure to him and yet when he finally agrees to take on Noah there isn't a stitch of tenderness for the “virginal” twink or even a romantic kiss. But that's only a quibble. Then comes the final scene of a less than hygienic breakfast and Logan's son Jesse that just screams WTF!!!

If the author added this scene for the shock value I guess bravo but it also ruined a perfectly sweet, slightly taboo, age difference story. Sucks.

I'm really loving this series and keeping my fingers crossed that in the next books the characters continue to grow and mature. The cases they solve are almost incidental to the growing and evolving relationship between Whyborne & Griffin. At this point they've only been together a few months and suffer from misapprehensions and insecurities: Whyborne sees himself as unattractive, unworldly giant and can't fathom what Griffin sees in him and on his part Griffin sees himself as the poor boy from Kansas with an unsavory past passing as a gentleman in front of his betters and is always in fear that the silver spoon born Whyborne will see thru him and flee in disgust. In the meantime Whyborne is characterized a bit like the wallflowery yet plucky heroine of early romances who seems in need of rescue and aghast by many everyday situations but always saves the day in the end by bringing out a backbone heretofore unseen. He is amplifying his repertoire of spells and using them to good effect. And Griffin is the gentleman lover we all wish to discover in some nook or cranny of our room.We also have Christine an unflappable best friend that we all wish to have.I'll continue with this series. I like it. ;-)*** Two side notes: I got the Whispersync option with this and the narration by [a:Julian G. Simmons 7536615 Julian G. Simmons https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] isn't bad. I just didn't love it. He makes Whyborne sometimes sound fey or silly which doesn't read so to me on the page. But it does help to keep the book going while I'm walking. Another small caveat: be prepared to love the verb HASTEN. The author does. Big time.

3 ½ starsA nice adult romance that doesn't resort to misunderstandings or outside pressures for conflict, but rather on the very real baggage that forty-year-olds who have led full lives carry. One is gay and has always been and the other has been leading a heterosexual life but is willing and open to try something new in his life when the opportunity arises, but not because he has secretly been pining for a man but rather because he recognizes a good thing when it comes his way.I liked that Ronnie is a well rounded human and by that I mean that he's a good friend, good son, good at his career but also a loud mouth, brusque and apparently suffers from some form of OCD (which I kind of hoped the author had gone a little more into) and yet he is open and willing to go into a relationship with Clay at the age of 40 because he's smart enough to recognize what's good for him. I love him.Clay is a good guy who sometimes over thinks things but that's ok because he's willing to be there for his friends and those he loves but he's not a doormat and though he's willing to go into a relationship with a guy who's not “gay” and be patient he won't be a secret in the closet and good for him!I generally enjoyed this but the audio by [a:Tristan James 15551379 Tristan James https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was not my favorite. I didn't hate it. I just didn't love it and maybe that brought down the rating a bit but also some of the dialogue, especially Clay, seemed a little didactic and more in the vein of how people write but not talk: expository rather than a regular conversation. Maybe if I read this on my own it would have been a solid 4 star read. Recommended as a good example of a later in life love story among normal adults. Plus just hearing how much these guys go to the gym got me feeling guilty about skipping yoga. LOL

If you are part of the Whyborne & Griffin fan club you shouldn't miss this short-but-sweet Valentine's Day trifle as we get the story, such as it is, entirely from Griffin's POV. The poor man is trying to impress Whyborne as he can't fathom himself worthy of being loved by him and everything goes awry but then ends well for our men.I haven't started [b:Threshold 17840306 Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin, #2) Jordan L. Hawk https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1366728374s/17840306.jpg 24965721] yet but I can see as this might be a setup for a future installment or just another taste of the oddness of Widdershins and its citizens. I'm also guessing that the tittle of the story can apply to how Griffin views Whyborne and perhaps the case they briefly work on in the story. This is a good thing. [a:Jordan L. Hawk 6519692 Jordan L. Hawk https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1368115897p2/6519692.jpg] has left me wanting to know more and I'll be happy to go down the trail. I love these two & the fantastic Dr. Putnam. :)

This was all my catnip! Which demands the question: why had it been sitting on my Kindle for so long?!?! I should kick myself, but I'm on a non-violence streak.

The is the first installment of the adventures of Ival & Griffin or to the outside world Flaherty & Whyborne. From the blurb you'll get the what and where but for me suffice it to say that a former Pinkerton, now solo Detective, pairs up with a shy and virginal philologist to solve a case. There's some paranormal which is really irrelevant (at least to me) as what this most closely resembles is one of Wilkie Collins' gothic masterpieces. Griffin & Whyborne are both fantastic characters and complement each other perfectly, however this is truly the story of Whyborne, the shy scholar coming into his own and realizing his worth and strength and Griffin is his witness, support and love but there's never any doubt that our Whyborne is a hero. To add to the joy our men have a stalwart, no nonsense friend in Dr. Christine Putnam, an archeologist who literally has their back when things go haywire.

Rest assured that there are some sexy times and a plausible HEA in the horizon.
Next on my reading list: the rest of the series! JOY.

Bittersweet short story from the world of “Outlander”. A prequel to the first novel, it narrates the beginning of Jamie's exile to France after the sad, tragic and horrifying events at Lallybroch and Ft. William.
If you are an “Outlander” fan you shouldn't miss this story as it's a great window to a young, scared and grieving Jamie some years before he meets our Claire and shows some of the experiences that will shape and mature him. He's hurt, lonely, unsure of his prospects yet steadfast to his upbringing and beliefs: kind, loyal and cocky too. And what to say of Ian? The best friend anyone could ever wish for and more.
If you haven't taken the plunge into the “Outlander” world this story will surely wet your appetite to the future adventures of James Fraser. You won't be sorry.

BDSM books are hard for me to review, well those that are done in a serious mode, because though on an intellectual level I understand and accept kinks and fetishes among consenting adults but I can't help but start off HATING the Dom. Yes. I know that he/she is what the Sub wants but I can't help feeling the Sub and his/her emotional needs are being taken advantage of by a sadist. Therefore it is a tall order for an author/s to convince me otherwise but I try all the time. So who's the masochist? LOLI'm happy to say that [a:Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow 15564227 Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] successfully defend the thesis of the book which is that Owen and Sterling each satisfy the other's needs and not only sexually. There was a nice slow build up to the relationship (and I don't mean the sex) where I as a reader believed that these two in spite of their different ages, family histories and general interests could embark in a lasting relationship. The BDSM scenes where also done in a credible way that didn't feel done just for prurient reasons or to titillate but rather to illustrate the feelings aroused in both MCs during the scenes and how they fulfilled needs and desires on both ends. I was convinced that Owen truly loved Sterling and would also serve as a good steward in their future life together which Sterling definitely needs. Owen is not and did not turn into a sappy sentimentalist which was a huge relief. I hate it when people just up and change completely who they are or are suddenly free of all emotional baggage after good sex. Sterling still has issues but he is in good hands with Owen and that is such a relief after meeting his parents. His hateful and awful father and his mother who commits the sin of omission or being a doormat to her husband. My only peeve was how quickly Sterling went from wanting to be a Dom to a complete Sub, but he is young and only just beginning to explore BDSM when he meets Owen so not totally unbelievable.On the other hand I was quite happy that it took some time to convince Owen to enter into any kind of relationship with Sterling. It showed him to be a responsible and thinking man. I love that.

I guess this was a case of too many expectations due to the cover and blurb and though it was nicely written and did deliver on the premise I was kind of ... meh.

However I was so completely annoyed by Rylan that I considered skimming. I didn't. It was short enough.

Dont' get me wrong: I did like how sex positive it was as far as BJ & Jamie and all their friends and poor Scott was so sweet and open to try things even when it was against his comfort zone but Riley OMG! Riley! What an a**hole. Always assuming the worst of everyone and super defensive though I can't imagine he had such an awful coming out as a gay teenager being as his older brother is also gay and had been in an open relationship to his now husband BJ since high school, same high school where Rylan went to and where his object of lust Scott Lush also stuck up for him. So no need to be so touchy. Drama Queen!!!

Also though this is a short I think the author could've gone deeper into Scott's issues as he was really the more interesting character going through a personal journey in the course of the book.

Otherwise if you can put up with the snark & overreactions of one of the MCs it's not the worst way to spend and hour or two. ;-)

Bueno me tomó una eternidad, no porque no me gustará, que si, que está bien. Simplemente no me acaparó la atención porque, y quizá fue error mío, pero no es una novela. Mas bien es una colección de cuentos breves en orden cronológico donde a largos rasgos se relata el inicio y por llamarlo de alguna manera el crecimiento profesional y emocional del Detective Capitán Cardona y su eventual desilusión por el lugar y las circunstancias en las que le toca vivir o sea el Santo Domingo actual casi paralizado por la corrupción, el amiguísimo e ignorancia.El texto tiene algunas faltas que imagino son de la editorial pero igual leer los cuentos de [a:Armando Almánzar Rodríguez 6541828 Armando Almánzar Rodríguez https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].

I don't feel like I'm even qualified to speak competently about this book but I'll give it a go.

What is the book about? Nothing and everything at once, the presence of the past in our modern lives and our projected selves into a glimpsed future. On another plane it's a novel about art and the creative process and how everything informs the artist and his worldview.

This is a novel about the writing of said novel so yes very meta. And I liked it. It gave my gray cells a workout and though you might not think so there is a level of warmth in the author's relationship with his friend Alex and their attempt at reproduction. And then there was the almost fugue state of the author's residency in Marfa etc.

This is not a linear plot driven story but one worth spending time getting immersed in much like a flaneur.

This was a very short read for the subject at hand, more like a prelude to a story that I'm dying to hear about. In tone and historic era it very much brought to mind [b:As Meat Loves Salt 271487 As Meat Loves Salt Maria McCann https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398025759s/271487.jpg 1435622] one of my all time favorite novels and one that was a gateway to m/m for me. However as I said the brevity works against the book and there is much that we as readers have to bring to the game, which I'm not averse to, but I would have liked at least one open scene between Francis & Philip. It was all too elliptical in the end which was disappointing because I did enjoy the writing and this is a historical period that rarely gets visited in Romance.Almost everything between the MCs happens off page or in the last part a big swath of “then this happened” i.e. all tell and no show. *If you don't have a good grasp of the Cromwell era you may be at a loss as to what is going on. Fair warning.

This was really a 3 ½ but as we all bemoan there are no half stars on GR. I did like it as it was a low angst story when you come down the nitty gritty of it.

First of all the blurb doesn't quite fit the tittle as the “learning to feel” bit is twofold and I would argue is almost more relevant to Trent than Nathan. Nathan is a doctor who has learned to get by almost asexually and is dead emotionally which he comes to believe is just his way of being. Feeling over stretched and stressed from his work as an Emergency doctor in Boston he relocates to Belfast, Maine to a house provided by his new employer, the local hospital, which comes surrounded by natural beauty and a transient artist/handy-man Trent Jamieson.

I'm giving nothing away by saying that they are instantly attracted to each other. It is a surprise to Nathan to feel anything yet once he processes that he is attracted to a man he takes to the idea like a fish to water and no one from his family or friends or new work colleagues pose a problem, much less Nathan himself who has evidently grown up in a family open to life and the world.

That could've been the end of the story but in this book the conflicts are from within and not external and the character who really needs to learn about feelings and unconditional love and family and acceptance is out-and-proud Trent. And therein lies my problem with the book.

Trent isn't conflicted about his sexuality or how the world at large may perceive him but because after the death of his parents at an early age he was left in the care of family who did object to his orientation and later was crushed by his first relationship, leaving him closed off to the possibility of love and unable to see himself as someone worthy of affection or even open to trust the intentions of others. So far so good as I love nothing more than a well done growth arc for a character. The problem comes in that for the first roughly 70% of the book it's all about Nathan and Trent is almost a cypher whose intent and thoughts we have to intuit much like Nathan has to and then the last 40% rushes us through Trent's self acceptance but it feels very much like being told rather than shown. And we have no Trent POV!

In the end I did like this very much but I feel that with a little extra oomph I could've loved it because I think I could easily stop by Belfast on my next trip to Maine and these two will still be enjoying their HEA

This was nice & sexy intro to a series. Dylan has had the hots for Cade from the first moment he set eyes on him and on his side Cade has also been lusting after Dylan but has been unwilling to act until it seems that Dylan is ready to move his interest elsewhere. One night they come together spectacularly and after a bit of a misunderstanding they are sailing on the HMS HEA. Yea. It's that kind of story but within the confines of a novella that's expected and okay because the writer does make the all consuming attraction between these two believable and their intimate scenes are scorching. We also get a taste of Hawk & Maddox who I'm sure will be in the next book and boy do those two have issues! A more than pleasant way to spend an hour. ;-)The narrator for this book was [a:Hollie Jackson 7830771 Hollie Jackson https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and while at first I was kind of put-off that a woman was narrating an M/M book I was on the train and decided to give it a chance. I must say she did a great job and after a bit didn't even remember a woman was doing voices for men.

What can I say sigh. This was a big slice of your favorite indulgence. It was a Cinderella story via “Pretty Woman” and a little Rapunzel thrown in for good measure but I was so in the mood for a low angst love filled plush pillow that I loved the bones off of this. The truth is [a:Tara Lain 4541791 Tara Lain https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1378857623p2/4541791.jpg] had me with Clancy and Yerby the rest of the story was just icing. LOL (They are cats.)If you can give reality a wide berth you'll enjoy this story of “two fine people” outwardly opposites in every way who find each other and in Billy's case himself and complement one another. There are a few bumps on the road but no blood on the tracks and sometimes that's the kind of sweet story a soul needs.I'm not usually one for fem boys but Shaz is just too fabulous to resist and Billy is every hero you could dream up. They are surrounded by a great cast of supporting characters, my favorite being Rupert a.k.a Ru. We all need a best friend like him.I know there are two more books in this series but going by reviews from friends on GB I don't know that I want to read them and ruin the perfect bubble that is Billy & Shaz. What I would pay good money to see is the story of Rhonda & Mitch. My curiosity is more than piqued by these two and though tricky it could be a great story.*** Most of this story was audio for me and [a:K.C. Kelly 2748905 K.C. Kelly https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was more than up to the task. His voices for different characters were spot on and I'm sure enhanced the story and so one of the stars is for him.

Reread December 2018My review stands. In fact I think I may love it even more. I think this was my first [a:Mary Calmes 3152411 Mary Calmes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473696272p2/3152411.jpg] and definitely my first [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg]. It was one of my better choices.If you're feeling jaded or embittered this will set you right, put you in the spirit of Christmas in a non-saccharine way. Yes, Pete & Carver are pretty much all over each other from the get-go of their relationship, but they're also grown-ups who've lived enough and recognize a good/true thing when they see it. They're also smart enough to not play the coy game. “I had thought if I followed him, it would make me weak, but it turned out bending for your partner was part of what made a true union, born of commitment and faith. You made concessions for people you loved, and for me, there was only one person who actually had a hold on my heart.”This can very well become a Christmas tradition for me. :D**********************ORIGINAL REVIEW I freakin' loved this! I'm sure that a big part of it is that I listened to the audio by [a:Greg Tremblay 8108759 Greg Tremblay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484561919p2/8108759.jpg]. He can read me the phone book and I'd be happy. This is a sweet story about the willing sacrifices we make for family, those of our blood and those we choose for love. Carver Fleming has to return to his hometown to help care for his ailing mother and is hoping that a Christmas trip will convince his boyfriend, Peter Lomax an agent for the ATF to transfer to Lexington so that they can remain a couple now they've found each other. Peter and Carver are both adults who know what they want and fortunately make no bones about it.[a:Mary Calmes 3152411 Mary Calmes https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473696272p2/3152411.jpg] shows her enormous talent by giving us the story of Carver's parents, his uncle & his partner, how Peter & Carver met, what Peter's work life is like and what Peter and Carver's future may look like in a deeply satisfying, emotional yet not cloying way all in the space of a Holiday short. * I should clear up that there is no D/s relationship as the blurb seems to suggest. Peter is just your average no nonsense law enforcement agent who knows what he wants and when and will stand by his man through tick or thin.*

New Adult is usually not my thing but this was highly recommended and I was on a Christmas/Holiday read extravaganza and I'm glad I made room for it.

Charlie Yates is nobody's doormat and when right before the beginning of the school year (9th grade) new kid in town, new bff, new crush dumps him Charlie proceeds to to live his high school life outwardly unconcerned by the in-crowd and later health issues with his little sister make all that not even matter. Fast forward to college and his first trip back home from California to Connecticut, flight-cancelling-storms and having to share a cross country ride with aforementioned dumper Gavin Bloomberg. Needless to say sparks fly, truths are revealed and horny college boys get it on. YES.

I particularly liked that contrary to what you would expect Gavin is the eager bottom with more than one or two kinky requests.

Although these two are young they're smart, thoughtful and open to learn and really that is all you can ask from anyone. That road trip back to college will be full of fun ;-)

This was a nice check-in with Alexei & Mike from [b:Crashing the Net 22797434 Crashing the Net (Crashing, #1) Samantha Wayland https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406150264s/22797434.jpg 42345153] who are blissfully happy and getting ready to celebrate Christmas ... and my what presents does Alexei have for Mike! I'll just say one of them is human and Mike loves it.It's nice to see how utterly Alexei loves Mike and vice versa but also how neither are super men and how Alexei is beginning to contemplate a time when he'll be done with hockey as is only natural and how Mike has learned to cope with his parents coldness.The sexy times are sizzling as usual with these two but there is also a sweetness that suffuses their everyday interactions and that was a pretty neat Christmas treat.

4.5Re-read 12/24/19 - 12/30/19This second go around was just as poignant, and rewarding. I love how there wasn't six-pack or billionaire in sight, no fake angst or unwarranted melodrama. Skip & Richie are just as endearing, and I'll surely be reading the other books in the series for any visits with them, and because both Carpenter & Mason intrigue me.First read 12/28/15 -12/30/15Sweet & just a little bit angsty. I really loved Richie and Skip and all that they are able and willing to overcome to find and make a home of their own, creating a family which, for all practical matters, they were both lacking. I love that though fit and young they are just average looking guys with humdrum jobs and bills to pay just like the next guy, and that once they recognize what they have together they're proactive in securing the yearned for HEA. No passive schmos here. Quite frankly [a:Amy Lane 151973 Amy Lane https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1429039455p2/151973.jpg] had me once Hazel made an appearance.