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Down Under by Tam Ames (3 Stars)

May6

Sweet romance with a surprising paranormal first for me. The shifter was a were-kanga!

The story is set in the future, when Australia is split into separate areas and people are kept separated by a wall. Aiden Taylor is a sweet college student who is inexperienced but not afraid to try things. He desperately wants to see a band that is playing in the forbidden city of Sydney, and he’s brave enough to travel across the country by himself to do it. One night, several thugs beat him up and steal his moped, money, and concert tickets. Fortunately, Matthew King comes to his rescue and offers him a ride to Sydney. They quickly start to bond over their trip, but there are several obstacles they must get past in order for a real relationship to form. The biggest one is that Matthew is a were-kanga, a man who shifts into a kangaroo.

These are two extremely likable characters who are trying to make the most of a bad situation. Aiden is young and naive, and he definitely needs a caretaker. The story is told from his point of view, and he has a non-stop commentary running through his head which was entertaining. Matthew is almost immediately attracted to Aiden and really enjoys taking care of him. In addition to spending some quality time hanging out together, Matthew introduces Aiden to the joys of sex. It was interesting watching Aiden try to decide if he really loved Matthew or if it was just some sort of mating call.

I thought the ending was very realistic and added a nice solid touch to their happy ending. I think the story would have benefited from Matthew’s point of view. Aiden was a bit too quirky and moody, making it challenging to hear him tell the entire story. There was also a lot going on with Matthew, including coming out to his family, which would have carried a stronger emotional pull if we had heard directly from Matthew. I wish the plot surrounding the were-kanga species was further explored. It was really a non-issue and didn’t have much impact on the story.

A cute romance with very little angst between two sweet guys. The twist on the shifter angle and the enjoyable banter taking place in Aiden’s head made for an interesting tale.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Prize Package by Kyle Adams (5 Stars)

May5

Winning the contest was exciting, but the real prize was meeting someone special.

Jason Smith just won a contest, but since he’s addicted to entering contests, he doesn’t even remember entering this one. He gets to spend the day with a champion professional wrestler, which would be great if he knew anything at all about wrestling. The MeatGrinder, aka Trent Peterson, has to spend the day with a fan, but he has a complete itinerary to follow to keep the two of them entertained. Neither of them expects the day to take an unexpected turn.

Jason is adorable and sarcastic, letting his thoughts flow through his mouth without a filter. In the past, he was shy, but he’s gotten past that stage in his life and is no longer afraid to go after what he wants. Trent is dedicated to his craft, works hard, and is very interested in pursuing Jason. The main focus of the story is the fun day that they spend together.

However, simple doesn’t mean boring when you have Kyle Adams’ trademark humor. There are several lines in this story that had me burst out laughing which is a huge treat. In addition to several sexy scenes, there was a lot of interaction between the characters, and an ending that solidified the start of a sweet relationship.

If you enjoy a sweet romance with a great sense of humor, I highly recommend this winner!

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Just What the Truth Is (Home #5) by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

May4

Is spending the rest of your life with your true love worth changing everything you thought you knew about yourself?

Ben Forman has been told his entire life that being gay is wrong. Ben’s parents refused to accept that their other son, Noah, was gay and behaved horribly toward him. After meeting Micah Trains, Ben is starting to seriously consider admitting that he is gay in order to be with Micah. Ben must work through this life-altering event while developing a romantic partnership with Micah, rebuilding his relationship with his brother, and trying to prevent the destruction of his relationship with his parents.

The entire story is told from Ben’s point of view as a narrative of his life. This worked really well in this story since Ben is not only an extremely interesting person, but also has a lot of emotional issues. He actually knows he has these issues and makes a point of telling the reader, adding a touch of humor to the story. Micah was a brilliant lawyer, handsome, mature, and also very loving.

The romance between Ben and Micah was very sweet, extremely steamy, and believable. There were quite a few excellent conversations between not only Ben and Micah, but also with Ben and his brother and brother’s friends. It was hard on Micah watching Ben struggle to come out, but he was extremely understanding, especially when Ben groveled appropriately. I loved the extended epilogue that takes us almost 2 years out into their relationship.

The narrative of this story was wonderfully engaging, providing the reader with the sense that they are living the story. I loved this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy character-driven romances.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Riding the Board by Cate Ashwood (2 Stars)

May4

Enemies to lovers in the fierce competitive world of synchronized diving!

Blake Emmerich lost his prized partner to a head injury, and he’s not sure he’s ready for a new one. Nick Freeman desperately wants to work with Blake’s coach and seizes this unique opportunity. Unfortunately, even though these two have never been friendly toward each other, the coach insists they give it a shot for at least a week to see if they can become a new team.

Blake was a pretty good guy, and the story is told from his point of view. He lived for the water and was devastated when his partner was injured. As much as he wants to dive again, he’s definitely not interested in diving with Nick. Nick is a complete jerk for the majority of the story. For reasons that didn’t really make sense to me, he is rude and hurtful toward Blake. The week they spend together was not an enjoyable one until they finally had sex. However, since the attraction didn’t make sense, the resulting romance didn’t quite work. I like Ms Ashwood’s writing style, but this particular type of plot didn’t work for me.

If you enjoy diving and the enemies to lovers theme, this story could work for you.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb