Life Under New Management by Jane Davitt (5 Stars)

Aug6

I love watching two people who are truly meant for each other find their happiness together.

Andy is struggling with so many different aspects of his life and desperately needs some help. Ethan takes being in control very seriously. After Ethan hires Andy, they quickly discover that they’re attracted to each other and decide to give a relationship a chance. Now they have to see if they can work through a few issues to find their happy ending.

Andy wants to be an actor, but he isn’t having very much luck landing a role. When his family moves away, he decides to stay to follow his dream, but he’s struggling to make his own place in the world. Unsuccessful at acting, he spends his time working at part-time jobs to put food on the table. Getting an interview at an upscale hotel for a bartending job is an opportunity he can’t pass up even though he’s never bartended before.

Meeting Ethan becomes the opportunity to change his life for the better. Andy needs to be grounded and needs some serious direction in his life. He doesn’t take great care of himself or his home. Ethan knows what he wants and won’t settle for less. Although he’s extremely strict at work, he’s highly respected by his employees and management.

Ethan’s not used to dealing with somebody as cavalier as Andy, but he’s drawn to him just the same. While this relationship wouldn’t work for everybody, it definitely was perfect for these two. Ethan liked to be in control, and Andy craved it, both in and out of the bedroom. Ethan was also a bit of a sadist and enjoyed inflicting pain on Andy. In addition to bondage and spanking, there was also an interesting use of a pinwheel and lemon juice. Having Ethan as his boss creates certain restrictions in their relationship which added some additional stress. However, the biggest angst came from Andy trying to decide whether he truly wanted the type of control Ethan needed to exert. It was interesting listening to Andy as he worked through this issue.

I adored this sexy romance with its amazing dialogue that convinced me without a shadow of a doubt that these two men were meant for each other. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it.
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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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The Billionaire’s Bodyguard by Erin M. Leaf (3 Stars)

Aug2

An entertaining short story with a mix of murder, mystery and romance.

Alex Roman, billionaire investor, finds himself in need of a bodyguard after receiving strange and threatening letters. Fortunately, his best friend, Jesse Emerson, has just returned from serving in the Air Force as a security expert and is more than willing to help him. Alex has been in love with Jesse forever, and this might just be the opportunity to make that clear.

Alex and Jesse are both really nice people, and the affection they feel for each other is apparent from page one. They would do anything for each other and have looked out for one another their entire lives. Alex has been in love with Jesse, and believes that at some point, Jesse will realize that he loves Alex back. As circumstances allow them to spend every minute of their days together, it becomes harder and harder for Alex to wait around for Jesse to see what’s in front of him. Alex takes a chance and fortunately, Jesse is open to the possibility that he does love Alex as more than just a friend.

In addition to watching Jesse try to determine what is happening with his love life, we are also dealing with the mystery of who is trying to kill Alex. There are certainly plenty of suspects. Unfortunately, the mystery was just too convoluted for such a short story. It became a bit too much and overwhelmed the romance. There were also some open loops at the end leaving me wondering why certain things happened.

If you enjoy mystery stories with best friends turning into lovers, this could fit the bill.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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The Thing I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know (Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years #1) By Brent Hartinger (5 Stars)

Jul23

I’m hooked on this author’s writing. I’m so glad he decided to move into “adult” books, or I never would have had the pleasure of enjoying his storytelling capabilities.

Russel Middlebrook is an extremely engaging character, and I positively adored him. Although his life seems to be going nowhere, his outlook and humor kept me smiling. Russel thinks he should have already figured out his life’s goals. At a minimum, he should have at least decided between Passionate Aimlessness or having an Unstoppable Career Drive. He’s working two jobs that he doesn’t really like. He lives with two of his best friends, Min and Gunnar, and they were definitely an entertaining group. Gunnar’s quest for Big Foot held a deeper meaning and led to an interesting excursion for the two of them. I also enjoyed the details we learned about Seattle. For as little as Russel seems to think is going on in his life, he certainly kept me captivated with his story.

I wouldn’t really classify this as a romance. Although we do see Russel have sex with multiple partners, he spends most of his time pining for Kevin. Kevin was the first and only love of his life from high school. There is a happy ending, but it’s really just a set up for the next story in the series. Needless to say, I can’t wait until that one comes out!

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Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Strong Enough (Family #2) by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

Jul15

Sweet and sexy love story where the relationship is based on two people wanting the same things out of life.

Spencer Derdinger, a university professor, has been checking out the construction workers outside his office for days. One of the workers, Emilio Sanchez, has had his eye on Spencer. After the first date, it’s become apparent that these two have a special connection. Spencer just needs to work through his insecurities in order to take Emilio up on the relationship that is being offered.

Spencer is a 38-year old math professor at the university, and he truly believes he isn’t much of a catch. This concept was reinforced repeatedly by his last cheating boyfriend and a family that has very little to do with him. Emilio Sanchez is a very sexy, mature, and hard working 22-year old electrician. I got a kick out of Emilio’s arrogance. He knew he was hot, but he never used it in a negative way and instead he hoped it would help him win Spencer. He knows the age difference bothers Spencer, but these two have so much in common and want the same things out of life that Emilio considers their age a non-issue.

Spencer and Emilio absolutely adored each other, and this could have almost been too sweet of a story. Fortunately, there was just enough angst, with Emilio’s jealousy and the appearance of Spencer’s ex-boyfriend, that it kept the story interesting. Even though Spencer wasn’t sure why Emilio would possibly want him, he was smart enough not to push him away. I also adored the interactions with Emilio’s family, including when they teased each other, but especially how they protected each other.

The story moved at a great pace, and I read it in one sitting. I loved the instant attraction these two had, but I also enjoyed the amount of time we spent with them together doing the simple things in life, like making breakfast, to reinforce that they were actually destined to be together.

Spencer believes he suffers from erectile dysfunction. I liked how Emilio tried to help him with it both emotionally and physically. Needless to say, there were a lot of very hot and steamy sex scenes and moments.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sexy and romantic story where love flowed easily between two good men while they found their place in each other’s lives. Another fantastic treat from Cardeno C., who has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

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