Inside Out by Andrew Grey (4 Stars)

Dec15

Strength on the inside is just as important as strength on the outside.

Bull Krebbs, part-owner and head of security at the local nightclub, hasn’t been in a serious relationship in a long time. After rescuing Zach Spencer from being trampled, they begin to spend time together. Now they have to work through Bull’s interesting work history along with family drama to determine if they can get their happy ending.

Bull had the perfect personality for head of security and former mercenary. However, the rough exterior was just covering the protective sweetheart that he really was. Zach was adorable, but at the same time, he had an inner strength that has carried him through a challenging life. I really enjoyed watching these two slowly get to know each other. Bull was such a romantic guy with Zach, and they had some really nice dates. The comic book angle was cute with Zach featuring Bull as the superhero in his first book.

When Bull’s past comes back to haunt him, it got a tad unbelievable. The excessive use of the word “growl” also got to be a bit much. Zach’s uncle and Bull’s mom gave us an idea of what these two dealt with growing up, and it wasn’t pleasant for either of them. It was lovely that they were both able to see the beautiful souls beneath each other’s exterior shells.

This was a very enjoyable story about two people who fit together nicely, and it easily kept me turning the pages.

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

Cupcakes by Sean Michael (3 Stars)

Dec12

Just like the title, this is a sugary sweet romance!

Allen Jameson owns a successful cupcake shop, but as the sole employee, he is working long hours. He started it after he lost his partner unexpectedly. After almost two years of being alone, he’s finally met somebody who he’s interested in getting to know better. Byron Bannigan, otherwise known as B., owns a construction company and finds he’s also very interested in getting to know Allen better after meeting him at the cupcake shop one afternoon. Sparks fly almost immediately, and now the only impediment to their relationship is Allen’s work hours.

This is a nice romance between two extremely kind guys who hit it off almost immediately. There was very little angst between the characters. They worked well together and were supportive of each other. Allen is a prim and proper man which is apparent from his mannerisms. Byron adores everything about Allen and really wants to take care of him. Allen really did need somebody to build him up since he had a very low self-esteem. This became abundantly clear for most of the last portion of the book. Allen spends some time reflecting on his former relationship, and I liked how this was approached in such a loving manner. Unfortunately, along with the constant use of the word “baby”, there were so many sex scenes that it detracted from the story quite a bit. If more time had been spent developing the relationship, the sex would have been more meaningful to me.

A super steamy romance about fresh beginnings in life and love.

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

David’s Selfie by Daisy Harris (4.5 Stars)

Dec10

Sweet and sexy, this was a nice little holiday treat. David and his daughter are both adorable. Although I’m not a big fan of kids in a story, this plot worked extremely well. David is bisexual and had married his best friend, Ana. After she died in a car accident, he thought it would be easier to move forward by falling in love with a man. Craig was the perfect guy for David. Craig had a hard upbringing, and he hasn’t had a lot of luck so far in his life. However, he’s smart and works hard, and you just know he’s going to be fine. David and Craig were great together, and the epilogue had me shedding a happy tear.

cover

Book Blurb

Brandon Mills Versus the V-Card (Prescott College #2) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock (4 Stars)

Dec9

I loved the first book in this series, “Mark Cooper Versus America“, and I was really looking forward to this one. I definitely liked it, but it was laced with such a horrible tragedy, that I can’t say it was always fun to read. After being molested by his teacher, Brandon has never fully recovered. We live through the terrible memories with him over and over again. I adored Brandon and Alex. While I felt like I got to know each of them individually, I really think they needed to spend more quality time together to convince me that they were meant for each other.

Unfortunately, Mark Cooper, who was one of my favorite characters, was almost a caricature of himself and his antics served as an unwanted distraction from the relationship between Alex and Brandon.  There are plenty of fun things taking place throughout the story to keep it engaging. There is very little sex in this story, but plenty of marijuana use.

cover

Book Blurb