Tag Archive | 5 Stars

Walk With Me (Home #8) by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

Sep16

A brilliant crush-to-friends-to-lovers story that brings an end to one of my favorite series.

Seth Cohen is a young rabbi who is very devoted to the people in his town. He always puts their needs first, and works relentlessly to help out whenever possible. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave with him with a lot of free time. However, he always makes time for Eli. Eli Block has adored Seth since the day Seth served as the counselor at Eli’s summer camp. Once Eli is an adult and the two reconnect, Eli and Seth easily become best friends. This is a lovely relationship story with well-developed characters who are not only funny and charming, but also sexy and loving.

Every chapter is introduced with a unique wedding invitation. There were so many funny moments in this story with the characters and the outrageous weddings that Seth officiated. Eli was a absolute stitch when he was younger and constantly hitting on Seth. As he matured, he turned into an amazing person who loved music and shared his talent with others. Eli loved Seth with all of his heart and was always there to take care of Seth without ever being asked. I loved that the story takes place over a long period of time. Since Eli was so young when he met Seth, the duration of their friendship made their eventual romance even more realistic. Seth was very hesitant to move his friendship with Eli into any kind of romantic relationship for several reasons; all of which made perfect sense. One reason was that Seth had previously only been involved with women making him question why he was developing feelings for a man. I loved being inside Seth’s mind as he worked through his acceptance of his romantic love for Eli.

Although Seth is a rabbi, this is not a religious story. Although Seth has loved both men and women, this is not a story focused on bisexuality. This is simply a beautiful relationship story about two people who truly love each other to the bottom of their souls.

It’s so hard to see a series you love come to an end. The author writes amazing character-driven stories, keeps with this formula, and delivers another winner. I highly recommend this amazing romance with unique characters that truly come to life.

Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Old Loyalty, New Love by Mary Calmes (5 Stars)

Sep5

Best friends to lovers theme paired with an interesting paranormal world make for a delightful story!

Quade Danas, bodyguard for Roman Howell, is also a jackal shifter. He joined the military after being forced to leave his pack by his homophobic father. Roman is working on convincing Quade that the two of them should take their relationship to the next level, but now the pack desperately needs him back. Quade must now deal with pack issues and his potential relationship with Roman.

Quade may grumble quite a bit, but there is no doubt that Roman is his heart and soul. I loved his character and his voice as he tells his story. In typical Calmes fashion, almost everybody adores Quade and wants to be by his side at all times. I know I certainly did. He was both powerful and tender, leaving no doubt that he would always love and protect Roman.

Roman had been in a serious accident which left him with quite a bit of scarring. This definitely played into how most people treated him, but it didn’t stop him from being kind and compassionate toward others. It was always entertaining when he felt the need to bring out his more caustic voice. Since Quade had been protecting Roman both before and after Roman’s parents died, Quade was concerned that Roman wanted him for the wrong reasons. It was fun to watch Roman convince Quade otherwise. The story was split nicely between their romance and the pack activities.

Dealing with pack politics, Roman’s business ventures, Quade’s former lovers, and the other side characters all made for a very enjoyable story. I really hope the author continues to write in this world, since there are several characters that have a story to tell.

Beautiful and captivating story about friendship and loyalty told within the world of shifters.

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

Blah Blah Valentine’s Day by Kyle Adams (5 Stars)

Sep3

Adorable Valentine’s Day story about an endearing young man, Andrew, who has several good reasons to not like this day. Andrew tries very hard to avoid being with anybody during this cursed event, mostly due to his concern of infecting them with his bad luck. Fortunately, his best friend drags him to a party where he meets Evan. The sparks and the humor fly, and I was smiling the whole time. Evan was perfect for Andrew, and showed him a different perspective on luck and life. I really enjoyed this engaging and romantic treat!

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Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Gumption & Gumshoes by Alex Kidwell (5 Stars)

Aug29

Love doesn’t always wait for us to be ready for it.

August Mendez just inherited enough money to quit the job he hates and live his dream as a detective. He’s struggling, and mostly taking pictures of cheating spouses, but he’s much happier now. Sam Ewing is his grumpy but sexy office landlord. He’s bitter after his divorce, and basically living his life as a lonely bachelor. August gets his first big case, and Sam ends up helping him out with it, leading to the beginning of their friendship and romance.

I am putting these two characters into my favorite couples list. They both had their own issues, whether it be low self-esteem or self-imposed loneliness, but when they looked at each other, they only saw perfection. Their love and adoration for each other was so romantic and sweet. I tear up just thinking about how perfect they were for each other. The fact that August was a chinchilla shifter didn’t even faze Sam. I was a bit afraid that a chinchilla shifter story wouldn’t work for me, but I actually found it adorable. The way it was weaved into both the case and the romance was perfect.

I’m not a fan of a character who is divorced because it’s too much of a reminder that a happily-ever-after isn’t always forever. However, I liked how the author treated the divorce and the prior relationship by using it to convince me that Sam had really changed. I actually believed that any issues he might have had in his prior marriage were resolved and wouldn’t negatively affect his future with August. The length of the story allowed us to see the two of them together quite a bit with plenty of great dialogue and steamy sex scenes.

This book is perfectly titled. It was the real life example of somebody who had some gumption. Even with his low self-image, which Sam tried so hard to correct, August still had enough spunk to go after what he really wanted in life. I just adored this humorous, sexy love story, and I highly recommend it.

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