Tag Archive | 5 Stars

A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

May22

What happens when your high school tormentor wasn’t really the bully you thought he was and instead had a major crush on you?

Isaac Jones is a major basketball player who supposedly tormented Rafi in high school. Rafi Steiner is an attorney who is doing well and doesn’t need Isaac back in his life. But Isaac thinks Rafi is the person he’s meant to spend the rest of his life with, and he’s willing to fight for that chance.

The story was told from Rafi’s point of view, and he was a great character with a sarcastic sense of humor. Rafi is intelligent, hard-working, and a bit lonely. Although he has some good friends, he hasn’t fallen in love yet. Isaac might be a major star, but he wasn’t arrogant. Instead, he was kind, loving, and a bit possessive. At first glance, it didn’t make any sense that Isaac liked Rafi based on how he treated Rafi in high school. However, as Rafi starts to remember some of the nice things Isaac did for him, the story took on a different feel. It was almost like a reminder to the rest of us not to let negative feelings cloud our pasts and block the good memories.

There were several extremely steamy sex scenes during which these two continued to grow their relationship. The conversations were wonderful, and I really felt like I got to know the characters. The story takes place over a reasonable period of time, and we get a glimpse into what their future would be like together.

I really enjoyed this wonderful steamy relationship story with a great sense of humor and interesting characters!

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Brainy and the Beast by J.M. Cartwright (5 Stars)

May16

He thought he lacked the IQ to keep the hot researcher, but it was his lack of relationship know-how that almost lost him the prize.

Nick Shelton is an auto mechanic who is taking care of his teenage nephew, Grant, and running his own business. After his sister dumped the poor child into Nick’s life and left, Nick had his Dad move in to help take care of Grant. Henry Travis is an extremely intelligent and kind, but very lonely, person who also loves old cars. They meet when Henry brings his car to Nick’s shop for some repairs. This leads to the start of an interesting and loving relationship, which although not very smooth, also wasn’t filled with too much angst.

The story is told from Nick’s POV and is focused on his relationship with Henry, Grant, and his Dad. The interactions between the characters were realistic. It was hard not to feel bad for Nick, since he is a bit clueless about how to raise his nephew. Fortunately, Nick has a heart of gold, and his Dad and Henry are both very helpful, leading to a much better uncle/nephew relationship as the story progressed.

Nick also struggles with being in a relationship and pretty much messes up on a regular basis. Henry doesn’t have a lot of experience either, but he does seem to be a bit more knowledgeable. Fortunately, the story takes place over a longer period of time, and the improvement in their behavior is believable. The sexual interplay between Nick and Henry was pleasantly surprising. Henry has a slightly dominant edge to him leading to a lot of very steamy scenes with some enjoyable dirty talk.

There was a subplot issue revolving around child and spouse abuse which happened off-page. There were also several open issues which could easily work into a second book, but closure wasn’t necessary for the final HEA to be believable. The addictive writing is what cinched this story as a 5-star read. I literally could not put this book down.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Bread, Salt, & Wine (Tarnished Souls #4) by Dev Bentham (5 Stars)

May11

Recovering and moving on from one’s past isn’t always easy, but the rewards are certainly worth it.

As a young child, George Zajac was seriously abused by his father for leaning toward being gay. He suffered through a marriage for 10 years, trying not to accept his true feelings while also trying to avoid his father’s displeasure. After finally getting divorced and moving across the country to start over, he’s hoping to form a hidden friends-with-benefits relationship with his co-worker, Kenny Marks. Kenny is happy to oblige since he has a crush on George, but how long is Kenny willing to live on the sidelines?

The entire story is told from George’s point of view who is still truly suffering from his earlier abuse. George is a very strong and successful individual, and yet there is also a very sad and lonely aspect to his life. Kenny is such a wonderful character who always seemed to find the best in a situation. The two of them worked together in catering, but for Kenny it was just something to pay the bills while he’s working on his screenplays. I loved the interactions between these two, and since they worked together, there was plenty of it. I also liked how Kenny’s writing was brought into the story. There were several steamy scenes that helped to move the plot forward, especially since these guys enjoyed pillow talk. The story took place over several years, which made it much more believable.

Kenny was always extremely supportive with all of George’s issues, but he also continued to encourage George to seek assistance. I was very glad that his recovery was taken seriously, and that George sought professional help. This was not a “love cures all” type of problem. I also thought it was great that this wasn’t a depressing story given the earlier abuse. The author made sure you understood George’s behavior without making it overwhelm the story. I was flying through the pages, anxious to see how everything would be resolved, and yet dreading to see it end.

Although this was my first read by this author, it certainly won’t be the last. I didn’t feel lost even though I hadn’t read the first 3 stories in the series. I really enjoyed this realistic and riveting story, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy a tender, slow building relationship with love winning in the end.

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