Tag Archive | 5 Stars

A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House #3) by Jaime Reese (5 Stars)

Sep2

Another wonderful story in The Men of Halfway House series. The author deserves a victory lap for writing this perfectly blended tale of friendship, love, fun, and family.

Tyler was such a sweet, but damaged, young man. Although he was physically injured from the accident that killed his parents, the real damage was on the inside from the guilt he continues to push on himself. He runs a very successful business, but has been hiding as much as possible from any kind of real life until he meets Cole.

Cole was a burst of sunshine in Ty’s life. Cole comes with his own baggage, but his determination to make the best of his life shines through in all of his actions. Cole thrives on honesty and believes to the bottom of his heart that you should never tell a lie. This causes him to be extremely blunt, which made for some entertaining and awkward conversations. I really enjoyed the interactions between Cole and Tyler. They had fun with each other, and it gave the story a lighter feel.

I loved visiting with characters from the first two stories, especially Julian. The majority of the story takes place at Ty’s shop where he restores and customizes exotic cars. I enjoyed learning a bit about this world. The sex was steamy and sweet since these two clearly adored each other. I liked how they didn’t play games, and the few doubts that existed were realistic.

This is the third story in the series, and I highly recommend reading them in order. All of the stories are wonderful, and the early ones add depth and understanding to Cole’s situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely romance filled with the perfect mix of well-developed characters and interesting activities. I can’t wait for the next one!

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Blue Mountain (Pack #1) by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

Aug15

True love is always worth the wait.

I absolutely loved Mitch and Simon. Simon was such a sweet guy, but he had such a heart-breaking existence before Mitch found him. The author did a great job keeping this relatively angst-free while still giving you a good understanding of Simon’s sad and lonely life. Mitch was an extremely gruff alpha, to the point that most of the pack was wary of him. However, when it came to the mate he thought he would never find, he’s as tender and patient as they get. It was unbelievably romantic watching Mitch court Simon. Of course, once they finally make the full connection with each other, there is plenty of steamy sex.

I loved the pack setting, and really enjoyed Mitch’s brother, Freddy, who added some interesting dynamics to the story.

One of my favorite authors writing one of my favorite genres!

Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Seeking Something (Sun, Sea, and Submission #6) by Kim Dare (5 Stars)

Aug8

Billy thinks he might be gay and a submissive. Gareth saves Billy from making a really bad mistake in his quest to find out. This leads to a fun weekend and the beginning of something more serious.

I really enjoyed both of the characters. Gareth knew how to push Billy a bit without causing any duress, but at the same time giving Billy a safe chance to discover what he did or didn’t like. Gareth was very protective of Billy which made the scenes that much sexier. I enjoyed their conversations, and I also enjoyed how perfectly the author captured their emotions. The descriptions she used to describe their feelings and sensations made me feel like I was there. The story was the perfect mix of dialogue, internal thoughts, and sex to find a permanent place on my “read again” shelf.

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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.
Book Blurb