Tag Archive | No or Low Angst

In Another Life by Cardeno C. (5 Stars)

Dec20

At age 18, Shiloh has finally decided that he’s had enough with the bullying, lack of friends, and lonely life. He’s decided to end it all, but fortunately he’s not successful. Flash forward 18 years when he meets Travis. Working as a doctor, and leading an equally lonely life, Travis is immediately drawn to Shiloh. They connect and begin a lovely, sexy relationship where they know deep down that they are meant for each other.

Unfortunately, fate seems to have something else in mind for them. This is where you have to suspend your knowledge of reality and open your heart to magic. We flash back to 18-year old Shiloh recovering from his suicide attempt. Travis is the EMT who saves his life, and continues to visit him in the hospital while they quickly become friends. The rest of the story is simply beautiful.

This touching love story, with a bit of magic and holiday spirit, melted my heart.

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

Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding by Marie Sexton (4 Stars)

Dec18

Very touching, emotionally-charged story about two men who desperately want to adopt a child.

Jon Kechter and his husband, Cole Fenton, want to bring a child into their family. Cole is struggling with his desire to grow his family, but frustrated that he doesn’t have any true control over accomplishing it. At the same time, Cole is dealing with his mother who apparently wants to try to be part of his life again.

The majority of the story is told from Jon’s point of view. However, there is a brief period where Jon’s father shares his views. Jon is a pretty straightforward, simple character whereas Cole is much more lively and entertaining. Although their relationship was already established in “Strawberries for Dessert”, I would have liked to have seen more of their interactions as a couple. Too often it felt like Cole didn’t fully share himself with Jon. The beginning was a bit maudlin since Cole was always upset and on the verge of depression. The majority of the story was spent watching them live through the stressful ups and down of the adoption process.

There was also quite a bit of drama as we got to know Cole’s mother better and watch them interact with each other. As Jon and Cole got closer to reaching their dreams, it was easier to get lost in the emotions of the story. I certainly shed quite a few tears for both happy and sad moments. Although this can be read on its own, I think it’s much more enjoyable if you read the entire “CODA” series so that you really understand where all of the characters are coming from.

I recommend this beautiful heartfelt story that engages the heart and mind.

cover

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

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