Tag Archive | No or Low Angst

Beyond Duty by SJD Peterson (4 Stars)

Can two career marines move their relationship forward now that they are able to truly be together all of the time?

Gunther “Gunny” Duchene and Macalister “Mac” Jones have been in the marines for their entire careers. They have also been in a hidden relationship for a good portion of that time. Due to the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, they are finally able to freely admit to the world that they are in a relationship. They will have to deal with the issues that arise from telling the service and their family, but more importantly, they will have to learn to be together fulltime.

I loved Gunny and Mac. They were extremely strong, intelligent, and caring men. They weren’t afraid to share their feelings with each other. The majority of the angst was completely outside the relationship, which is one of my favorite stories. I loved watching these two support each other as they finally share their love with the rest of the world. I also really liked that they were an established couple, albeit hidden, for a very long time before the story took place. It added depth and history to their relationship. However, since this was the first time they were openly together and living in the same home, it still had the feeling of the early stages of a relationship.

The characters were a little too similar, making it challenging to differentiate them sometimes. I also really wanted to know what they were going to do in retirement. I never doubted their happiness and knew without a shadow of a doubt that these two would spend the rest of their lives together. I was just hoping to get a better idea of how they would spend their time together.

I really enjoyed this unique military romance looking at two sexy lovers who are planning out the rest of their lives together.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Cherry Pie (Mercury Rising #1) by Samantha Kane (4.5 Stars)

John and Connor were both troubled by their pasts and trying to find their way forward. I thought they were well-developed characters with realistic issues. The way they communicated with each other was the highlight of the story for me. I also enjoyed the interactions with their friends and neighbors in this small town.

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Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker (4 Stars)

The beginning was very slow with too much time dedicated to explaining farming in Australia. It did pick up, but then the focus was on sex until almost the end. While I felt like I really got to know Charlie, the same can’t be said about Travis. There wasn’t enough dialogue to paint a complete picture of why these two fell in love with each other. I still enjoyed the story, to the point of shedding a few tears toward the end, and will continue with the series.

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The Backup Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Chronicles #1) by River Jaymes (5 Stars)

I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. It was sweet and entertaining, but it also had enough depth to pull me in emotionally.  I loved how the author slowly shared the back story of Dylan without making it too painful to read. His story was certainly heartbreaking, and it made sense why he was so hesitant to let himself fall in love. Dylan’s mouth continued to get him trouble, but it didn’t keep him from using it. Alec was so down to earth and adorable. It seemed like he spent so much time trying to meet his goals that he forgot to enjoy life. Dylan was happy to help him out, and it was enjoyable to watch these two spend time together and fall in love.

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