Thursday, April 18, 2024

Heartsong by A.E. Wasp [Review]

Heartsong (Vino and Veritas) by A.E. Wasp
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 1, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong - Paperback | Kindle
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

A.E. Wasp
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
"It just figures that the first guy I’m bringing back to my place is cute, single, and totally off-limits..."

Sean Anderson has spent his life waiting to get the hell out of West Virginia. His plans got derailed when his dad shipped him off to “pray the gay away,” but he’s over it, ready to prove that he’s a grown-ass man who can take care of himself. Of course, he’d have a better chance convincing himself if he could stop lusting after his grumpy roommate.

Army veteran Cooper Hill returned to Vermont minus one leg and one career, but determined to build a new life. When an army buddy asks Cooper to keep an eye on his nephew, a junior at the local college, Cooper can’t say no. He’s expecting a sheltered kid. What he gets is a gorgeous young man whose brilliant poetry gives voice to everything Cooper’s been trying to express. He wants Sean more than he’s ever wanted anything. And somehow, miraculously, Sean wants him too.

But wanting each other isn’t the same as being good for each other . . . especially when past pain threatens to write its own verse in their song.
Thoughts on Heartsong: We're back in Burlington with a little age gap romance. You know what? It's not even that much of an age gap. Especially given that Sean is dealing with some deeply internalized baggage and was forced to grow up way too quickly. But we'll get to that in a bit.

First: Sean and Cooper. Sean needs a place to stay while he's in starting college away from his family, Cooper needs a little help around the house. The situation works for both of them, although they both have a little crisis of conscience (or something) as they imagine all the ways them starting a relationship could go wrong with them living together.

It turns out that's not really an issue. Neither is Cooper's age. Sean likes Cooper just the way he is and Cooper likes showing Sean the relationshippy ropes. So to speak. The bulk of their issues stem from Sean being told for a big portion of his life that loving another man is wrong. Plus, his dad did something utterly reprehensible and pretty much emotionally scarred Sean in ways Sean didn't realize.

A three-legged pup, quality time spent working on Cooper's house, some steamy evening encounters, and a whole lot of love and support when it's needed most. *thumbs up*

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Insatiable by Rhys Everly [Review]

Insatiable (Vino and Veritas) by Rhys Everly
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 28, 2024

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable - Paperback | Kindle
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Rhys Everly
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
It was just a bet . . . until feelings got involved.

This job sucks but someone’s got to do it. My readers expect me to chronicle my very real, very steamy encounters in my novels. I’d never want to disappoint my fans, but the creative well has run a bit dry. Burlington, Vermont, seems like a good place to fill it up. This town offers a tempting array of artists, craftsmen, farmers, lumbersexuals . . . and so many beards.

But no one prepared me for Brody. He’s young. He’s hot. He’s definitely a grump. And he's getting under my skin. Where I want him is under my bed sheets.

When my friend bets I’ll never be able to get Brody there, I make winning my mission. Turns out being with Brody is more than a plot device. He’s so very wrong for my life . . . but is he right for my heart?
Thoughts on Insatiable: We're back in Burlington and a (flirty) writer and a (grumpy) maple wine maker. Logan is...honestly, he's not terribly likeable in the beginning. Which I think might be a me-thing (but maybe not) because I am NOT a fan of bets that lead to people trying to get someone in bed. To be fair, Brody is also kind of unlikeable because the guy has a massive chip on his shoulder and is just kind of an a-hole when we first meet because of it.

Brody grew on me once he grudgingly accepted Logan's help with his maple wine marketing and started getting excited about life. (No joke, the guy was a walking thundercloud when we first get introduced to him, so getting excited about anything was a VERY good thing.) Logan took a little longer to warm up to. On the plus side, he didn't try to get in anyone's pants (except Brody's) once he met Brody.

A little drama, a jealous ex, a boyfriend of the ex who was actually a pretty decent dude, maple wine, pancakes, heartache, a romance book, a writer finding his inspiration, and a wine maker who needs to find his center. It is good to be back in Burlington again!

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Daybreak by Kate Hawthorne [Review]

Daybreak (Vino and Veritas) by Kate Hawthorne
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 10, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak - Paperback | Kindle
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Kate Hawthorne
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
When a sunny young musician gets stranded with a grumpy mechanic during a snowstorm, a lack of heat is the least of their problems…

Liam Luckett is on an adventure. He's dropped out of his Master's program without telling his overbearing parents and set off on a road trip across the country. Armed with little more than his guitar, he’s looking for his best life. He never expected his car to break down in the middle of nowhere Vermont with a huge storm pending, leaving him stranded and at the mercy of a hunky local mechanic.

Jasper Cunningham is in a holding pattern. Three years after the death of his husband, he still hasn’t moved on. A hot, younger, stranded tourist is exactly the sort of complication this mechanic has been avoiding. But he can’t leave the guy in the snow. He brings Liam home to crash on the couch. The air is heavy with more than snow, and when the power goes out, the two men become closer than either of them expects.

Every silken note Liam sings on that guitar thaws Jasper’s heart a little. Suddenly, Liam’s itchy feet aren’t so eager to move on. When their feelings get too big to ignore, the bond they’ve formed is tested. Will daybreak leave them going their separate ways?
Thoughts on Daybreak: No lie, after meeting grumpy, heartsore Jasper in Emmett and Tai's book and seeing he had a chance at his own romance, I JUMPED on this. Because grumpy mechanics who are emotionally fragile are my thing, I guess.

Anywho. Jasper and Liam. Jasper's working his way through his grief and he's...well, he'd started to reach a turning point. Liam's presence sort of pushes him into taking a hard look at himself and his happiness a little faster than maybe he would have if left to his own devices. That said, Jasper really was trying to find the him that wasn't drowning even before Liam arrived in town. He was reaching the ready point, he just needed that little push.

As for Liam, he's trying to figure out things. Not his life, necessarily...no, wait. It's his life he's trying to figure out. He doesn't want to go the direction his family is pushing him and he's a little lost. He's also kind of into Jasper's grumpy silences and heated looks. Which works for both of them because HECK YEAH.

A snow storm, well-meaning friends, a song or two, a lot of simmering tension, and two people who need to figure out that they're what they've been looking for before it's too late. GOOD STUFF!

Monday, April 15, 2024

Turnabout by Laurel Greer [Review]

Turnabout (Vino and Veritas) by Laurel Greer
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 12, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout - Paperback | Kindle
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Laurel Greer
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
I don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop. My stint in Vermont will have to be short, for a couple of reasons:

One, I’m a busy executive trying to climb the corporate ladder.

Two, my ex is still my dad’s right-hand man in the shop. And I am not over him.

Nothing has changed at the Burlington shop. Auden still has his infuriatingly sexy Scottish accent. He’s still hot, and still stubborn. Between operating the antique press with his shirtsleeves rolled up, and moonlighting at Burlington’s hottest inclusive wine bar, he pushes every one of my attraction buttons.

My falling-in-love-again buttons, too. Except I’m his polar opposite. I love change, and taking chances. Everything he avoids in life.

So why am I trying to convince him to reach for more than we’ve ever dreamed of—the possibility of forever?
Thoughts on Turnabout: A second chance romance. Even MORE: A second chance romance between the local who moved away and who's now a big shot VP and the steady, deeply competent man who enjoys his routines and security.

MAN, Carter and Auden had some road bumps to get over. Not insurmountable ones (obviously), but they did have to work around their issues from the past before they could do more than flirt with a potential future. Meaning, Auden has some deep-seated scars revolving around abandonment and losing his home. And Carter has big dreams (and plans for his father's business!) that his father can't work himself around to listen to. Carter's become relentless in his quest to show his ideas are good enough and it's kind of sucked the joy out of his life.

Good thing Auden's still holding down the fort when Carter steps in to help his father out. Auden still might be steady and cautious about a lot of things, but he's willing to listen (eventually) to Carter's ideas and he starts to see that maybe taking chances isn't the most horrible thing. Meanwhile, Carter gets to take a step back from corporate life and remember that it's not all numbers and profit margins.

A second chance, a little heart, a little marketing magic, a whole lot of reconnecting, and two people who find one another at just the right time. *thumbs up*

Sunday, April 14, 2024

RtP's Week in Review (04/14/24)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review Bookish Delights

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Alien Adoption Agency: Lachesis by Tasha Black [Books 4-6 Review]

Alien Adoption Agency (Lachesis - Books 4-6) by Tasha Black
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Alien Adoption Agency
1. Noxx
2. Kade
3. Tyro
4. Zane - Paperback | Kindle
5. Odin - Paperback | Kindle
6. Rexx - Paperback | Kindle
7. Arik
8. Jett
9. Zyon
10. Troy
11. Luka
12. Jace
13. Jhon
14. Rafe
15. Kian

Tasha Black
| Website | Amazon |

Zane (Alien Adoption Agency #4)

Date read: July 2, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
She hungers for justice, but this troubled soldier hungers only for her.

Sarah Flynn is committed to avenging her father’s death at any cost. Even if that means adopting a baby and traveling to a remote frontier moon. She’s built a wall around her heart so she can do what needs to be done. But when she meets her new son and the handsome dragon warrior assigned to protect him, she can feel her defenses beginning to crumble.

Zane is a proud dragon warrior of the Invicta. His new duty protecting an Imberian baby has taken him out of the trenches, but the scars of war remain in his heart. Until he glimpses the child’s new adoptive mother. Sarah is fierce and focused on her new child and a plot to catch a fugitive murderer. But when Zane looks at her, all he sees is his fated mate – the woman who can heal his soul and open his eyes to all that is good. When Sarah’s hunt for the killer pushes Zane past his limits, he’s forced to confront the violence of his past.

Zane would do anything to protect Sarah and little Bowen. But she’ll have to find the line between justice in revenge on her own, if she doesn’t want throw away their chance at a happily ever after.
Thoughts on Zane: A lady who wants a little justice for her father, a dragon warrior who's smitten at first glance, and a sweet chonk of a baby who ties them both together.  We're on a new moon, with a new set of adoptive mothers, their sweet babies, and the dragon warriors sent to protect them and I AM READY FOR IT.

This time around, we have Sarah and Zane. She's a lady with vengeance in her heart. Sort of. She definitely wants justice for her father, but she also falls hard for her new baby once she meets him. Having someone so small and defenseless depending on her makes her start wondering if her quest to bring her father's killer to justice (by any means necessary, at first) is all it's cut out to be. Having Zane nudging her toward caution helps in that regard, too.

As for Zane, he's very happy his dragon is looking at Sarah as his mate, but he knows the toll killing someone can take on a person and he doesn't want that for her. But Sarah is determined in her quest for justice and Zane's determined to keep her (and Bowen) safe. So they end up hunting for a killer with little more than a marshal and some riding critters as backup.

A flirty marshal, a group of bad guys, a dragon who's found his purpose, and a lady who needs to decide what path her future will take. *thumbs up*


Odin (Alien Adoption Agency #5)

Date read: July 2, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
This young widow swore she would never love again, but a dragon warrior's heat might just melt her resolve...
Liberty has come to Lachesis for a chance to raise a child and get a fresh start on a far away frontier moon. But she isn’t ready for the baby to come with Odin, an Invicta dragon warrior who has sworn to protect the child with his life. And she certainly doesn’t expect the burly warrior to awaken feelings in her that she thought she left behind forever.

When rustlers threaten her new homestead, Liberty finds herself getting much closer to Odin than she ever planned, as the two are forced to work together to stop the rustlers and protect baby Colton.
Thoughts on Odin: Grumpy, intense Odin is up and he's paired with a woman who's a little heartsore and a lot determined. Liberty is also slightly better prepared for her life as a farmer than Sarah was. That said, all Liberty's farming know-how comes from books, so there's still a learning curve.

You know what? I said Odin was grumpy, but I'm not sure if he was grumpy so much as extremely focused. He's also hurting and doesn't believe he deserves happiness. Which is absolutely not true, And once he shares what caused him to think this way, Liberty tells him exactly that.

As for Liberty, she's mourning her dead husband by doing all the things he wanted her to do. Which ends up working nicely for her since it has allowed her to grieve AND find herself in the process. Now she's ready to settle down as a mother to her adopted son and Odin throws her into a tailspin. Because she likes the big guy, she likes his dragon, and maybe she's ready to open her heart to more than a baby now.

A little danger, a babysitter who's worth her weight in gold, understanding neighbors, a warrior looking for peace, and a woman who challenges him in all the best ways.


Rexx (Alien Adoption Agency #6)

Date read: July 7, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
It's love at first sight for sunny Abigail. Now she just needs to survive the train ride to get to her new home.
Abigail Shaw can’t believe her good luck. The Alien Adoption Agency has selected her to adopt adorable baby Rio. And baby Rio comes with Rexx, a handsome Invicta warrior guard, whose dark eyes seduce Abigail before he even opens his mouth. When he offers her his mate bond, she thinks things can’t get any better. She’s finally going to have a family of her own. And they’re getting a free ride on the famous Iron Peregrine express train to their new home.

Rexx is a proud dragon warrior of the Invicta, who has spent so many years laser focused on his military career that he’s forgotten how to live in the outside world. But when he meets kind-hearted Abigail, his dragon goes wild. It takes everything he has to restrain himself from claiming her instantly.

Together, they’re ready to take on the frontier moon of Lachesis. But there’s something happening on the cross-moon train they’re taking to get home. They’ve barely boarded the Iron Peregrine when they’re faced with a mysterious locked car, a criminally dangerous passenger, unexplained noises in the night, and a missing person.

And then things get really bad…

Will Abigail and Rexx find a way to make it home safely with baby Rio? And if Rexx does what has to be done, will Abigail still want to be his mate? Or will that train have left the station?
Thoughts on Rexx: The other ladies who came to Lachesis to bond with their newly adopted babies (and find happiness with the attached Invicta warriors) did NOT have nearly the wild ride Abigail and Rexx had. I mean this literally. The ride to get to their new home was just fraught with weird goings on. And danger. There was a fair amount of danger there.

Fortunately for everyone, Abigail thinks quickly on her feet (courtesy of wrangling small children in her other life). When things start to turn hairy, she's there with her chonky baby and ideas on how to get things done. The train passengers were also lucky to have a dragon warrior traveling with them. Like Abigail, Rexx has good instincts, plus he's a good guy to have at your back in a fight.

A wild ride, a charming criminal, a train car full of suspects, a sweet baby, a dragon who's trying to be on his best behavior, and a lady who isn't about to let her dream get ripped away by anyone. *thumbs up*

Friday, April 12, 2024

Unguarded by Jay Hogan [Review]

Unguarded (Vino and Veritas) by Jay Hogan
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 10, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded - Paperback | Kindle
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Jay Hogan
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
I fled Boston and my cheating jerk of an ex with three hundred dollars and a lip gloss in my pocket. Waking up the next day in Burlington, Vermont, with a crick in my back and a frozen ass wasn’t exactly in the plan. If there was one. Which there wasn’t. Story of my life.

Three hours later and I’ve been hired as temporary help in the local veterinary and grooming clinic, which is kind of impressive since I know zip about animals and even less about grooming. But one thing I do know—I’m crushing hard on the sexy, absent-minded vet I work for.

My life is a hot mess. The last thing I need is another relationship. Emmett pushes all my buttons, but he isn’t out. He's overwhelmed with a business to run and a son to look after and the kind of domestic life I never thought I wanted.

I should walk away.

But Emmett believes in me, and I might just be starting to believe in myself. As different as we are, is it possible we're exactly what the other needs?
Thoughts on Unguarded: Oh man. Tai was such a sweetheart and Emmett was so captivated by him and his sassy shirts and lip gloss right from the start. Sure, Emmett fought that feeling something fierce, but he did like what he saw in Tai. And I'm talking more than just his good looks. Emmett likes his kindness and his laughter and his flirting. Although the flirting more often than not led to some serious blushing.

But Tai. Tai was a truly kind individual who got a little lost along the way. His utterly awful ex did a number on his sense of self and the guy is not in the best place when he rolls into Burlington. He pulls himself together, though. He finds a job (one he's very good at) and he starts making plans. He absolutely didn't expect to find someone who not only liked him just as he was, but who believed in him the way Emmett did. Throw in an exuberant kiddo and a sassy cat and soon Tai has something he hadn't had since he left his family.

On Emmett's end, he's doing the dad thing and working to keep his clinic afloat and he absolutely doesn't expect his body to sit up and take notice of anyone. Tai basically blindsides him. He wakes him up and makes him laugh again. But the fact Emmett's not out and he has his son to think of has him second guessing all his feelings. Until, you know, he doesn't.

A lot of smolder, a lot of sass, and a first encounter in an unconventional place. *thumbs up*