Texas Wedding by R.J. Scott

Texas Wedding by R.J. Scott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Scott takes us back to Texas for the final installment in Jack and Riley’s life together. No, their tale does not end tragically. This is merely the last book that Scott has planned for the couple and it’s a great way to finish out the series – with the guys fighting for what’s right and using the advantages of their fortune (both financial and emotional) to try to make Texas a more level playing field for couples like them.

Within the first chapter, the author reminds us why Jack and Riley have stayed strong over the years together. They pay attention to each other, what their partner says and doesn’t say, what their partner does and doesn’t do, and each man will take whatever action he feels necessary to keep the line of communication open between them and their connection strong. Fortunately for my voyeuristic tendencies, this means that not only do Riley and Jack talk, they are not shy with their physical affections for one another. Not at all. And they just get sexier and sexier with each book. But beyond that, Jack is Riley’s anchor and Riley is Jack’s rock. There is no doubt that they have one another’s back and the support and encouragement Riley gives Jack to move forward with his idea for the ranch, to make it a safe place for young men like Liam to live and work, is merely one of the ways that demonstrate how well they understand one another. Their bond is also vital to them getting through Hayley’s first date. I chuckled several times over the course of the book as Riley and Jack had to face the fact that their little girl was growing up.

As with the previous books in the series, we get a chance to catch up with the other characters and see how their lives have changed since the last book. It was nice to see that Lisa was finally moving on and finding happiness, even if her revelation nearly gave Riley and Jack a heart attack. Being as I work with children and adults with autism, I really, really liked how the author shows Jack and Riley constantly striving to do more for Max and their willingness to learn all that they can about autism and how it affects Max as an individual. One of the things that made Texas Wedding interesting was watching Jack and Riley’s responses to the impending SCOTUS decision regarding same-sex marriage. Watching Jack remain hesitant about Texas’s reaction regardless of what the high court said was realistic as we’ve already seen in real life how government officials have ignored the law. At the same time, Riley’s enthusiasm for what it would mean – that their home state would have to recognize their marriage – and the plans he hoped to follow-through on WHEN (because there was no IF in Riley’s opinion) the decision came down were heartwarming and trailblazing. Riley’s enthusiasm for making Texas a better place for same-sex couples is inspiring, as is his willingness to use his resources to do what he can to make it happen. Obviously there’s a wedding, so make sure you have your tissues handy because Hayley made me bawl when she talked about what it meant to her to have two dads. Texas Wedding was the perfect way to wrap up the series, with tears and laughter and lots of love, but I won’t lie – I would happily read more about the Jack and Riley and the rest of Campbell-Hayes family.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Texas Wedding (Texas #7) by R.J. Scott blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Rain Shadow by L.A. Witt

Rain Shadow by L.A. Witt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It’s always a lovely day when I get to spend time in Bluewater Bay. Okay, seriously, I did not mean to make that rhyme, but it’s no less true. Bluewater Bay is one of my favorite fictional towns to visit and Rain Shadow was no exception. Witt re-immerses readers into what brought us to Bluewater Bay to begin with – Wolf’s Landing – and does so as we follow Jeremy as he guards Anna, one of the show’s more well-known producers – hence the need for a body guard. While a return to the set means series fans get to catch up with characters from previous books (Levi & Carter), it also means a front-row seat to Anna and Leigh’s relationship (which has been rocky from the beginning of the series) as they go through couples counseling and related activities in an effort to save their relationship.

Lots going on in this installment because Jeremy’s job is also an excuse to avoid his ex-wife and disgruntled kids, especially his daughter, who is beyond pissed off at him for “deciding to be gay” and abandoning them. And while I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, Jeremy’s family issues dictate how he approaches relationships. Or I should say, avoids relationships, because he still feels guilty for not being able to make it work. But when he learns that the first man who really flips his switch since his divorce avoids relationships even more than he does, well let’s just say it made for one heck of a hot scene when they have their one nighter. So when Scott phones for a repeat performance, Jeremy is surprised and goes straight into avoidance mode. Yet fate has a better idea and when their paths cross again, Scott makes it clear that he’s not looking for a relationship, but would be very amenable to a friends with benefits arrangement. Because of their arrangement, there is quite a bit of sex in Rain Shadow and yet it didn’t feel overdone or gratuitous because each time the men scratched their itch, they spent more time together, getting to know one another, moving from being just friends to a bit more. And when the proverbial excrement hit the fan, Jeremy realizes who and what is important in his life and has to put his pride and prejudices aside if he has any hope of keeping them in his life.

I really liked how Witt moved Jeremy and Scott’s relationship forward so subtly that I too had a hard time pinpointing when friends with benefits became more. While the implosions in Jeremy’s life made it obvious that things had changed, the transitions were not at obvious. As for the implosions, Jeremy excelled at making a mess of his personal life, but he was honest enough with himself to realize it and was willing to put in the effort to right what he had wronged. I actually found that to be quite refreshing and it made me like Jeremy that much more. I loved the ending and that Scott was willing to help Jeremy out with repairing his relationship with his children. A lot going on in the book meant a lot for me to love and I enjoyed it all. Rain Shadow was a great addition to the Bluewater Bay series and I’m hoping to get my hands on the next book in the series soon because although I’m not a big fan of F/F reads, I am a fan of Anna’s.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Whirlwind by Bailey Bradford

Whirlwind by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Whirlwind was a fun and sexy way to round out the Southern Spirits series. I don’t know that the author has ended the series officially, but as it’s been a couple of years since this installment’s original release and no new characters were introduced as potential leading men, I’m assuming this is the final book in the series and I must say that Bradford certainly went out with a blast. After Conner found love in Ascension, it was only fitting that our other long-term and interactive spirit, Stefan, find his happiness in the ever after. And Stefan’s tale reads like the best case of karma ever.

In life, Stefan was born with brain damage that resulted in him having both mental and physical delays. In Aftermath we learned that his condition contributed to his being murdered because he fell prey to a high school bully who used him sexually and then tricked him into going to the place of his murder. However, in death, Stefan was no longer afflicted as his limitation had been physical and the lack of a corporeal body equated a “normal” existence in the spirit world. This “new” and “improved” Stefan made for an extremely entertaining first encounter with Jordan and Gideon, two recently deceased soldiers who traveled to McKinton to be near Jordan’s mother. Once the three men deal with their initial misunderstanding and spend a little time together, the sparks fly and Stefan finds himself in the best place possible – between Jordan and Gideon. But when Jordan’s mom lets out a secret that sends Jordan into hiding out of fear from the fallout, Stefan once again finds himself alone and on the outside looking in. The knowledge of what he’s missing out on leads Stefan to make some rather poor choices that have him questioning if there are indeed things worse than death and heartbreak. Fortunately for Stefan, the most important men in his death are well trained and adore him, and have no qualms about putting themselves between Stefan and the danger he’s courting.

I absolutely loved this installment. It’s no secret that a well written ménage is one of my favorite types of relationships to read about and Bradford did a wonderful job creating a fledgling relationship between Jordan, Gideon and Stefan and then building upon it. There is some serious heat among this trio and their ability to ignore the laws of physics made for some scorchingly hot sex scenes. I also enjoyed how she handled Stefan’s disability and the explanation for his life and death differences seemed quite feasible. Conner’s continued presence as a protector in Stefan’s life was perfect and made sense as Conner always saw Stefan as a kid due to his age at death, and not his disability because Conner didn’t know Stefan when he was alive. Whirlwind was an extremely enjoyable read and as much as I hate to see the end of the series, I like how the author brought it to a resolution with all of the main players having their stories told. Fortunately for me, Bradford has many, many other series for me to read.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Whirlwind (Southern Spirits #8) by Bailey Bradford blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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The Articles of Release by B.A. Tortuga

The Articles of Release by B.A. Tortuga

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Despite the fact that scenes within this book nearly gave me a heart attack more than once, Tortuga has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her writing is smooth, her characters are authentic, and the love between them is beautiful. The Articles of Release was no exception and I found myself falling in love with Eric and Troy – even as I wanted to throttle Troy on several occasions. His siblings were lucky he was the baby because had he been the firstborn, at least half that brood wouldn’t have been born.

Tortuga wastes no time in getting to the meat of the story with Eric’s introduction. In a matter of pages we learn that this career-military man suffered a life-changing injury, his family turned their back on him when they learned he was gay, and he has only one person he THINKS he can call on for help as he transitions from the military to civilian life. Fortunately, that person is Adam Winchester and Adam doesn’t even hesitate to offer his and Sage’s help and home to Eric. This not only gives fans of the series a chance to catch up with the pocket cowboy and his husband, but Sage’s own physical condition puts Eric at ease because Sage and Adam understand him in ways most people cannot. It’s also beneficial because Sage is able to introduce Eric to his personal trainer, Troy, who is helping him recover from the knee surgeries. And while Eric makes a complete and utter arse of himself during their first meeting, Troy gives Eric a second chance while he himself is recuperating from an injury. As the two men take down their walls and get to know one another, their initial antagonism fades rather quickly and the sparks begin to fly. But when Troy’s tendency for reckless behaviors puts him in harm’s way more than once, Eric has to decide whether or not he can live with the risk of loving an adrenaline junkie.

I loved this book. Thanks to some socially influential people of this decade, the injuries that service men and women suffer while protecting our country have been celebrated (for lack of a better term on my part). While this doesn’t make it any easier physically for the person who suffered the injury, I believe that at least some of the social stigma that was once attached to prosthetics and burns has been lessened. In The Articles of Release, Tortuga takes it one step further by not only addressing the injuries sustained by veterans, but also those of the civilian population as it is Troy who uses prosthetics due to an accident that occurred in his teens. With both of our main characters in this novel living with injuries that changed their lives, we get to see how their day-to-day activities are affected, how their relationships are affected, and how their sense of self is affected. For me, this proved to be quite an emotional read and I found myself holding back the tears more than once. But Tortuga doesn’t allow her characters to wallow for long and uses humor to break the tension within a heavy scene several times. The chemistry between Troy and Eric was palpable and I adored that the men could be both affectionate and raw – depending upon what their partner needed. The airport scene broke my freaking heart because I was at a total loss of how that was going to play out and I thought it was a perfect ending for the couple. I look forward to more books in the series and am hopeful that we’ll get to catch up with Sage and Adam, and Troy and Eric in the next installment because I’d love to see how they’re all faring.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out The Articles of Release (The Release #2) by B.A. Tortuga blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Blowback by Lyn Gala

Blowback by Lyn Gala

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I’ve mainly read Gala’s M/M sci-fi romances, with Turbulence being the only M/F romance of hers that I’ve read prior to Blowback. So I was excited to read this book. In fact, I was anticipating reading it so much that I waited until the review was due to read it because I wanted it to last as long as possible because once I finished it, I had no idea how long I would have to wait for another of Gala’s sci-fi romances. I am both kicking my own metaphorical arse for not enjoying Blowback sooner, while at the same time, basking in the afterglow of a story that was so worth the wait that the anticipation was worth it.

This is not your typical romance and not because there are aliens involved. The animosity and distrust Tom has for Da’shay is so strong, you feel it through the pages. When a mission goes bad and a “concerned” party approaches Tom with information about Da’shay that reinforces his ill-feelings toward her, he does the wrong thing for the right reason and ends up having to choose between charges of treason or death. Once he makes peace with his choice, Da’shay steps in and prevents his death, leaving Tom bewildered as he’s made no secret of his feelings toward her. After a series of events ends up with Tom being relegated to slave status with Da’shay claiming ownership of him, Tom’s dislike ratchets up to hate as he tries to figure out whether to kill Da’shay or himself. But when Tom is forced to listen to Da’shay and really hear what it is she is trying to say, his opinion of her takes a 180 and the woman he would have taken pleasure in killing, is now the woman he wants to make happy. But with war looming and Tom, Da’shay and the crew of the Kratos finding themselves smack dab in the middle of it and a possible conspiracy, can Tom trust his newfound faith in Da’shay and his need to protect her outside of the ship, while submitting to her in the bedroom?

I loved this book. Not to spoil the story, but due to a procedure that was performed on Da’shay, her pattern of speech is not normal – not even for a genta. The way she talks in riddles reminded me of the Firefly character, River Tam. As Firefly was one of my favorite television shows, I loved how Da’shay’s character was reminiscent of River – although as the book was written before the television show was aired, it should be the other way around, but I “knew” River first. Once I learned to speak Da’shay’s language, it was much easier to understand what she was trying to communicate. Even though Tom was basically forced to listen to Da’shay, I liked that once she finally got through to him, he was willing to reassess the situation and his feelings toward her changed – for the better. I’m sure that the fact the sex between the two of them was scorchingly hot did not hurt his position one bit. I’m not big on the whole submissive male storyline, but I loved it in Blowback and felt like Gala did an excellent job of balancing Tom’s alpha male tendencies outside of the bedroom, with his willingness to submit to Da’shay inside the bedroom. Blowback was an excellent sci-fi romance with just the right amount of action, intrigue, and erotica that kept me glued to my Kindle.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

Check out the Blowback by Lyn Gala blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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