Leland's Final Gift by Thianna Durston

Leland's Final Gift by Thianna Durston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Having just finished a book that ripped my heart out and left me a sobbing mess, I needed a sweet romance to cheer up my broken heart. So I flipped through my December reading list and saw that I had Leland’s Final Gift in my queue and thought “Perfect! Durston’s male-male romances always warm my heart and its shortened length and Christmas theme should guarantee a tear-free read.” Yeah, no. Rest assured, my heart was warmed, but my eyes were not tear free. My mistake was in not reading the blurb again before starting the novelette. Had I done so and realized that Kinder would be spending time with the ghost of his dead partner, I would have been prepared for the tears. Despite my oversight, I loved this book and it was a great holiday read.

Not rereading the blurb meant I was a bit shocked when Kinder’s haste to get inside his apartment was met with the ghost of his life partner. The love between the two was obvious and is why I wasn’t the least bit surprised at the incident that occurred after Leland said he would have to take matters into his own hands in order to force Kinder to move on with his life. It’s also what had me cheering for Kinder as he embraced the holiday season in order to make his new neighbor’s Christmas a happy one despite its less than enjoyable beginning. Because of the novelette’s length, we don’t see all of the time that Kinder and Jessie spend together over the week, but that didn’t keep me from feeling the bond forming between the two men. Despite an unexpectedly gut-wrenching request made by Jessie, Thane’s (slightly wavering) determination to fulfill Leland’s final request led to an awesome New Year’s Eve date and his awareness of what Leland’s final gift was to him. I will admit that I was a little surprised that the physical intimacies were limited to kissing, but it actually worked well for the story as the focus was on Kinder healing and learning to live again. I thought the Epilogue was perfect and my only actual complaint is that the book wasn’t longer. But then, I’m a huge fan of Durston’s writing and her books are never long enough for me, no matter their actual length. Leland’s Final Gift was a wonderful holiday read and I do hope the author gets bitten by the Kinder-bug in the future and we get more of this couple’s story.

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

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Riding & Regrets by Bailey Bradford

Riding & Regrets by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Riding & Regrets was a heartbreaker of a novel for me. I found myself wanting to cry for Prissy’s early years and being shuffled around by a mother who wasn’t prepared to be one. This, of course, made me want to bawl when Jody’s love for his daughter grew exponentially considering how little time passed from her sudden arrival in his life to the beautiful ceremony in the epilogue – yet another event that left teary-eyed. Also heart wrenching was Noel’s past and what he endured at the hands of a man who was supposed to love him. While there were plenty of tears to go around in this installment, they were both sad tears and happy tears and I found the overriding theme of the book to be extremely hopeful despite the heartbreak both men endured before finding their happiness.

I was excited to read this book after the way the ending of Fences & Freedom mentioned Jody’s previously unknown child showing up unexpectedly. It wasn’t the idea of a gay man having a child that caught my attention, but rather that the child’s existence was unknown AND unexpected. Granted the unknown wasn’t a total surprise because that kind of thing happens regularly, but the unexpected had my interest peaked and as the story played out I understood why Jody was so thrown by the appearance of his child – he didn’t remember having sex with the mother, or any woman for that matter. Fortunately, the child looked so much like him that he never disputed that he was Prissy’s father and he threw himself fully into being the best father he could be for his little girl. While his bosses and the other hands at the ranch were far more supportive than he ever could have hoped for, Jody understood that he was going to have to put Prissy in daycare while he worked at the ranch. Enter Noel, the nephew of the daycare’s owner, Ashville’s newest temporary (maybe) resident, and the man who may just save Jody from becoming an old fuddy-duddy.

While the attraction between the two men was obvious, Bradford didn’t allow the men to hook-up immediately. The author actually keeps their early interactions true to form for a new parent by Jody being so busy that days and days pass between conversations, dates, and taking it further with Noel. I loved this. Yes, Jody is only twenty, but he’s a new father working full-time who is now a single parent as well. It stands to reason that he would be too tired to go trolling for dates as well as having no time for them either. But when Noel finally makes his move on Jody, oh my goodness was it hot! I enjoyed the symmetry between Noel’s inability to forget the horrors of his nightmare relationship and Jody’s inability to remember the events of the night he conceived Prissy. It enabled them to provide a level of comfort and understanding to one another that I think helped cement their relationship. Watching Jody and Noel fall in love and build their family was a wonderful experience, which was topped off by getting to see Jody threaten Noel’s tormentor and Noel face down his tormentor. And I must say that I loved how that whole scenario played out. Watching the entire ranch fall in love with Prissy was so sweet too. I’m looking forward to reading Broncs & Bullies soon because I’m dying to see what’s up with Duke and Frankie.

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 Riding and Regrets (Mossy Glenn Ranch #5) by Bailey Bradford blog post on Crystal’s Many Reviewers.


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A Subtle Breeze by Bailey Bradford

A Subtle Breeze by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I’m always hesitant to read paranormal books featuring ghosts because I find more often than not that I don’t care for the way in which they are portrayed by many authors. However, as I have read an increasing number of Bradford’s books, I was more than willing to give her Southern Spirits series a try as I enjoy the author’s writing style. It turns out that A Subtle Breeze was the perfect beginning to the newly revised and rereleased series and I absolutely loved the way the author crafted the contemporary M/M romance with touches of the paranormal.

Whether it be due to a lack of options or an intense physical attraction, there is a serious case of instant lust on Zeke’s part toward Brendon. On the other hand, Zeke’s sister and Brendon’s cousin have been feeding him stories and pictures about Zeke for a while now and Brendon has developed a healthy crush on the man – a crush that intensifies when they meet in person. Considering that it’s been four years since Zeke was last with a man, their rush to intimacy was not surprising. And it sure was hot! Also not surprising was Zeke’s meltdown when he learned that Brendon wasn’t in town for just a few days, but for the entire summer … and longer if it proved to be worth his while. While their relationship progressed pretty quickly, the combination of Zeke’s loneliness, his mother’s guiding spirit, and Brendon’s crush made it feel right for these two men. When trouble hits and Zeke is once again the target of bigotry, Brendon’s insistence on standing by his man merely cements the transition from lovers to more. As their relationship strengthens, the threats elevate until they find themselves in a life or death situation that left me freaking out at the incident while at the same time warmed by the response of the townspeople.

I really enjoyed the way in which Bradford used Zeke’s mom to guide him and Brendon toward one another and away from harm. Rather than making her a ghost that communicates vocally and/or can be seen visually, she is a spirit – like a breeze pushing at their backs or transmitting feelings (i.e., danger) rather than actual words. Her spirit was a guiding force rather than a full-fledged character and I really enjoyed that take on the afterlife. The bigotry and the quarter from which it came kept the conflict and tension high – almost too high – and provided the men a force against which they could unite. As this is the first installment in the series, there is a bit of world building as the reader is introduced to the town of McKinton, Texas and the characters important to this and the next few books, but not so much as to drag the story out unnecessarily. I thoroughly enjoyed A Subtle Breeze and am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series, When the Dead Speak, so I can find out what’s in store for Sheriff Stenley.

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 A Subtle Breeze (Southern Spirits #1) by Bailey Bradford blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter

Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Whew! I forgot how hot Baxter’s Billionaire’s Club novellas could be. I made the mistake of starting Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher at work and had to stop reading it because it was getting too hot for reading in public. The attraction between Nate and Chloe was immediate and palpable and I for one could not fault Chloe one bit for accompanying Nate to his hotel room the night they met. Goodness gracious the man had me turned on and I would have been calling Chloe names had she not gone upstairs that night. That their one-night stand was not enough, causing Nate to contact Chloe so they could spend time together not only added to my squirming, but also to my enjoyment of watching their relationship develop … and explode.

While Baxter can certainly write steamy scenes, she does so within the flow of the story and despite Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher being a novella, there is plenty of story to be found. Chloe approaches Nate at his father’s memorial service in order to solicit a sizable donation for her foundation. Even though she cringes at the thought of crashing a memorial service to beg for money, her foundation is on the verge of closing its doors and leaving the local at-risk youth without much needed services meant to keep them out of trouble. Although there isn’t much Chloe won’t do to help the kids she works with, she draws the line at mixing business with pleasure, so when she crosses the line with Nate he is no longer a viable option for funding. This integrity on Chloe’s part made her so very easy to like even if I could see how her actions were going to come back and bite her in the rear. And boy did they! Once we learn exactly what led to Nate’s estrangement from his father, his reaction to Chloe’s actions made sense – but they didn’t excuse just how hateful and nasty he was during their fight. I was glad to see that Chloe didn’t cave just because he apologized because what he said was not something that could be wiped away with a simple “I’m sorry.” Of course, Baxter provides the expected happy ending for Nate and Chloe, but the journey to get there is what makes Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher so much fun to read. Having met Nate’s brothers in this installment, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series because both men should be fun to read about.

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 Christmas With the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter blog post on Crystal's Many Reviewers.


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Lick Me by Janet R. Berg

Lick Me by Janet R. Berg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lick Me was an odd read that left me a bit confused on how to review it. The book itself is well-written and I enjoyed how the author took Maggie (and the reader) through different parts of Australia and Bali. Several of the scenes were described so well that I could imagine actually being there. I suppose you could say that Maggie’s story is told in two parts and this is perhaps where I have difficulty in my review.

In the first part of the book, Maggie has moved in with her mother in order to take care of her due to her declining health. While the opening of the first chapter confused me at first because it felt as though I was reading stage instructions, once I realized that it was being told from someone else’s perspective I settled right into Maggie’s tale. The author does a nice job of presenting the story through Maggie’s memories, musings, and observations, as well as emails between Maggie and her brother, Andy. Living with her mother and hanging out with her mother’s friends often sends Maggie into her own imagination and the woman has some seriously steamy daydreams. When she and her mother move into a smaller house, Maggie begins to feel as though she’s being watched and her suspicions are confirmed in the most startling of ways the first time she brings a man home with her. Thus begins her sexual relationship with Bert, a man who died in the house decades earlier. This part of the book actually threw me for a big loop because there was nothing in the blurb indicating that there were paranormal elements in the book. And while the scenes were undoubtedly erotic, more than once Maggie had thoughts that would send me off laughing – my favorite being how she questioned how the ghost’s fingers could be so long. Seriously? You’re having sex with a ghost and your concern is the length of his fingers. I will admit that I found Maggie’s easy acceptance of a spectral lover surprising, especially when in an email with her brother she states that they never believed in such things before. But the woman was enjoying her orgasms and Bert was providing them in abundance. This part of Maggie’s story was actually a good chunk of the book and I must confess that I found the way in which she moved on from Bert to be a bit too neat and rather anticlimactic considering the events that led up to their separation.

Maggie’s time post-Bert was a mixed bag of sexual explorations, the first of which had me shaking my head as to why? I really didn’t understand why Maggie would seek out William after running into Tim again – a man she purports to be the one who got away and that she’d like to see if there was something there to pursue since they’re both single. And considering that she had just shook off Bert, William made even less sense to me. I suppose this is the part of the book that was meant to fulfill the erotic sexual journey, but it just felt out of place considering what Maggie had been through and where she seemed to be headed. As for the rekindling of her relationship with Tim, I don’t even know what to say about that. All was well and sweet in the land of Tim and Maggie, until it wasn’t – and it really, really wasn’t. And now for my soapbox moment. At the very end of the book Maggie makes plans to get tested and hopes to be STD and HIV free. Until that moment I had given her the benefit of the doubt and assumed that the author didn’t write condom usage into the later sex scenes (because she didn’t need them with Bert) so as not to ruin the flow of the story. This is not uncommon in erotica. But when Maggie worried that she may have been exposed to an STD, I was perturbed. By my estimates she was in her late 40s or early 50s. She was not a child. She has grown children who have had their own children. She should have known better and that line really, really ticked me off. Stepping down from the soapbox. Lick Me was an enjoyable read with a whole lot of steamy erotic scenes and just enough story thrown in to let me connect with Maggie. It was an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, even if I had to suspend belief more than I expected to when I began the book. Oh! By the way, American readers – fanny does not mean the same thing in Australia as it does in the US.

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 Lick Me by Janet R. Berg blog post on Crystal’s Many Reviewers.


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