Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Rules to Obey

SERIES: Davey’s Rules #5

AUTHOR: Susan Hawke

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 223 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2019

BLURB:

Davey’s Rule #83: Daddy will encourage his boy to be the best he can be and be supportive of his boy’s career choices.

Marcus Alves has waited most of his adult life to find the perfect match. A sweetheart who will love cuddles, need a Daddy to help him thrive, and most importantly… be the type of boy that might want to use the binky that Marcus keeps hidden in his pocket. Now in his forties, he’s refusing to give up on his dream—or the unused playroom that’s waiting for someone to enjoy.

Jeff Robustelli has had a rough life. Growing up in a commune with absent parents was hard for a rule-following straitlaced guy with a genius IQ. When the uncle who saved him died, Jeff did what he does best—buried his head in the sand and pretended life wasn’t changing. Working in a Daddy club has shown him what he really wants, but Jeff is too afraid to take a chance on something new.

When Jeff has a sudden need for a fake fiancé, he strikes a deal with the older man who always seems to be there when his world is crumbling and makes him feel safe. In exchange, he agrees to a fake Daddy/boy experiment designed to let him try out being little without any pressure.

While Marcus and Jeff navigate their “deal” and the unexpected new feelings that begin to emerge, Marcus also must help the younger man through a series of life changes that put him on the road to being the adult he’s been too afraid to be. When everything in Jeff’s life is in turmoil, Marcus is his one stability. But can Jeff trust his own heart when nothing else in his life is making sense anymore?

This is the fifth book in a series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Above and Beyond

SERIES:  Twist of Fate #4

AUTHOR:  Lucy Lennox & Sloane Kennedy

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  358 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 20, 2020

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Lucky

Two years ago I humiliated myself by declaring my love to an older man who clearly didn’t share my feelings. And that’s fine. One day Zach will come around. Meanwhile, I’ve built a life for myself in northern Montana, pursuing my college degree while working hard toward certification in high-risk alpine search and rescue on the side. And perhaps I’ve kept the danger part a secret from my two dads. After all, what they don’t know won’t hurt them…

Everything’s going exactly as planned until my dads send Zach to check on me just as I’m dealing with an ex who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no. It’s bad enough Zach still thinks of me as a child; now he also thinks I’m incapable of looking out for myself. I need to get him off my back before he finds out I’m not heading to Wyoming for summer break like everyone thinks. I’m going to Glacier National Park to learn how to rappel from helicopters…

Zach

Two years ago I wanted something I couldn’t have, so I threw myself back into my job as an Army Ranger and wound up scarred in more ways than one. When the army dumps my sorry self back into the real world, it’s time to start over. I accept a summer job teaching high-risk search and rescue. On the way there, all I have to do is peek in on little Lucky Reed and make sure he’s okay.

He’s not. Someone has it out for him, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him get hurt on my watch. My plan is to keep him safe until he heads south for his summer job playing trail guide to tourists. Once he’s gone, I’ll be free to head to Glacier where my biggest challenge will be keeping a handful of alpine search and rescue students safe as they learn how to dangle from helicopters high above the Rocky Mountains.

It’s all fine. Until it’s not. Danger follows us to Glacier, and by the time I finally start seeing Lucky as more than the awkward teenager he used to be, I wonder if it’s too late to convince him that this scarred soldier sees him as anything but little anymore.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: How to Vex a Vampire

SERIES: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 360 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2020

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Finn 
Getting into the vampire-only detective unit was the easy part; what’s going to be more difficult is dealing with my new partner, an ancient vampire who keeps threatening to eat me. The unit has never had a human in it, and Marcus—or as I like to call him, Fangy McFangface—would really prefer to keep it that way. He’s grumpy, short-tempered, and broody, but I have a way with words and I know he’s starting to like me, even if he swears he’s not. But what he doesn’t know is that I didn’t join the unit because I was tired of being a homicide detective, I joined because there is someone after me. They’ve already taken enough from me and I’m afraid they’re going to take all of me if I don’t find someone to help. That’s all Marcus was supposed to be, but now, he’s so much more and I can’t imagine my life without him. 
 
Marcus 
The moment the pesky human walked through that door, I knew I had to get rid of him. He’s charming and almost everyone else instantly loves him, but he doesn’t understand how risky it is being part of this unit as a human. But as I get to know the stubborn man, I learn that perhaps he’s not as naive as I once thought. And maybe he’s what I needed to realize there is more to life than just work and my dog. A group arises who is threatening to disrupt the alliance between the humans and the vampires, but Finn is the one who shows me how strong that alliance can be and reminds me why it’s worth protecting. When threats hit closer to home, I realize I would do anything for Finn because he’s brought so much joy to my life—and because he’s mine. 
 
This 105k word book contains: A creative use for undergarments, unintentional splits, a wolfhound who just wants to be a part of things, a vertically challenged human who still manages to wrap every vampire he meets around his little finger, the best date ever, possessiveness, really awkward dancing, some workplace revenge, and just a bite or two. Or three.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Caulky

SERIES:  Four Bears Construction #1

AUTHOR:  K.M. Neuhold

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  February 7, 2020

LENGTH:  316 pages

BLURB:

Ren is in desperate need of a rebound fling. Lucky for him, the smoking hot contractor he hired has just the tool for the job.

The last thing I want is another relationship or another broken heart.

All I need are my bees and the occasional hookup to scratch the itch.

Okay, maybe meeting up with my hot contractor weekly is a little more than occasional. And maybe the way I’m starting to feel about the guy I’ve been anonymously chatting with online should concern me.

But CaulkyAF doesn’t want to meet, and Cole doesn’t want anything serious, so what’s the worst that could happen?

**** This series does NOT contain shifters, it’s the OTHER kind of bears.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Jason’s Justice

SERIES:  Delta Force Team Panther #7

AUTHOR:  Annabella Stone

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  January 16, 2020

LENGTH:  255 pages

BLURB:

Jason LeHar learned his tracking skills as a kid in the Bayous of Louisiana. Those skills earned him a place on Delta Force Team Panther, and he found the family he chose for himself. When his best friend’s relationship with one of their team commanders was exposed. The world he had built fell apart and he drifted for years, taking one Government sanctioned job after another, until one man called him home, with a single short sentence, “Panther needs you.”

James “Frtiz” Blackwell, as a former Delta Force Commander, and leader of the team who rescued Matt Garrett in Afghanistan. He carries the guilt of having exposed Jonah and Matt’s relationship, causing their discharge and the reassignments of all Team Panther members. Now as more secrets are exposed and bullets start to fly once again, can he convince the stubborn man he loves that everyone deserves a second chance?

It is one thing to go to war for your country, it’s a whole different ball game when the ones you are fighting for are the ones you love more than life itself. After years of betrayals, backlash, and battles, everything Delta Force Team Panther has fought for is at stake, including the ones they love. Jason and Fritz will need to face the ghosts of their pasts and fight together to have the happy ever after they both crave, but are too stubborn to admit to.

Jason’s Justice is part of the Delta Force – Team Panther Series. While it can be read as a standalone… To ensure maximum enjoyment, it is best read in series order.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Rules to Ignore

SERIES: Davey’s Rules #7

AUTHOR: Susan Hawke

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 234 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2020

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Davey’s Revised Rule #1: A good Daddy will love his boy with all his heart.

Davey Hendrickson doesn’t mind being forever single when he’s got his bestie at his side. It’s not that he wants to be single. He’s spent most of his adult life searching for his own perfect Daddy. Even if he’s not naturally submissive, someone that fabulous is obviously meant to be a boy… right? Over the years, he’s dated every type of Daddy imaginable but not one of them could come close to meeting the requirements from his ridiculous list of rules.

After losing his husband, Sammy Robustelli has learned to be strong while raising two children on his own. No matter what life has thrown his way, nothing seems too hard with his best friend and roomie Davey at his side. When the two friends learn that people believe they’re a couple, they can’t help but laugh. The very idea is a big joke… until it isn’t.

It only takes a few wake-up calls before Davey wonders what happens if a guy might be in love with the best friend he can never have. It could never work for a pair of boys in need of a bossy top, right? Except… maybe Davey doesn’t know himself—or Sammy—as well as he thinks.

This is the final book in a series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: How to Elude a Vampire

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #2

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 336 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2020

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Finn

When the vampire stalking me sent me a letter, I was prepared for my new life with the man I love to get thrown into chaos. But as the days stretch on and nothing happens, I become determined not to allow that monster to rule my life, and decide that Marcus and I will move on. We can’t always allow the past to haunt us. If that includes pestering Marcus and harassing my fellow detectives, they’d better learn to love it, because I’m not going anywhere even if they like to remind me I’m the only human working in a department filled with vampires. But Marcus loves me for who I am, even if he’s not crazy about the cute pet names I call him like McBitey. Being with him is more than I could have dreamed, and even with the trials thrown in our way, he never fails to make me smile.

Marcus

When Finn joined the VRC, I never expected how everything would change. Now that he’s the brightest part of my days, I’m unsure of how I existed without him. Before Finn and I can settle into our new life together, we’re called in as lead detectives when a body is found in the river, and the case soon hits closer to home than we anticipated. I want to be by Finn’s side to keep him safe, but at the same time, Finn’s fighting for the freedom he’s always wanted after being forced to live a life of fear. What I do know is that my future is with Finn, no matter what happens.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Charlie Sunshine

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

SERIES:  Close Proximity #2

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  272 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 21, 2020

BLURB:

Sometimes love is a lot closer to home than you think.

Charlie Burroughs can’t keep a man. All he wants is a good relationship like the ones he sees his friends having, but none of the men he picks ever work out. Despite him trying to be the perfect boyfriend, the men are either threatened by his looks or his epilepsy or a combination of the two. It’s lucky that he has his best friend Misha to turn to. The two of them are closer than peas in a pod and fiercely loyal to each other. He can’t imagine his life without Misha in it.

Misha Lebedinsky is the complete opposite of his best friend. Being the support system for his mum and twin sisters leaves Misha with neither the time nor the inclination for a relationship. Quick and frequent hook-ups are his favourite means of communication and any other pesky emotional needs he has are met by Charlie, who he’s devoted to. He lives a life of happy compartmentalization with no intention of ever changing.

All of this changes when the two best friends move in together. Being in close proximity means that they suddenly start to see each other in a very different light. But Charlie struggles when his drive to be the perfect partner clashes with the fact that he’s in love with a man who knows every little thing about him. And even if he can get past that, can a relationship ever work with a man who’d need a dictionary to tell him what love means?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a love story about a sunny librarian who has relationship written all over him and a cynical banker who doesn’t even have it in his blurb.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Drax

AUTHOR: Annabella Stone

SERIES: Tags of Honor #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 332 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2020

BLURB:

Drax Mitchell had been one of the rising stars in Delta Force, when a yearlong mission undercover behind enemy lines, cost him the friend he always swore to protect. Or so he thought. Recruited by his friend’s former Navy Seal commander, to Red Squadron, a JSOC Task Force. Drax and Roman are reunited to cause havoc all over the Middle East. After multiple deployments and dangerous missions, Drax is forced to take his accrued leave, he heads to the one place he has felt most at home. Zurich.

Noah Sinclair only wanted a quiet drink in his local bar. Overhearing a plot to kidnap the hot dude drinking in the corner, spurred him into action. That conversation in Pashto convinces him these people are looking for revenge. A closer look at their target and Noah knows he will leave no stone unturned to keep his man safe. Even if it means kidnapping him himself. After all life debts should always be paid in full… right?

Take a vacation they said… It will be fun… they said. Drax can tell you fun is NOT on the freaking agenda. Especially as he races through Europe with a damn terrorist on his heels. Can he survive the hunt, and save the most important prize of his life? Noah… the man who ties him up in knots and makes his heart beat just a little bit faster.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Forever

SERIES:  Always & Forever #2

AUTHOR:  Kindle Alexander

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  April 6, 2020

LENGTH:  449 pages

BLURB:

Dr. Robert Adams grew up with more advantages than most—the son of a former vice president, he had two loving fathers, a twin sister he adores and wonderfully doting grandparents. Life is good until one afternoon when his dreams flat-line. And no scalpel can repair the guilt and grief he carries with him for the first time in his life.

For Tech Sergeant Landon Russo, determination isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life. Joining the US Air Force allows him to prove his worth, and he takes the values of integrity, service and excellence to heart in every decision he makes. Until on one fateful night, in celebration of a much-deserved promotion, a simple misstep sends his life flying into a tailspin.

As both men fight to regain control of their lives, they’ll soon discover fate rules. Will they ignore the signs and risk everything or will they take a chance and trust their destiny to be together…forever?

REVIEWED by Jen B.

TITLE: Surviving the Merge

SERIES: Chadwick #1

AUTHOR: C.P. Harris

PUBLISHER: C.P. Harris

LENGTH: 322 Pages

RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2020

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My name is Justin, and when I was seventeen, I fell in love with a boy named Damon.

Damon was sick, only I didn’t know it at the time. And like any disease left untreated, it festered and burrowed into the unaffected areas of us, until we were both so far from healthy, we were killing one another. Then a tragedy sparked our implosion.

With nothing of us remaining to salvage, I was left to pick up the pieces, while Damon found his escape in the abyss. Leaving me alone with Blake.

Damon and Blake are two halves of a whole. But Damon is the coldest part of darkness, and Blake the warmest part of light. Which form of ecstasy would you choose?

I love Blake with a ferocious intensity akin to the peeling back of skin. But Blake isn’t Damon. And Damon was gone—until now.

What once threatened to tear us apart has become our catharsis.

Outnumbered in the relationship with the man who was my life, I’ve begun to learn more about love than I ever thought possible.

**An M/M romance and book one in the Chadwick trilogy.
Can be read as a standalone, but reading in order is recommended as the characters make appearances in all three books. Surviving the Merge contains explicit sex and graphic language.

Author’s note: For those that appreciate warnings, please use the Amazon “look inside” feature to find them within the first several pages.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Fakers

AUTHORS: Lucy Lennox & May Archer

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 311 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2020

BLURB:

Brooks Johnson’s Words To Live By:

When returning to Licking Thicket, TN, for the first time in ten years to reunite with your nosy neighbors, heart-broken ex-girlfriend, and matchmaking mama who never quite believed you were gay, it’s best to bring a fake boyfriend as backup…

Just don’t be surprised when your ex-girlfriend does the same.

And when her incredibly hot fake boyfriend becomes the one island of calm in a sea of bovine-based insanity, it’s best to exercise caution… especially when he pushes you up against the rough barn wall to check you very thoroughly for splinters…

Just don’t be surprised if you fall head-over-hooves in love with him.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: How to Lure a Hunter

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 377 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2020

BLURB:

Alexei –

When Marcus Church brings his brother Claude in to help solve an unusual murder, I’m positive he did it just to disrupt my monotonous life. None of my coworkers in the Vampire Related Crimes unit seem to understand that I want to keep a wall between me and everyone else—especially Claude, who does everything he can to break through it with an annoying smile. After more vampires begin to die, Claude pinpoints the actions of the killers to a group of vampire hunters, leaving us in a race to stop them. When I discover that I have a target on my back, I’m surprised that Claude insists on staying by my side, even when things go from bad to worse. I’m determined to keep him out—I’ve lost enough people in my life—but I can’t stop feeling something every time he breaks through.

Claude –

When I reunited with my brother, I never imagined it’d throw me right into Alexei Karsynov’s path. He’s short-tempered, stubborn, and dangerously adorable whenever he smiles—he just doesn’t realize it yet. When Marcus asks me to help with a case, it gives me the excuse I need to get closer to Alexei, but what I discover threatens to change everything. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to do anything to protect Alexei and to see him smile, despite his efforts to keep his distance from others. I’m determined to show him that he can’t live in the past when his future is so much brighter.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Pieces of Us

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

SERIES: Missing Pieces #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2020

BLURB:

As Justin’s recovery moves forward, Dallas dares to hope their lives are settling into their new normal. His money worries have eased, business is picking up, and best of all, Justin now laughs more than he frowns.

Justin’s memory still eludes him, but with each snippet or flashback, small pieces of his old life start to slot into place. He remembers more of Dallas and how perfectly happy their lives used to be, and with each passing day, Justin realises he can have that again.

But when someone from Justin’s past turns up, he discovers that not all the missing pieces are good, and sadly, he and Dallas also learn just what it means to live with a traumatic brain injury. If Dallas and Justin have to fight for their Happily Ever After, then Dallas will stop at nothing–nothing–to give Justin the life he always wanted.

“. . . as I tried to put the puzzle of myself back together, it was the pieces of us that made me whole.”

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  After Felix

AUTHOR:  Lily Morton

SERIES:  Close Proximity

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  274 pages

RELEASE DATE:  August 2, 2020

BLURB:

Sometimes the best love stories come in two parts.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken. However, two and a half years later, he’s over all of that. His job is going well, he has good friends, and he doesn’t lack for male company. Which, of course, is when Max has to come bursting back into his life.

Felix Jackson will always be the one who got away to Max. He’s spent their time apart regretting his actions and hoping for a second chance. When an accident lands him in Felix’s less than tender care, Max is determined to grab this opportunity. The only problem is that Felix is equally determined that he doesn’t.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a story of missed opportunities, second chances, and two very stubborn men.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: The Reluctant Alpha

SERIES: West Coast Wolves #1

AUTHOR: Susi Hawke

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 204 pages

RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2020

BLURB:

“As much as I felt bad for this Elisha person—God, my heart was breaking for the young man and all he’d been through—I was also angry. I’d left that pack in my rearview ten years ago for a good reason.”

Matthias Longclaw is happy living his life on the back of his beloved Harley with his five best friends and brothers-in-arms at his side. The West Coast Wolves are a rare pack of alphas, made up of unwanted orphans and second-born sons. The packs they were born to may not have wanted them, but they’ve built a solid family of their own. They help where they can, doing random acts of kindness and expecting nothing in return, just helping to build a world they want to live in.

Then Matt gets a call from an old childhood buddy. He’s being called back—begged to return—to reclaim his birthright and save a life in the process. The problem is… to do it, he will have to take a mate. And if he refuses? The omega will die.

Torn between his duty to help others and his resentment of his old pack, Matt never expects for Elisha Whitetail to tilt his world and change everything. Can Matt and Elisha rebuild a broken pack while tending to a new love and a growing family while dealing with outside threats from neighboring packs?

They’re wolves. Strong, proud, and willing to do what it takes when their community needs them… whatever it takes.

This is the first in a new mpreg series about finding joy in a hard world, building family, and discovering that life can surprise a person when they least expect it. Although this world has harsher themes than my previous books, it still has the same heart you’d expect. Plus a dose of my irreverent humor and all the naughty, knotty heat that comes with true mates. It wouldn’t be a Susi Hawke book without it. Be sure to read the author’s note at the beginning for possible trigger warnings.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Screwed

SERIES:  Four Bears Construction #4

AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  September 2, 2020

LENGTH:  205 pages

BLURB:

I’ve had my fair share of less than proud relationship moments, but waking up married to my brother-in-law’s best friend is a new low.

A drunken wedding to a man who already rejected me once? Check. A hefty bet about how long it will last? Check. My feisty new husband, determined to make our friends pay up? Double check.

I’ve never managed to make a real relationship last nearly a year, there’s no way Daniel will stick around long enough to win this bet. The only problem is the longer he stays, the more the lines blur between what’s real and what’s for show. Does he feel it too or am I totally screwed?

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: The Hitman’s Guide #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 346 pages

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2020

BLURB:

Leland

Is a nice little wedding with Blow-up Randy and Jackson My Love too much to ask for? Clearly, because someone’s trying to kill one of us… again. Generally, this would be my thing and I would jump right in singing my murder song, but they want Jackson dead and I will do anything (and I mean anything) to keep him alive—including and not limited to: ten Dobermans, bulletproof glass, and dragging Cassel in with the promise of more Jerebear. These people have no idea what they’ve done targeting the man I love because I’m coming after them. But when it feels like everything might be lost, I start to understand that I have a family now who will stand by my side and do everything they can to make sure we end this on our terms.

Jackson

When someone attacks me, it’s clear they want something from me. The issue is that I have no idea who they are or what they’re after. And if I don’t figure it out soon, I’m afraid Leland is going to smother me with his overprotectiveness (or put me in a bubble at the top of a tower). The issue is that time is ticking and with the price tag on my head, there’s no telling who is coming for me or when. Together, Leland and I have to decipher who is telling the truth in this game of life or death because I have plans to marry the man of my dreams and no one is going to stop me—especially with Leland by my side.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: Brothersong

AUTHOR: T.J. Klune

SERIES: Green Creek #4

PUBLISHER: BOATK Books

LENGTH: 522 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2020

BLURB:

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it—he—was gone.

Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity.

But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.

Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.

What Carter finds will change the course of the wolves forever. Because Gavin’s history with the Bennett pack goes back further than anyone knows, a secret kept hidden by Carter’s father, Thomas Bennett.

And with this knowledge comes a price: the sins of the fathers now rest upon the shoulders of their sons.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Lacuna

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 1111Kb

RELEASE DATE: October 23, 2020

BLURB:

A boychild swathed in green, a distinct tree-shaped birthmark on his wrist. A girlchild enveloped in red, marked with the three lines of the desert winds. A boy bundled in white, the koi mark on his wrist as defined as his shock of red hair. And a boychild wrapped in black, a raven his mark to serve his fate.

Twenty-five years ago, the hand of fate marked four newborns and sent them to the four corners of the Great Kingdoms. They were schooled and trained as rulers of their lands in preparation for the Golden Eclipse ceremony: a festival to celebrate a thousand years of peace and prosperity since the Great War.

Crow, ruler of Northlands, a skilled swordsman and expert tactician, is as reclusive and stoic as the mountains that surround him.

Tancho has spent his life in strict discipline, governing the Westlands with a fair mind and gentle hand. Quiet and unassuming, yet lethal in combat, he is the embodiment of the waters he lives by.

Yet the same hand of fate unknowingly linked Tancho to Crow in ways they cannot comprehend. Ruled by the stars, the brother sun and the two sister moons above them, and marked by an alchemical sorcery as old as time, their destinies were never their own.

As the eclipse draws near and the festival begins, word comes of another threat. Invaders from unknown lands bring a war no one was prepared for, and Crow and Tancho must decide on which side of the battle line they stand.

In life or death, their destinies will see them joined either way.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Tic-Tac-Mistletoe

AUTHOR:  N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  203 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 27, 2020

BLURB:

Hamish Kenneally is moving from Australia to the US for a fresh start, beginning with Christmas at his sister’s place in Idaho. When a snowstorm diverts his plane to Montana and leaves him stranded two days before Christmas, he hires a car and drives right into a blizzard.

Ren Brooks has always called Hartbridge, Montana, and his family hardware store, home. After a few failed attempts at love, he’s resigned to being single forever—after all, no guy wants to stay in his sleepy little town for long. And after his dad’s passing earlier in the year, Ren’s Christmas is looking bleak. But when a car runs off the road in front of his property, Ren pulls the driver out and takes him home to get out of the cold.

With the storm and the holidays leaving Hamish with nowhere else to go, Ren kindly offers a place to stay. Hamish is certain he’s crashed right into a Hallmark Christmas movie, despite more car delays and road closures and the prospect of not seeing his sister for Christmas. And with help from Hamish, Ren is beginning to feel a little Christmas cheer.

These two unlikely strangers have more in common than they first realise, and after two days of Christmas decorations, cookies, and non-stop conversation, it looks like Christmas might be saved after all.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: How to Save a Human

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

SERIES: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #4

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 332 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2020

BLURB:

River

When I meet Bentley DeGray, I’m at the lowest point in my life because no matter how much I fight, my past won’t let me escape. Bentley makes me laugh and care and love, but what does any of that mean when I’m living a lie?

Things get complicated when I find out he’s with the Vampire Related Crimes Unit, the organization looking for answers about the abductions of prominent vampires.

The same organization that stands in my way.

My time is ticking down while I’m wound up in this role I’ve been forced to play, but I know that I would be drowning without Bentley by my side.

Bentley

We’re facing something that runs so deep that we don’t know who we can trust besides each other, even within the VRC. River makes me feel like every day is worth living and enjoying—like I’m not so alone. I can’t imagine life without him. But I know that if I want to keep him by my side, I will need to do everything I can to help him so our love doesn’t get cut short before it can truly grow.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  To Love a Ghost: MM Military Suspense

SERIES: The Ghost Protectors #1

AUTHOR:  Annabella Stone

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

RELEASE DATE:  November 26, 2020

LENGTH:  223 pages

BLURB:

After playing his part in Operation Perth in Afghanistan, former Australian Special Forces Commando Cade Kelly was officially declared dead. Recruited by Rock and Grif to join their elite team of Black Ops Operators, The Ghost Protectors, he has built a new life for himself as the team’s top intel analyst. A spur of the moment decision to spend his down time in Brazil lands him in the middle of a cartel revenge war. Cade has lived and died by the gun before, he’s not afraid of war. But the man he rescues, that man, makes him wish for the one thing he swore he would never have again—love.

Dragged into his father’s cartel world of drugs, blood, and money, for most of his life, Felipe *Rio* Oseguera González has been looking for a way out. He had it beaten into him to never trust a cop—even if you are paying him. But with his life on the line, the only one he can trust is the badass blond commando with the big ass guns. Rio knows better than anyone that freedom isn’t free, it always demands it’s price in blood. Even so, he’s grabbing this opportunity with both hands and if he has his way, he might just persuade this ghost that sometimes the dead can have a happy ever after too.

Death and vengeance may make them run… but can love get them out of this war alive?

Reviewed by Valerie and Larissa

TITLE:  Merry Measure

AUTHOR:  Lily Moton

PUBLISHER:  Self-Pubished

LENGTH:  204 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 2, 2020

BLURB:

Arlo Wright’s introduction to his sexuality came when he saw his older brother’s best friend, Jack Cooper, in his sweaty football kit. Unfortunately, he didn’t have long to enjoy the revelation because he promptly knocked himself out on a table.

Relations between them have never really moved on from that auspicious beginning. Arlo is still clumsy, and Jack is still as handsome and unobtainable as ever.

However, things look like they’re starting to change when Arlo finds himself sharing a room with Jack while on holiday in Amsterdam at Christmas. Will the festive spirit finally move them towards each other, or is Arlo just banging his head against a wall this time?