Murder Under Construction by Alex Henry

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Under the flight path, more than one secret is about to emerge…

On the brink of closing a high-profile terrorism investigation, DI Leon Peterson and his team are pulled off to investigate a cold case, a body found on a site for a new airport hotel. He knows this is political posturing, but it doesn’t make it easier to accept watching another DI muscle in on his team’s work.

For Leon, though, the decades-old cold case turns out to be closer to home in more than one way. His DS, Jasmine Todd, can’t understand his interest in the dead man, and Leon is not sure he wants to talk about his past. One thing he fears is that he may have a very personal connection to the deceased. Will the body finally give him the answers he’s waited for nearly forty years?

Even as some shocking revelations come to light, Leon can’t help being distracted by the terrorism case. He’s convinced the new DI in charge is chasing the wrong lead, and his conscience won’t let him leave it alone. No matter if it risks his career—and his life.

If you couldn’t tell from what I said about my reading habits over the last few years in my review of How to Solve Your Own Murder, I’ve been reading a lot of books that could be classified as romance—despite the vehicle the author chose to develop the romance. It could be a locked-room mystery, a tale of vampires or shifters, a story set on a ranch or at a rodeo, or, in the case of Murder Under Construction, a police procedural.

What I thoroughly enjoyed was how little the romance was the focus of the story. Instead, the author chose to center the mystery itself and Leon’s internal personal life to propel the narrative forward. I relished every second I spent with Leon as a character—getting to know his conflicted relationship with his family, right down to his grudging love of the two cats sharing his space. I enjoyed the way his mind works as he puzzles out the targets of the bombings or why there’s a decades-old dead body in a condemned pub.

It’s in Leon that this book truly shines, and why I’ll continue the series. The mysteries themselves are simple without being boring. I just wish there were a little more complexity involved, but I understand that with two separate investigations, neither was able to be fleshed out as much as I would have preferred. I plan on seeing how the second book goes before I start getting too picky about how the author handles the mystery element.

As for the romance itself, it doesn’t even begin until the last few pages. While I’m curious to see if it develops further, it won’t be what keeps me turning the next page. It feels like the romance will remain in the background, which I’m more than okay with. I’ll wait to see whether it unfolds more in the vein of the Dave Brandstetter or Evander Mills books, or if Leon’s love life will chart its own course forward.

Timing by Mary Calmes

Synopsis From Publisher:

Stefan Joss just can't win. Not only does he have to go to Texas in the middle of the summer to be the man of honor in his best friend Charlotte’s wedding, but he’s expected to negotiate a million-dollar business deal at the same time. Worst of all, he’s thrown for a loop when he arrives to see the one man Charlotte promised wouldn’t be there: her brother, Rand Holloway.

Stefan and Rand have been mortal enemies since the day they met, so Stefan is shocked when a temporary cease-fire sees the usual hostility replaced by instant chemistry. Though leery of the unexpected feelings, Stefan is swayed by a sincere revelation from Rand, and he decides to give Rand a chance.

But their budding romance is threatened when Stefan’s business deal goes wrong: the owner of the last ranch he needs to secure for the company is murdered. Stefan’s in for the surprise of his life as he finds himself in danger as well.

I do have to quickly mention that I'm not a huge fan of the cover, and it has since been re-released with a new own, but this is the cover I own, so I'm sticking with it. Truthfully, the cover could be a big black square, a blob of orange and purple paisley, or a picture of a root canal, and I would still read this book over and over again.

Mary Calmes is one of those authors that should be a household name, and if she wasn't writing m/m romance novels, she probably would be. She's that damn good. I've read, and reread multiple times, every book she has had published, and there isn't a weak one in the bunch. There is a soft lyrical quality to her writing, where not one single word is wasted or unneeded. But where she excel is in her characters. In Stefan and Rand, she achieved perfection.

Don't get me wrong, they aren't perfect, they have their flaws and annoying personality traits. There are things about them that would drive me up a wall, if not into the funny house, but that's okay. Their perfection lies the fact that they are some of the most concrete, four dimensional characters I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I'm including the side characters in this when I say the beauty of her characters is how "real" they feel. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a character acts in such a manner that feels unnatural to who they are. Even when it's a small issue, something so miniscule other readers may not even notice, it's enough to pull me out of a story. I've never had that issue with her books. Stefan, Rand, and all the rest, even when they surprise me, never act in a way that betrays who they are.

I adore Stefan and Rand. The tensions that surrounds them in the beginning is tangible, and it only builds as they truly get to know each other. They are the kind of people I would love to be friends with, but am under no illusions I'm worthy enough of their notice. Their relationship is organic, and beautiful to watch. It's the kind of story movies are made of, but since that won't be happening anytime soon, I'll just keep rereading their story instead, which does include two more books after this. Now I just need to find a man that talks the way Rand does.

And since I know you were curious, this is the new cover with Rand in all his glory.

The Haunting of Timber Manor by F.E. Feeley, Jr.

Synopsis From Publisher:

While recovering form the recent loss of his parents, Daniel Donnelly receives a phone call from his estranged aunt, who turns over control of the family fortune and estate, Timber Manor.  Though his father seemed guarded about his past, Daniel's need for family and curiosity compel him to visit. 

Located in a secluded area of the Northwest, Timber Manor has grown silent over the years.  Her halls sit empty and a thin layer of dust adorns the sheet-covered furniture.  When Daniel arrives to begin repairs, strange things happen.  Nightmares haunt his dreams.  Memories not his own disturb his waking hours.  Alive with the tragedies of the past, Timber Manor threatens to tear Daniel apart. 

Sheriff Hale Davis grew up working on the manor grounds.  Seeing Daniel struggle, he vows to protect the young man who captured his heart, and help him solve the mystery behind the haunting and confront the past - not only to save Daniel's life, but to save his family, whose very souls hang int he balance. 

You guys know I love a good Gothic, haunted house story.  There is nothing like getting lost in an house that plays with your head, forcing you to see things that aren't there, turning you into a blithering cry baby, huddled in the corner of the smallest closet you can find. Timber Manor is as devious and mind warping as Hill House, and almost as violent and blood thirsty as Belasco House.  It's a house full of the most damming family secrets.  They are the kind of secrets that slither through time, wrapping the present inhabitants in a shroud of despair and death.  It's the kind of house that I've always wanted to live in, but I've never been sure if I would have the spine needed to do so.

Daniel is one of those guys, that as soon as they appear on the page/screen, you instantly love them. He is the guy you want to root for, the guys you pray survives until the end of the movie.  In Hale, he finds the perfect partner, someone to love and watch over him, and the guy who will protect him from the buried past roaring back through time.

The author did a freaking fantastic job at framing his story, creating a fully realized world that wasn't hard to picture in my head. This is one of those books that I would do almost anything to see adapted to the big screen.  The entire time I was reading it, every single page appeared in celluloid glory in my head.  I'm pretty sure my wishes here won't ever be realized, but a boy could dream.

Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler

Synopsis From Publisher:

Cat-sitting is a dangerous business.

Cameron Sherwood turned his back on law enforcement the night his investigation lead to the death of an innocent gay man.  Now Cam spends his time running a business that caters to his favorite animal, cats.  But when Cam stumbles upon the body of a friend while feeding her feline, he can't walk away.  Dealing with a sexy yet stubborn sheriff, a matchmaking sister, and a terrifying blind date, Cam must somehow track down a killer, all while keeping the cats around him fed with is gourmet cat treats. 

Let's be frank.  As much as I love a fiendishly plotted mystery, there are times I just want to read something that I don't have to think too much about.  I want there to be a mystery component, but I don't want to strain my little grey cells trying to figure out who the killer is.  I know that this is where you guys are going to start yelling at me, reminding me of my usual distaste of cozy mysteries, and you would have a valid point.  And I'm going to invite you to keep yelling at me after I say this next bit.  In my experience, most "mainstream" cozy mysteries are about as cookie cutter as you can get.  Half the time I can't tell you who the author is, because they all read the same.  The plotting, character development, and writing style all blend together, creating a very forgettable mess.  There are exceptions to that, and there are even a few authors I do enjoy, Rhys Bowen's series with Lady Georgina being one of them. For the most part though, I tend to have to go into the realms or romance to find the type of light, fluffy mystery I can get into, specifically m/m romance.  I'm sure there are some terrific m/f romance mysteries out there, but if I'm going to read romance, I want it to be relevant to my own life experiences.

And before I get yelled at anymore, I'm not saying all m/m romance mysteries are of the light and fluffy kind, because they aren't, not by a long shot.  I absolutely love the Life Lessons series by Kaje Harper, have been blown away by several Josh Lanyon books, and could name another twenty authors I've enjoyed who take a more detailed, plot driven approach to their mysteries.  But that's not the kind of mystery I felt like diving into when I picked Murder Most Yowl.  I wanted cotton candy, and I got it.

The mystery itself is barely structured, doesn't make a whole lot of sense by the time it's solved, and required me to suspend my disbelief on multiple occasions.  And I loved it.  It's has a quirky sense of humor that I found charming, and two leading men I found to be a blast to hang out with.  In Cam and Jake, I found two headstrong men that just seemed to fit together.  I can't imagine witnessing what Cam did when he was on the force, and come out sane.  I would have more than walked away from my career, I would have walked away from my life, and started over on some beach in Brazil where nobody knew me. In partnering with Jake to solve the murder, he is able to come back to himself a bit, which makes the love that develops between them that much sweeter. My one quibble with the romance is in the way the author broke the tension between them, which in turn allowed them to accept their feelings for each other.  The way it's handled was about as realistic as the mystery component, but strangely I'm okay with it.  When it comes to reading a romance, I don't want real life, I want fantasy.  If I wanted real life, I would read Ulysses by James Joyce, or some other tedious volume that nobody actually reads.

Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

Safety. Luxury. Manderley.

Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new twenty-story hotel on the California coast.  It's about to open its doors, and the world - at least those with the means to afford it - will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security.  But someone is determined that Manderley will never open.  The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next twelve hours they will be killed off, one by one. 

I'm going to try and do this without spoilers, but I'm going to be honest upfront, and admit that I may not be able to do that. The simple truth is that I absolutely loved this book, and while I need to convince you guys to read it, I want to keep some of the book's secrets, secret.  My dilemma is this, in order to really get across why I loved this book so much, I'm going to have to talk about one particular aspect of the book, but if I do it too much, I'm going to be talking out of school, so please forgive me know if I spoil anything for you.  Now that I got that rambling out of the way, I'll continue one with my review, slash love letter to this book.

I'll be the first to admit that this book will not be for everyone.  Some of you will not want to read this, no matter how much I end up gushing about it.  In a nutshell it is a gory, violent slasher movie transferred to the page  The victims die brutal deaths, and there are a lot of bodies by the time the action is wrapped up.  Body parts are hacked off, copious amounts of blood get splashed about, and one poor sap is finished off in a clothes dryer.  The violence is not subtle, nor is the author shy in describing it.

If the violence doesn't work as an automatic turnoff for some of you, I think others may be annoyed by the storytelling technique used to relate the narrative.  Manderley, I will get to the name in a second, is a world class hotel, with world class security.  That security includes security cameras, including audio, both visible and hidden, and there isn't a square foot of the hotel they don't show.  All the action is narrated by someone who has access to those cameras, and at times the page splits into sections, as more than one camera is being spoken of at the same time.  It can be jarring at first, but as long as you pay attention to what's going on, and you notice that each chapter starts with the cameras being viewed, you will quickly catch on.

If you could see the blurb at the top of the cover, you would see that it ends with calling this book a wrenching love story.  The dust jacket calls it a multifaceted love story unlike any other.  I would call it one of the most heart breaking and, at the same time, life affirming love stories I've ever read.  It's in this aspect of the book where the spoilers are going to come into play, so I apologize once again, but I'm not going to be able to help it.  And I'm going to be rather wordy, so proceed with caution.

Part of the reason I wanted to read this book, was the reference made, not only in the title of the book, but on the dust jacket as well, to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  I've already mentioned the fact that the book is narrated by someone who has access to the surveillance monitors, and is able to see everything going on in the hotel.  In the beginning, you aren't sure what role he/she actually plays in the mayhem going on.  At first, I thought he/she was in on it, but that is disproved about a third of the way in.  It's in that nameless narration, in the secrets revealed, and in it's heartrending love story that du Maurier's influence is most heavily felt.

Our narrator is in fact the head of security for the hotel, all of  the security detail are ex special forces type individuals.  The security office on the 20th floor was actually the first spot hit by the killers, and they were all wiped out pretty quickly.  One of them escaped the office, only to be gutted like a fish not long after.  The narrator has a rather large knife nested in between two of the vertebrae in the neck, enough to paralyze, but not enough to kill.  It's through those eyes that we see what's going on, and learn about the hotel staff.  It's through those eyes that we get to see what kind of people the victims are, their back stories, their personalities, and their loves.  We get to hear the audio of their conversations, but only after it's filtered through the narrator's brain.  It's through the narrator's eyes that we see them cheat, love, and die.  It's because of the narrator that we feel anything for the victims at all.

The vast majority of the reviews I've seen, ignore the love story aspect of this book, and when they do mention it at all, it's dismissive of the relationship they are talking about.  Two of the people trapped in the hotel survive the night, and they have a long and complicated backstory. It's a story fraught with pain and regret, and when they come face to face with each other, for the first time in years, there is a lot to be worked out between them.  Their story, their love story to be precise, should not be ignored or dismissed as meaningless sex, or pushed aside because of their complicated past.  It's a powerful force for both of them, and it's what helps keep them alive.  For me though, it's not their love that drives the story.  Instead it's the love the narrator feels for one of those characters that is the core of this book, and it's the one aspect of the book I haven't seen any review touch upon.

The narrator, who truly does love the other character, is forced to watch them surrender to the love of someone else.  The narrator is given no choice but to watch them make love to someone else, and to hear their relationship described as merely physical, a way to pass the time, and one that was incapable of moving any further.  The narrator, who was thinking marriage, was confronted with the idea that they were only a placeholder.  By the end of the book, it's obvious that the character, I'm trying so hard to not name, cared for our narrator, but not in the same way.

So put yourself in our narrator's shoes.  You are paralyzed and playing possum, sitting in a room with one of the killers, who is also watching the video cameras, and you are not only watching your love slip through your fingers, but you are forced to watch the person you love, fight to stay alive.  You would rage at the unfairness of it all, you would probably shed a tear or two, and your heart would be breaking into a million pieces.  I think a lot of us would have given up, moved the distance needed to finish the job the killer started, and slip into oblivion.  Instead, our narrator does everything they can to help the other two characters out, not only helping them to survive the night, but to have the love and life together that the narrator once dreamed of.  By the end, the narrator has surrendered the life they once dreamed of, so another can have it.  I would like to think I would have done the same thing, that I wouldn't have given into my pain and rage at my world crumbling down, but I'm not sure I would have the strength of character to do it. The narrator is a true example of what a literary hero is supposed to be, and I'm so glad I met them. By the end of it all I was more than half in love with our nameless narrator.  This is a character that will always stay with me, they are snugly nestled in my heart and mind, and I'm more than okay with that.

Frog by Mary Calmes

Synopsis From Publisher:

Weber Yates's dreams of stardom are about to be reduced to a ranch hand's job in Texas, and his one relationship is with a guy so far out of his league he might as well be on the moon.  Or at least in San Francisco, where Weber stops to see him one last time before settling down to the humble, lonely life he figures a frog like him has coming. 

Cyrus Benning is a successful neurosurgeon, so details are never lost on him.  He spotted the prince in a broken-down bull rider's clothing from day one.  But watching Weber walk out on him keeps getting harder, and he's not sure how much more his heart can take.  Now Cyrus has one last chance to prove to Weber that it's not Weber's job that makes him Cyrus's perfect man, it's Weber himself.   With the help of his sisters' newly broken family, eh's ready to show Weber that the home the man' been searching for has always been right there, with him.  Cyrus might have laid down an ultimatum once, but now it's turned into a vow - he's never going to let Weber out of his life again. 

Every once in a while, you come across a book that makes you feel as if you are wrapped in a warm cozy sweater on a harsh winter day, lounging on a couch as you drink hot cocoa, safe and secure from the storm raging outside.  They are books filled with characters that make you feel right at home, surrounded by your nearest and dearest, enveloped by the love that only they can give you.  They are the books you escape into when you need to pretend the outside world no longer exists, that the fantasy playing out on the page is more real than what's outside your front door.  From the first time I read Frog by Mary Calmes, I knew that it would become one of those books for me.  After a half dozen or so readings, it just keeps getting better.

A large part of my love for this book revolves around the way the author writes.  It's in the way she structures her scenes, builds the world her characters inhabit, and in the loving way she brings her characters to life.  This is an author, and I've read quite a few of her books by now, that loves her characters as much as the reader does.  It shows in their personalities and in the way they interact with each other.  It shows in the way they think for themselves, and in the growth they develop.  They are fully formed, four dimensional characters.  They are characters that have a past, present, and future.  They are people that you not only want to be around, but they are men that you want to be.

Weber and Cyrus are perfect examples of what I'm talking about.  Weber is about as perfect of a man as I've come across in all the fiction that I have read.  He is kind, considerate, fearless, loving, gentle, caring, affectionate, comfortable in his own skin, and kids & animals adore him.  He should come across as a stock character, barely discernible from every other romantic lead out there, but he doesn't.  He shines instead.  He is his own unique self, struggling to accept the idea that the man everyone else sees, is not the man he thinks he is.  Weber is that perfect man, who has no clue of his worth to those around him.  He is a man who lost both parents at en early age, then lost the brother who raised him to a war nobody should have been fighting.  He is a man who sees himself in one light, and has come to peace with his version of reality, but doesn't seem to fathom that he is so much more than that.  Through the course of this book, and I leave the details on the how out, he comes to accept that not only is he worthy of loving someone, of building a life with someone, but that he is worthy of that love and that life.

Cyrus is pretty damn perfect too, except that man that Weber knows, is not the man that anyone else seems to know.  Cyrus is that guy who has been responsible his whole life, serious at work and at home.  It's only with Weber that Cyrus really seems to embrace all that life has to offer, and not just the success granted by working hard playing smart.  Where with everyone else, including his family, he's loving but distant, with Weber he has no walls, he is the man he is supposed to be, not the man he is expected to be.  What both men need to accept, and they do by the end, is that regardless of who they think they are, they are so much more than that.  They both learn to see themselves the way others do, and by embracing that reality, they are able to move forward together.

Final Admission by Sue Brown

Synopsis From Publisher:

When Ethan Williams lands a job at Bingwell, Brock and Bacon, he realizes his coworkers aren't exaggerating about James Trenchard.  He really is a dick.  But after Ethan is forced to work closely with James, he realizes there's more to the lawyer than meets the eye. 

Vibrant Ethan is a desperate reason to live again as James endures silent guilt and abuse from his husband after an accident.  He calls Ethan for help after a beating, and stolen moments soon become the norm, but they can't hide forever. 

Ethan's coworkers think he got his promotion because James is sweet on him, James is still being beaten despite his family's concern, and the situation is swiftly becoming intolerable.  Ethan and James need to find a way out of the cycle that's hurting them both before their brand new loves suffers a well. 

I'll be the first to admit, that when I first started reading m/m romance novels a few years ago, I wasn't expecting much from them.  I had hoped I would be entertained by the stories, and at the least, be able to get lost in the romance unfolding on the page.  I wasn't even all that concerned about the hotness of the sex scenes, as most of the time, I tend to just skim through them.  I just wanted a few hours of mindless entertainment, and in a few cases, that's what I've gotten.  More often than not though, I have discovered some of the best written fiction out there, and it's not mindless.  So much of it explores themes I wasn't expecting in romance; abuse, drug addiction, mental illness, and a myriad of other subjects.  My eyes were first opened to what this genre can be when I first read The Tin Box by Kim Fielding.  As I've discovered additional authors, I've run across books that keeps opening my eyes, ones of those is Final Admission by Sue Brown

This isn't my first go around with this book, I've actually read it twice before, but because of some of the themes it explores, I was never ready to review it.  Truthfully, I'm still not sure my brain is fully on board, so I'm not totally sure if this is really going to be a review, as much as a rambling narrative of what this book made me think about, and how I reacted to it.  So I apologize if this post goes off on too many tangents, or ends up being incoherent.

Many of you guys know that I grew up in a rather abusive home.  I've hinted at it in different reviews and in explanations for different Favorite Fictional Character posts.  I've even let you guys in on the ongoing, internal conversation I have with myself as I try to figure out a way to let go of the pain of not only what my father did, but in the way I lost him.  Physically abusive relationships have always been a trigger for me in my reading, and viewing for that matter.  What I've never let you guys in on, is that for a brief moment in time, I found myself in an abusive relationship as well.

Much like James in Final Admission, I'm not a small guy, nor am I a pushover.  I'm pretty determined in what I want, and normally have no issue standing up for myself, at least that's the adult version of who I am.  Between 2000 and 2002, I was dating and living with a guy, that while I was never truly in love with him, I was never truly unhappy either.  He was actually a lot of fun when we first started dating, but once we moved in together it changed. He would disappear for hours at time, sometimes until 5 or 6 in the morning.  It was always, he was with a cousin, or in the prayer chapel at church, and I was dumb for not believing him.  Needless to say, after almost a year of that, I went out with friends, and met a hot guy in the Air Force.  Stupidly, I went home with him.  In my mind, I was ending the relationship I was in, and I was ready for it.

When I got home that morning, I was met with a fist.  Growing up in the home I was in, I always told myself I would never let that happen to me, but when you are confronted with it yourself, it's a different story altogether.  This was not the first time I had a guy hit, or try and choke me, but that first time, I didn't feel as if I deserved it, so I got rid of him quick, and never looked back. But this time I froze, and while I won't drag you through all the details, it continued in this fashion for six months. A part of me felt as if I deserved it, as if I brought it on myself, and in that regard, I can understand some of what James was going through.  Where James was feeling guilty for coming through the accident unscathed, when his husband not only had physical trauma, but brain damage as well, I blamed my actions for the way I was being treated.  I brought it on myself for going home with someone else, even though my relationship had been dead for a while.  What I didn't realize is that the emotional neglect, and I can say the emotional abuse, I had been living with for the prior year, conditioned me for the physical abuse that came later.

I never had to deal with the level of abuse James, or even my mom went through, so I know it could have been worse.  And I did eventually start fighting back, something James never felt he could do, as the guilt was too thick.  Where I'm a bit jealous of James, is in his relationship with Ethan. When he meets Ethan, a small part of him grabs the hope he represents. In Ethan, James, who has given up on being happy, and living to a degree, realizes that there is something else out there, another path to chose.  It's not smooth sailing for them by any stretch of the imagination, and I can't imagine what Ethan was mentally going through, but the hope they instill in each other is beautiful to see unfold on the page.

It's actually something I have yet to allow myself to have.  I have been completely single since 2002. I always want to blame my lack of time, my work schedule, or lack of interest, but it's really more about fear.  It's not just a fear of putting myself out there again, it's a fear of what's behind the veneer, once it's wiped away.  Everyone James works with, except for his cousin and his boss, thinks he has the perfect relationship with his husband.  Yes he's a flirt, who enjoys the attention he gets from others, though he normally keeps it's to the girls, but everyone thinks he's truly happy in his marriage. I don't know if his husband was a controlling dick before the relationship, and the brain damage took it to a whole other, horrible level, or if the accident completely changed his personality.  When your husband is trying to kill you, does it even matter.  I'm not sure, given my family and personal history, when I'm going to be ready to take that risk again.  I'm not sure you can ever truly know what another person is capable of, or of who they truly are.  It's that uncertainty I have to let go of, and I have James as a role model to follow.  And yes I know this is fiction, that James and Ethan aren't real people, but seeing a path forward, even a fictional one, is enough to give me hope that I'll be ready someday.

On the short review side of things, please don't think this is a dark or depressing book, because it's not. Yes, it does have some darker moments, but remember, this is a romance novel.  In Ethan and James, you have two men who are drawn together, who truly do end up loving each other.  I won't get into all the details, because I want you guys to read the story for yourselves, but it's a gorgeously written love story.  There are a few hiccups along the way, other than those dealing with James' husband, and while I don't think I would have handled the separation in the way Ethan did, I get the reasons behind it.  The nature of an office romance is well fleshed out, and the ending scene is brilliantly staged.  This is a love story with hope at it's core, and it's one I know I'll end up reading a few more times.

Calvin's Cowboy by Drew Hunt

Synopsis From Publisher:

Calvin Hamilton reluctantly returns to his home town of Parrish Creek, Texas, to sell his parents house.  Finding the place in need of repair he hires John "Brock" Brockwell to renovate the house before putting it on the market.  Brock bares a passing resemblance to Gary Cooper, especially as he often wears western clothing.  Calvin has always had a weakness for cowboys. 

Time has reversed the two men's fortunes.  In high school Brock was the big man on campus, his popularity allowing him to hide his true nature.  Calvin was a nerd, bullied by most of the jocks for being perceived as gay. Now Calvin is a successful New York advertising executive, and Brock is a divorced father with a teenage son who faces financial ruin, unable to pay his late father's hospital bills. 

Can Calvin put past bitterness behind him and help the cowboy with who he is rapidly falling in love?  Will the deeply closeted Brock be able to admit he has feelings for Calvin?  Or will pride, fear, distance, and the past prevent them from building a future together? 

A few days ago there seemed to be another twitter storm brewing over HEAs in romance novels, for any of you who doesn't get the acronym, it stand for Happily Ever After.  I'm not sure what prompted the kerfuffle, but it's a ridiculous argument.  Apparently there are some who think a HEA is not needed in a romance novel.  Granted, I'm fairly new to the whole romance game, but I don't get the idea of romance without a HEA.   Why else would I allow myself to get suckered into the story, if it wasn't to see the main characters, after all the strife they've gone though, grab the brass ring at the end.  They need the HEA.  Hell, for that matter, I need them to have a HEA.  How else will I ever believe that there is one out there for me someday?

Everything I just wrote, was to allow me to comment on the last paragraph of the synopsis.  And it's just not a comment on this synopsis, but on the whole concept of publisher synopses to begin with.  The language, in general, is so hyperbolic.  I get that they are trying to grab a readers attention, to make them buy a book in order to figure out the outcome, but give me a break.  This is a romance novel, of course they work it out in the end.   And speaking of this synopsis, Brock is not deeply in the closet.  Is he out to the general public, no, but both his ex-wife and son are in the know.

This was one of the first romance novels I read, and one of the first to get me hooked on the whole cowboy theme in romance novels.  I don't think I really had a thing for cowboys before, but after almost two years into my romance education, I'm hooked.  There is something about a hot guy in tight denim, carrying himself with honor, and taking care of his loved ones before all else.  And Brock is one of the best of them.  He doesn't live on a ranch, he doesn't ride a horse, but he is all cowboy.  He has sacrificed himself, and his needs, in order to be what he needed to be for his dad, and for his son.  He's taken a beating for it, and when we meet him, he has some deep wounds, but like all cowboys, he refuses to give up, and he does what needs to be done to take care of his responsibilities.  He's that guy you are rooting for as soon as you meet him.  He's also the guy you want to take home to meet your family.

When he meets Calvin, and Calvin is a whirlwind, he isn't quite sure what to make of it.  Here is this guy, that he's quickly falling for, offering him a way out.  But in Brock's mind, he's the cowboy, he's the one that is supposed to come riding to the rescue, not be the one getting pulled up onto the horse, thus avoiding the stampeding buffalo.  So it takes a while, just a little bit of time, for him to trust that Calvin will be there to catch him, to trust Calvin enough that being vulnerable in front of him, admitting that he needs help, won't emasculate him.  But once he does, once he excepts what's being offered, not only for himself, but for his son, he claims what's his.  It's a perfect HEA, and only an idiot would think it should have worked out any other way.

Learning Curve By Kaje Harper

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Mac is afraid he'll never recover enough to go back to being a cop, while Tony is afraid he will.

Three months after being shot, Detective Jared MacLean is healing, but he's afraid it may not be enough to go back on the job.  He won't give up, though.  Being a cop is written deep in Mac's bones, and he'll do whatever it takes to carry his badge again.  Tony used to wish he could have Mac safely home, but watching his strong husband battle disabilities is farm from Tony's dream come true. When Mac is asked to consult on a case involving one of Tony's students, both men will have to face old demons and new fears to find a way to move forward together. 

All good things must come to an end, and unless Kaje Harper writes a fifth book, which I'm praying for, I have to say goodbye to Mac and Tony.  That doesn't mean that this won't be a series I continuously go back to, because I will, but I'll miss getting to see where their lives take them after what proved to be the most life affirming book of the series.

Mac is struggling to not only go back on the job after his near fatal shooting left him battling aphasia, but he is having to figure out who he is as a person, a husband, a father, and as a cop.  Before he met Tony, and formed their family, most of his identity was wrapped up in his career.  If he can't go back to it, which I'll relieve your fears here, he does, he isn't sure how to go about redefining himself.  He loves Tony and the kids, but he is his job, it's who he sees himself as.

Then you have poor Tony who someone has to come to terms with the man he loves, the husband he almost lost, going back to a job that almost killed him. I can't imagine being the spouse of a police officer.  I would be terrified every time he went to work that he wouldn't be coming back, it's not a situation I envy anyone, especially in today's climate.  I think the author does a wonderful job balancing Tony and Mac as individuals, as well as a couple.  They both need different things, in both of those roles, and it's not always easy to reconcile them.  Tony's fears, and Mac's need to be the man he sees himself have are two vastly conflicting issues, and the two of them handle them in a very affirming way.

We also get to see more of Mac's background in this book, and after meeting his siblings and dad, it's very easy to see how he became the man we met in the first book.  The fact he was able to overcome, and accept a life with Tony, after his childhood is amazing, and speaks to the inner strength he has. And when you compare his family to Tony's, it's even more apparent that Tony completes Mac in ways that I don't think another man would have been able to.

Challenges: Men In Uniform

Home Work by Kaje Harper

Synopsis From Publisher:

Coming together as a family was supposed to make life happy-ever-after for Mac and Tony, but their two uprooted kids, demanding jobs, and a less than gay-friendly world don't seem to have gotten the message. 

Mac and Tony thought the hard part was over. They're together openly as a couple, sharing a home and building a life with their two children. It's what they dreamed of. But daughter Anna struggles with the changes, Ben is haunted by old secrets, Mac's job in Homicide still demands too much of his time, and Tony is caught in the middle. It's going to take everything these men can give to create a viable balance between home and work.  Especially when the outside world seems determined to throw obstacles in their way. 

If you couldn't tell by now, I absolutely love this series, and I'm pretty sure I will never get enough of Mac and Tony. Home Work is the third book in the series, and it seems to be the most emotional of them so far.  They are trying to figure out the dynamics of having a new family, with two kids who aren't used to sharing, but love each other, and their new family.  Add in the everyday complications that all couples face; trying to find time to spend together, setting individual responsibilities, juggling work and home, and the millions of everyday life events, and you have two men who truly love each other, trying to figure it all out.

Midway through the book, the four of them take an amazing step in order to bring their family together.  It's one of the more emotional scenes in the book, and I'll admit to a sniffle or two.  I love Tony, but it's Mac that truly shines here.  He has been alone most of his life, and he didn't have the best home life growing up, so for him to finally have a family of his own is amazing.  There is so much love between Mac and Tony, and between them and the kids, that they are quickly becoming my favorite couple of all time.  I would put them up against the iconic legends of coupledom, both on page and screen, and I have a feeling they would come out near the top of that list.

This is still a mystery book, and the one featured here is as twisted and deliciously convoluted as they come. A young man is found dead, frozen to the bridge his body dumped on, left out like so much garbage.  Needless to say Mac has his work cut out for him on this one, and it's pretty apparent that he is going to have to sift through a lot of lies and misdirection to get to the truth.  In the end, it's a case that almost costs Mac everything, including his own life, and it leaves him  and Tony with a whole new set of challenges.

The way the two of them together to face it head on, is about as emotional as it gets.  Seeing Mac, one of the strongest characters around, come to terms with what happens to him, so shortly after the happiest day of his life, almost broke my heart. In this back third of the book, the author really shows off her writing skills, and allows the characters to grow as one.

Since I've been rambling on about how great I think Mac and Tony are, and I'm grateful if any of you are still reading this review after plowing through my flowery language, I'll let you in on one last bit of information.  This book has to have one of the coldest, most calculating villains I've come across in a while, and I absolutely love it.

Challenges: Men In Uniform

Friday Night Jamie by Bren Christopher (Password Clue)

Synopsis From Publisher:

Jamie is an accountant who lives by a strict schedule: every day is planned; the future is predictable.  And that schedule includes one night a week when he allows himself to blow off steam at a gay dance club in the City.   One Friday night he gets more than he bargained for when he meets Matt, an out of work stranger with long dark hair and rough hands.  The attraction is undeniable but Matt does not fit Jamie's idea of the perfect man to share his carefully ordered life. 

Instead, Jamie longs for a date with his dream man: handsome, sophisticated Keith, a successful Vice President at his prestigious New York accounting firm, a man on his way up.

But everything changes when Jamie discovers a suspicious error in one of is accounts.  Suddenly, he finds himself on the run from both the mob and the FBI -- and the only man who can help him in the tall, dark-haired stranger he rejected.  Because Matt is not who he seems -- and neither is Keith.

Even in the world of m/m romance books, Friday Night Jamie is not high literature.   It won't make my best of the year list, even if I did one for romance books only, nor is it all that original.  What it is, is a whole lot of fun.  This is the kind of story Lifetime makes into movies, and who doesn't binge watch those every once in a while.  Why hasn't anyone started a gay version of the Lifetime channel, I can promise it would be a huge hit.

Lifetime movies have, for the most part, have two essential truths; first impressions can't be trusted and looks can be deceiving.  In most cases, if a man appears to be too good to be true, he is.  The man that is perfect on paper, is the man to run away from.  The man who doesn't check off every little box on your "must haves" list, he's the one you want to keep.

As in the perfect TV movie, the perfect guy will always show his true colors, normally in a deadly way.  Keith is not exception to that rule, though why Jamie found him to be all that desirable is beyond me.  Either the poor boy had blinders on, or he's a dumb as a bunch of rocks.  Since he doesn't come across as dumb in an other aspect of his life, I'm going to have to go with blind.  Matt on the other hand is golden form the moment he walks on the page, and for any man to have the patience he does, is a miracle all on its own.  Once Jamie gets his head out of his ass, Jamie and Matt are great together.  They are so very different from each other, but I've always thought that opposites make great pairings.  They both brings such different things to the table, that together, they compliment and smooth out each other's rough patches.

What follows is the normal cheesy movie of the week fare.  Jamie stumbles upon some bad stuff, the FBI gets involved, people get killed, the heroes go on the run from the bad guys, more people get killed, and the two heroes live happily ever after.  The mystery aspect is pretty light, as far as the heroes having to solve anything, but what's there was enough to hold my interest.   Like I said, nothing that isn't predictable or new, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to read.

Challenges: A-Z Mystery, Password (Friday)

Breaking Cover by Kaje Harper

Synopsis From Publisher:

For homicide detective Mac, it's been a good year.  Having Tony to go home to makes him a better cop and a better person.  For Tony, it's been hard being n love with a man he can't touch in public.  Evasions and outright lying to friends and family take a little of the shine off his relationship with Mac, but Tony is determined to make it work. 

As the Minneapolis Police Department moves into a hot, humid summer, Mac is faced with a different challenge.  A killer has murdered two blond women, an the police have no real clues.  Mac hates to think that another murder may be the only way they'll make progress with the case.  but when that murder happens, it hits close to home for Tony.  And suddenly Mac faces an ultimatum; come out into the sunshine and stand beside Tony as his lover, or walk away and live without a piece of his heart. 

This is the second book in the Life Lessons series, and it was even better than the first.  There was not one aspect of the book that failed to keep my interest, and in the case of the mystery aspect of it, it kept me on the edge of my seat for the vast majority of the time.

It's been about a year since the happenings of the first book, and the two men have fallen into a pretty complacent, but happy relationship. Yeah, Tony isn't all that happy about Mac's refusal to come out of the closet, but he understands Mac's reasoning behind it.  Mac has never been happier, but he is scared to death of coming out.  He doesn't think his colleagues will take it very well, and he's scared about what would happen with his daughter's primary caregiver, a very uptight and conservative cousin.  Mac still has his own place, but has a key to Tony's.

Their personal life comes to a head when the mother of the young boy he has been helping to raise, the son of a best friend who dies before the series ever started, is the third victim in a horrible fashion, with the young boy in the other room.  Tony, while named as guardian in the will, finds himself in a custody battle with the boy's grandparents, who feel Tony is a horrible choice to raise their grandson.  Now who cares that those same grandparents threw their daughter out and have had nothing to do with the child, but they can't have a homosexual raise the kid.  Tony panics, and does everything he can to make sure he is granted custody.  And sadly for the relationship, he understands with Mac being unable to come out, their relationship could be a stumbling block.

At this point in time, as much as I like Mac, I can't help but think he's being a coward and hurting himself in the process.  When Tony gives Mac a chance, bet it a small one, to come out i the open, Mac shuts down, and Tony is forced to walk away.  Neither is happy with the situation, but neither man can see around his own needs given the circumstances they find themselves in.

Through a few agonizing weeks leading up to the custody hearing, both men are miserable, and the impasse holds.  And this is where I fall in love with Mac all over again.  In order to make sure Tony is granted custody, he comes out, though not with a lot of forethought.    It's a wonderful scene, and it's written with such honesty, that I couldn't' help but smile the entire way through it.   Some of the issues he was scared of start coming true, especially some of the reactions from his coworkers.  The interactions are written honestly and with such detail, that you can't help but feel a bit sorry for the guy, and have a lot of pride in him at the same time.  It's a long painful process for him to go through, especially since it means he's really having to come to a place within himself where is is fully comfortable as a gay man.   Their relationship isn't fixed fully right away, but you know that they, along with the two kids, are on a strong road to forming a family they can all be proud of.

The mystery itself is a grand adventure, and it's obvious that the author has done her homework.  The investigation is plodding and tedious at times, but the men and women involved are dedicated to their jobs and they slog through it all.  There is a lot of police procedural details in the book, and it makes the story that much richer.  There is nothing far fetched about the details, or the solution, and it reads like a well scripted show on the ID channel.

The solution, and the final confrontation are brilliantly written and at times I really wasn't sure how it was all going to end.  I know it's a romance mystery, so the ending has to be happy, but the standoff is so full of tension, that I was afraid things were about to go horribly wrong.


Challenges: Men in Uniform 

Life Lessons by Kaje Harper

Synopsis From Publisher:

Tony Hart's life has been quiet lately.  He has good friends and a rewarding teaching job.  Then the murdered body of another teacher falls into the elevator at his feet, and Tony's life gets a little too exciting.

Jared MacLean is a homicide detective, a widowed father, and deeply in the closet.  But form the moment he meets Tony's blue eyes in that high school hallway, Mac can't help wanting this man in his life.  However Mac isn't the only one with his eyes on Tony.  As the murderer tries to cover his tracks, Mac has to work fast or lose Tony, permanently.

I've always wondered if I would have the strength to date a man in the closet.  Part of me, the selfish part of me, doesn't think I could do it.  I've been coming out since my Sophomore year in high school, and I know dating someone who is not out, would force me to go back in.  I wouldn't be able to share the relationship with anyone in my life, we couldn't go out in public, and I would constantly be freaking out, scared to death that the man I was with would decide the closet was more important than me.  Then there is the side of me that hopes I could understand, and be accepting of the reasons he was in the closet.  I actually did start dating a guy in the Air Force, before Don't Ask, Don't Tell was revoked, but my life was a little too chaotic at the time, and I really never did give the guy much of a chance.  I get that some men stay in the closet because of their job, and I would hope if I was put in the situation where I found myself dating one of them, I could be understanding and supportive.  I know if I was in Tony's shoes, and the guy in the closet was Jared MacLean, I would do anything to make sure that man stayed in my life.

Tony is adorable, and probably one of the most open and likable characters I've come across in a long time.  He has such a good heart, loves what he does, and really wants to make a difference in the world.  He's inquisitive, isn't afraid to fight for what he wants, and is a truly honorable and loyal friend.  His life is turned upside down when the murder victims falls on top of him, and nothing in his life will be the same.  He is attracted to Jared from the start, but assumes the man is straight.  As the story progresses, and the danger to his own body becomes more severe, Tony doesn't lose himself.  Even when he is almost killed, and his best friend loses his life, Tony's heart doesn't close off, nor does he allow himself to grow bitter.  And when things start to progress with Jared, as he falls in love with Jared, even though he knows Jared is so far in the closet, he goes for it.  He allows his heart to want what it wants, and even though he knows it may not last, he's willing to go with it.  Even when he's kidnapped, and in serious danger of being killed, Tony has faith in Jared, has faith in himself, and has the courage to do what's needed.

In his own way, even in the closet, Jared is a man on honor and integrity.  He has a daughter, but he has never slept with a woman.  He married his wife to keep her in the country.  She was a young woman who was brought to this country as a bride to a rich white guy.  When he turned abusive, and started pimping her out, she did what she could to get through it, and when the time was right, she tried to go to the police.  Jared, being the young, idealistic police officer that he was, married her to keep her from being deported, and to provide a father for her unborn child.  When she died from cancer, he took the responsibility for raising his daughter seriously, and every decision since then, including staying in the closet, was with the thought of giving her the best life he could.  He is a dedicated detective, who can turn on the charm and get any witness or suspect to open up to him.  His attraction to Tony is instant, and can't be denied.

The two of them together makes a supremely hot couple.  They compliment each other in ways I can only dream of finding in a partner, but they aren't perfect.  The closet, no matter how much Tony wants to understand the need for it, is a mighty big weight on the relationship.  Of course it also doesn't help that Tony keeps finding himself in danger,and Jared is never allowed to show how important he is to him, even when he is negotiating with the man holding him captive. As a reader, while you know they are going to have bumps and obstacles in their relationship, they are one of those couples you can't help but fall in love with.  You know that nothing will make them stop loving each other, and you know they will do everything they can to make sure their relationship works, even if those around them aren't even aware of it.

Since I'm sure you guys are just as curious about the mystery aspect of it, and since I don't want to spoil it too much for you, I will just take a few quick sentences to tell you about it.  I have to admit that when I started reading m/m romance books, I wasn't expecting the writing to be that great.  Boy, have I been wrong.  This has a supremely well written mystery, with all the right plot twists and built in suspense to keep picky mystery lovers, like myself, fully engaged in the story.  I'm not saying it's Agatha Christie level plotting, but I would put it up against most of the "cozy" stuff that is being written today.  I will admit that I didn't pick up on who the murderer was right away, though once the story is finished, I was able to pinpoint the scene where the first clue to his identity was revealed.  The characterization of everyone involved is spot on, and the motive is fairly easy to understand.   It's a well crafted mystery, and I know if some of my friends could get over the m/m romance aspect of the book, they would thoroughly enjoy it.

This is the first book, in a four part series, so I'm looking forward to bringing the other books to your attention.  I'm just hoping that I can convince some of you to give them a shot.

Challenges: A-Z Mystery, Men In Uniform

Jaded by EM Lynley

Synopsis From Publisher:

Gay-romance writer Trent Copeland finds his life in a rut while his boyfriend, Special Agent Reed Acton, is away on an undercover mission.  After attending a special course at FBI headquarters in Quanitco, Trent's eager for another challenge.  He jumps at the opportunity for a trip to Japan to oversee appraisals of two art collections to be sold at the gallery he co-owns.  But the trip isn't all cherry blossoms and Hello Kitty.  When one of the collectors he meets - rumored to be the head of a Yakuza gang - turns up dead, Trent is accused of the murder and thrown in jail.

Reed drops everything to help find out who really committed the crime. He's in unknown territory in Japan, forced to navigate Tokyo's sex underworld to unravel the truth and save Trent.  He poses as a "host" at a seedy late-night club.  When Reed's undercover activities place him at a ruthless Yakuza leader's sex party, he must be willing to go to any lengths to secure Trent's safety and freedom.  But trusting the wrong people brings both Reed and Trent to the Yakuza leader's attention.  If they're ever to have a happy ever after, they'll first have to call on every skill just to stay alive.

This is really going to be more or a rant, than a review.  If you have read my reviews for the previous two books in the series, Rarer than Rubies and Italian Ice, you already know that I really like this author, and that I adore these two men.  Trent and Reed, despite all the issues that have come up between them, are a solid couple, and it's very easy to imagine them still together in 50 years.  The sex is hot, the mystery is well written, and the action is tenser than it's ever been.

My issue with this one, is the same issue I have with quite a few other romance novels. I don't like when an author relies upon the idea of infidelity to cause tension in a story.  If a couple is solid, as are Trent and Reed, putting one of them in a position to cheat, regardless of the reasons, seems like such a cheap way to cause tension in a story.  It happened in Italian Ice, even though nothing ever happened, and the idea was dragged out even further with Jaded.  The lines are pretty blurred here, and while I can't say full fledged cheating happened, it came pretty damn close.  Whether it's a physical cheating, or an emotional one, the trope is used all to often, then glossed over by the end of the book.  I still really enjoy reading them, but I think I would enjoy the books so much more if the authors could come up with something else to cause temporary tension in a relationship.

Challenges: Men In Uniform

Italian Ice by EM Lynley (Password Clue)

Synopsis From Publisher:

Gay romance author Trent Copeland and former FBI agent Reed Acton head to Italy for a Roman holiday.  What should be a relaxing and romantic vacation is interrupted when Reed's not-so-former boss asks for his help with a case.  Trent's shocked to discover in the six months they've been living together in LA, Reed hasn't been completely honest about his "retirement."

Reed heads for Sicily on the trail of a suspect antiquities-smuggling rig and to find Peter Isett - a former FBI partner he also hasn't been completely truthful about.  Stung by Reed's dishonesty, Trent questions what else Reed might be hiding.  But when he overhears something that tells him Reed's life is in danger, Trent follows Reed to a remote chain of ancient volcanic islands of Sicily's northern coast.  Soon Trent is caught up in the smuggler's web, and Reed must decide between his heart and his mission - a decision complicated by his past with Peter.  Reed's position is perilous: unless he can learn to put the past behind him, he risks destroying everything he's built with Trent.

Italian Ice is the second book of a three part series, unless the author writes another one, which I would be all for, and it's just as good as the first.   There is love, hot sex, diamond smuggling, missing FBI agents, murders, femme fatales, kidnappings, and lots of adventure.  It's like watching a really good episode of Scarecrow & Mrs. King, if both leads were hot gay men.  And now that I think about it, they could even keep the young Bruce Boxleitner in it, they would just have to recast Kate Jackson.

Now this being the second book, you know there is bound to be drama between the two main characters, and boy is there ever.  Reed is having to fight with feelings he still has over his previous partner, and those are all tied together with memories of months of torture.  He is still wrestling with his feelings for Trent, who he does love, but isn't sure he should or does all the way.  You know he does, he is just trying to hold onto his lone wolf status, not needing anyone.  Trent on the other hand, is madly in love with Reed, but isn't sure he can fully trust him.  He has his doubts, especially when he finds out how many secrets Reed has been keeping, but like Kate Jackson always did, he quickly forgives and moves on.

I love these two guys together, and they complete each other in many ways.  I'm not sure it's a relationship where the two of them "need' the other in their lives. It's more of a case where the two of them truly want the other one around, and in my opinion, that's so much better.   They have to get through a lot of turmoil and real physical pain before they both really truly understand that, but in the end, they are more solid then ever, and are more than ready to take on drug dealers, diamond smugglers, lovers from the past, or errant agents; as long as they do it together.

Challenges: Password (Italian), Men In Uniform

Rarer Than Rubies by EM Lynley

Synopsis From Publisher:

When Trent Copeland runs into Reed Acton at a Bangkok airport, he thinks the handsome American is too good to be true.  Why would someone like Reed be interested in a quiet, introverted gay-romance writer?  After all, even an obvious tourist like Trent can see there is more to Reed's constant unexplained appearances in his path than meets the eye.

Reed Acton has one mission and one mission only - he need to get the map that was accidentally slipped into Trent's bag and keep the mobsters who want the priceless artifact from taking deadly revenge.  Trent Copeland is a delicious and damned near irresistible diversion, but Reed can't afford distractions right now, especially if he wants to keep Trent safe.

From Bangkok's seediest back alleys to the sacred north, the two men will fight to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and learn that the only treasure worth finding is... each other. 

Trent has been living a pretty dull life over the last two years.  His previous partner, who happened to be addicted to excitement and adrenaline, was killed feeding that addiction.  His death caused Trent to do the exact opposite, retreat in to himself and not allow and sort of excitement or adventure into his life.  When he is forced to take a vacation by some friends, not even being given a choice in the location, Trent is finally taking that first step out of his comfort zone.

Once he is in Bangkok, almost to the minute, his life is thrust into one long adventure, that is so far outside his comfort zone, it might as well have been on another planet.  In what sounds like a crazy plot, right out of a romance novel, he finds himself linked to a mysterious undercover FBI agent, Reed Acton, who just can't seem to stay out of trouble.  There are bus crashes, kidnappings, killings, hotel rescues, and even buried treasure to found.

Through it all, you see Trent become more comfortable with the craziness his life seems to heading in.  He lets himself fall for Reed, even if he's not sure Reed is telling the whole truth, or can be trusted.  For his part, Reed is changing too.  He's never really wanted anyone, or allowed himself to doubt his choices before this.  You know he has a secret past, which will be revealed in the second book, and you know there is deep pain and regret there, and it's that pain that has caused Reed to close himself off so much.  But in true romance book fashion, the two men seem to compliment each other in ways they never though possible.  And both of them find themselves charting new waters, unsure of their footing, but willing to see where the journey will take them.

Challenges: Men In Uniform

The Christmas Mansion by Hollis Shiloh

Synopsis From Publisher:

In a world of gas lighting and horse-drawn carriages, Rex is fixing up an old mansion to host a Christmas party for his wealthy family's business.  He meets a gentle, insecure magician named Gene, who's come to work on the crumbling mansion's moldings.  He doesn't expect to fall in love.

I think I've already mentioned my recent addiction to m/m romance stories.  It all started with getting  NOOK last Black Friday, and it seems that I can't stop reading them.  I've found myself enjoying some authors more than others, and even liking certain motifs or character types more than I thought I would.  Some of the stories are really heavy on the sex, and most of it is pretty hot.  There are times though when I want a simple romance, light on the sex, and in some cases no sex.  And that's what I got with The Christmas Mansion.

It's cute, simple, and sweet.  Rex is a guy who gets to plan lavish parties for his family, who are all bankers.  He doesn't have a head for numbers, so he plans events for them to entertain their clients, and to woo new ones.  He has found a beautiful, but rundown mansion to fix up for their Christmas party.  Gene seems to be the misfit of his family as well.  He doesn't have as much magic, doesn't have a boisterous personality, and doesn't see himself as all that special.  When he shows up to redo the moldings, he's almost self-effacing.  As different as the two men are physically, and in their personalities, they fit together.  They don't allow anything to happen until the job is complete, at least Gene won't, and it seems as if the wait was good for them.  By the time the job is finished, and the party is thrown, it seems as if they are ready to move onto their next projects, as a couple.

This was the kind of book I want to read during the holidays.  It has romance, magic, and just enough angst to keep it interesting.  It's a guaranteed happy ending, which is what I need to have this time of year.

Challenges: Christmas Spirit

A Slice of Love by Andrew Grey

Synopsis From Publisher:

To make a small fortune, start with a large fortune and open a bakery.  That's the advice Marcus Wilson has heard.  Unfortunately, Marcus doesn't have a large fortune - just a bakery, A Slice of Heaven, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the determination to make it successful.  He needs more help than he can afford, so when he hires accountant Gregory Southland, it's for hours in the shop as well as on the books. 

Gregory takes a second job at the bakery to help pay the bills now that his health is improving.  Soon he's looking forward to spending time with Marcus, but as business - and their relationship - grows, so do the complications.  First Marcus's stepmother involves him in a cause that could give the bakery a reputation it doesn't need.  Then Marcus and Gregory disagree over whether to involve A Slice of Heaven in a civil rights dispute.  To top if off, Gregory's ex-boyfriend makes an appearance just when he is at his most vulnerable.  But the greatest complication by far is Marcus and Gregory's struggle to learn to trust each other and themselves, especially when it comes to baking up matters of the heart.

This time around it's Gregory's turn at love everlasting.  We first met Gregory in A Serving of Love, he was the heart breaking ex of that books hero, Sebastian.  By now Gregory is in a better place, both emotionally and physically.  He has his HIV status under control and is on his way to living a full and long life, if only he can get his fiances in order and maybe even find love along the way.

Then we have Marcus, a young man determined to find his own way, away from his father's rather large and imposing shadow.  He's on his way to having the successful business he has always wanted, and dreamed about with a former lover, one that lost his own fight with HIV.  He is in sort of a personal limbo, just waiting for the right guy to come along and grab his attention once again.

Like every other couple in this series, I love these two on their own, but I love them even more once they are together.  They compliment each other, both in their strengths, and in their weaknesses.  They fit together, and even when the inevitable tension is introduced into the relationship, they support each other without really needing to think about it.

What I really loved about the story is how the author doesn't shy away from an HIV negative man, dating a HIV positive man.  I've been there, I'm HIV negative and I've dated two different guys who were positive.  I'm not going to lie and say the relationships didn't provide unique challenges and a little extra angst on both our parts, Obviously neither relationship worked out in the end, but I learned from both of them, and I consider both of the to be friends.  I think there is this misconception that if you find yourself HIV positive, that any chance at love or a healthy sex life is gone.  That you are supposed to just crawl up into a ball and wave any chance at a happy life goodbye.  I know many guys who are HIV positive will only date others that are as well, scared to pass the virus on to someone else.  I understand the fear, but it's one that can be overcome with communication and trust.  The way I've always approached the subject is that you can't help who you fall in love with, and that there is almost no obstacle too large to overcome.

So here we are, the last book in the Taste of Love series, though I'm holding out for at least one or two more.  I've grown rather fond of Carlisle, PA, and the men who live there.  I just hope the author feels the same way.

A Helping of Love by Andrew Grey

Synopsis From Publisher:

If Peter Christopoulos has learned one thing from his last three years in a wheelchair, it's that people have a hard time seeing past the hardware.  When he asks out Russ Baker after giving him a quote on equipment for a new Greek restaurant, he's disappointed but not surprised to be turned down.

Russ has been covering for his abusive boyfriend for so long it's almost automatic, but with a little help from his friends, he finds the courage to break it off.  To his surprise, Peter is still interested, and soon they're falling hard and fast.  But there world is thrown into turmoil: Peter finds an old letter indicating he has a half sister he's never met, and Russ' past interferes when his ex makes it clear he'll do anything to get him back.

One of the things I've learned from reading the bazillion romance novels I've torn through this year, opposites attract and the most unlikely pairings, end up working out in the end.  At least that's how it happens in books.  I'm almost positive that it isn't that easy in real life, even if I am desperately hoping that it is.

You guys really don't care about this, but I'm going to spill it anyway.  This last week we had a regional meeting in Kansas City, MO.  Our region is actually pretty damn huge, so it was only store managers from four of our districts.  One of those other store managers is from a town in North Dakota, and as of right now, I have huge crush on him.  Which is my head, makes entirely no sense.  He's not my normal type, if I even have one anymore, and he lives 799 miles away.  Yes, I looked up the distance on Google maps.

Regardless of how much I'm telling myself that this is the stupidest thing in the world, I can't get him out of my head.  I was pretty sure it was mutual, I was able to friend him on FB before the meeting was over, but I was too damn scared to ask for his number.  We did exchange numbers, via FB later on, and my chickeness was reciprocated.  So at least I knew that part was mutual.  We have texted back and forth once sine then, Saturday night, and because I have a big mouth, I admitted that I wanted to kiss him a ridiculous amount of times Wed. night, but again I was too chicken to do anything about it then.  He said he felt the same way, so once again I was vindicated, at least in the sense that I wasn't completely out on a limb on this whole thing.  We haven't talked since, but we are both swamped at work right now, him more than me, and I'm not thinking we will talk, until later on this week.

I'm not sure where this will go, if it will go anywhere, but I'm at least willing to give it a chance right now.  I"m not sure that I would have done the same thing last year.  I think reading all of these romances has done away with some of the more cynical sides of me, and at least allows me to remember what it was like when I went into every situation with an open mind,.  A time when I didn't prejudge everything, and hoped for the best possible outcome.  I guess you could say that reading romances, has given my sense of romance back to me.

I guess I should get to the book at some point in time, and quit talking about myself.  But what I said about the first two books in this series, still holds ture.  I adore the characters that Andrew Grey creates, and Peter and Russ are no different in that.  I love them by themselves, and I love them as a couple.

They are the kind of couple that doesn't make sense on paper.  They are both damaged, though in different ways, and have issues that most people would run away from, or at least make them take a long pause.  But they click together so well, it's hard for either one of them to walk away.  They get through all their messes, and by the end, in true romance fashion, live happily ever after.

A Serving of Love by Andrew Grey

Synopsis From Publisher:

Sebastian Franklin has waited a long time to prove himself as front of the house manager at Cafe Belgie, but his first night in charge while Darryl, his boss, is on vacation is less than a success.  The restaurant is robbed at closing time, and the Good Samaritan who foiled the robber comes with his own complications.  Robert Fortier is the county's newest judge, and a reluctant one at that.  He is well aware that a public life is not always easy, especially when your personal life makes you the target of a media frenzy.  Still, Robert enjoys Sebastian's company, and Sebastian is never without a serving of happiness and flair for his favorite public figure.  But Sebastian is not without his issues either-- family chaos and an ex in trouble will put the pressure on as they struggle for even footing in this new romance.

Because I've read so many m/m romances since I got my NOOK, I could do a review a day, and still not get through all of them in a year.  I'm been kind of randomly picking one every once in a while, without any thought behind it.  That will change with this review.  A lot of the books I've been reading are part of a series, so I figured it would make sense if I were to review them in order, without jumping around on my NOOK.  Since the last book was A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey, it's time for A Serving of Love.

We actually met Sebastian in the previous book, and he was an okay guy.  A little immature at first, he quickly grew on me, and I ended up really enjoying him by the end.  Well in A Serving of Love, it's his time to shine, and boy does he.  What I find the most interesting about this kind of series, the type that sets up the next protagonist in the previous book, is how much the character changes once they are the center of attention.  What starts off as a well rounded, two dimensional, quickly becomes a fully fleshed out three dimensional character.  While I may have enjoyed Sebastian earlier, I loved him by the end of this one.

He's still a little immature, but he has such a stable head on his shoulders, and has more backbone in him than I would have thought at first.  He is fiercely loyal to his friends, even helping an ex that has hit rock bottom.  And when his current beau Robert gets into a pickle, Sebastian, along with Billy (one of the leads from the first book), jumps into the thick of things to fight back.  He fearless in his love, and fearless in his defense of those he considers his.  He is the type of man I would dearly love to have as a friend.

Robert, what can I say about the gentle giant.  First of all the man is tall, and when I mean tall, I mean tall.  I'm 6'2", and I would have to stand on my tippy-toes to kiss him.  I've only dated one guy that was that much taller than me, and I must admit, I rather liked it.  He also has such a steely sense of duty and honor.  He is the kind of guy that would give you the shirt of his back, and ask you if you needed anything else. In addition to the outing portion of his story, there is a side story line concerning his father, and I have to admit that at first I was sure about the way he handled it.  After rereading the book, I'm a little more understanding of the way it went down, and it makes sense with who Robert is.  And did I mention that until now, Robert was a virgin.

Together, I think the two of them are smoking hot, and compliment each other beautifully.  They create such a solid foundation for their relationship, and they deal with so many outside stresses, that I'm almost positive nothing could break them up.  I think I still like Darryl and Billy a bit more, and I'm always grateful for the page time they get in this, and the proceeding books.  And just to give you guys a hint, look for Sebastian's ex to have his own story, two books from now.

And by the way, and I'm pretty sure everyone else on the planet already knew what steak frites were, but it's not something I've ever heard of.  It's apparently considered the national dish of Belgium and France, but I have never, in my life, had fries with my steak.  I'm only bringing this up because it's the most popular dish at Cafe Belgie, and apparently the only thing Robert knows how to order when he goes there.  So one day, I'll have to try it.  I have no idea why, but the idea of eating fries with my steak, bugs me a bit.  Maybe if I can have it with sweet potato fries, it wouldn't weird me out so much.