5 stars

A Sniper’s Devotion by Christa Tomlinson: Release Day Review

November 7, 2017 by Denise

Officer Hector Castillo, a sniper on Houston’s elite SWAT team, is content living alone as a perpetual bachelor. But when he opens up his small apartment to a friend in need, their close quarters awaken long suppressed desires Hector can’t help but acknowledge.

Miguel Delgado’s unfortunate detour down a road he never intended to travel ends in a big wake up call, but he vows to get himself back on track. Though he’s always looked up to Hector, Miguel isn’t a kid with hero-worship anymore, and his schoolyard protector has matured into a strong and caring man – who happens to look damn sexy in his SWAT uniform.

Though their physical attraction to each other is undeniable, Hector and Miguel try hard to resist and protect their friendship. Until one night changes everything…

A Sniper’s Devotion is a loving and sexy, friends to lovers erotic romance. Hector and Miguel’s story is part of the Cuffs, Collars and Love series, but it is a stand-alone novel.

Title: A Sniper’s Devotion
Series: Cuffs, Collars and Love #5
Author: Christa Tomlinson
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 77,500
Genre: Romance, Friends to Lovers, Multicultural Romance, Hispanic Main Characters, Spanking, Stand Alone

Amazon

Kobo Books

Oh, how I’m in love with this series!

For me, I didn’t think there was any topping Logan and Clay, but I think Hector and Miguel might be my new favorite! Hector, we remember from the other books, is part of the SWAT team, with Clay and Ryan. I always thought he was hilarious, but never expected him to have his own story, really surprised me in this one…I felt like he was so different once we got to know him more. Oh yeah, he’s not as straight as we thought either! That was made apparent when his mom and her best friend, showed up at his place with his childhood friend Miguel.

Miguel had run out after getting knocked around, again, by an abusive boyfriend. Needing a place to hide out where the now ex wouldn’t find him, their mother’s’ brought him to Hector, knowing he’d protect him and look out for him while Miguel tried to start over with only a few hundred dollars in the bank and a small sack of clothes he thought to grab. After being cut off from friends and a job and anything else that might lose him the strong hold he had on the control of Miguels’ life, it was going to be a tough road for him… Luckily, he had Hector.

Now, sidenote, when they were growing up, the two had always crushed on each other, but their friendship was most important and for all intents and purposes, Hector was straight, so that’s all they stayed. However, Hector never stopped taking care of him, and protecting him, always wanting the best for him…. Not until they’d lost touch, but now he was back.

Things between the two were fine, with Miguel trying to find work and trying not to be a burdon on Hector, though Hector saw him as anything but,. He was happy to take care of him, do things for him to help him get on his feet, that’s the kind of person he is. I loved that about him. But, Miguel, who’d just got out of a relationship where he had no control over anything, it caused some problems between them, and I could see how. Theyre relationship also progressed into something that was much more confusing than the both of them knew what to do with, and I understood Miguel’s hesitation…

What I loved, so much, was once Hector came to terms with the fact that he had romantic feelings for his best friend, who was a man…that never wavered. He never questioned it, well, okay… I mean, he did in the beginning, but it still never wavered. He never once lost that devotion to Miguel, even when he was confused or working things out. Sure, he put his foot in it a time or two and made Miguel mad a time or two, but all of his intentions always came from the best place. He cared about Miguel, always had. I loved, loved, loved that!

And of course, things with exes are never easy, Miguel’s didn’t like to lose, so he caused some trouble, forcing some strong feelings from both men, that differed on how they both reacted, and I wanted to shake Miguel, but I also understood. He needed to find himself, and still…Hector never wavered…

Can you see how one might love these two?? I really really did! It’ll be hard to top them for me, no matter who’s next! Though I did enjoy Clays smart mouth in this one and wouldn’t mind some more of him and Logan! This one also wasn’t as heavily BDSM’y and I really liked that too.

Overall, this one was one, very well deserved 5 pieces of eye candy from me! I loved it!

Our Reason (Sizzling Miami 8) by Jessie G: Release Day Review and Excerpt

October 25, 2017 by Denise

Title: Our Reason

Series: Sizzling Miami #8, Red & Bull #3

Author: Jessie G

M/M Romance

COVER MODEL: Alfie Gordillo
PHOTOGRAPHER: Randy Rls Sewell
COVER ARTIST: Andrew Reyna

Married life is everything Bull and Red could have hoped for. It’s not something they’d ever take for granted and the need to pay it forward is a trait the husbands happily share. When the new director of the Bennett House asks Red to teach an art class, he isn’t entirely sure how it will help, but he’s more than willing to try. Before Bull, he used his art to purge his demons and sharing that with those in need of an outlet for their own pain was a gift he never considered giving. Each week he is rocked by the artful outpouring of emotion and the gratitude of his students. One by one, they burrow into his heart…but none more so than Dillon Young.

Always holding himself apart from the others, the wisp of a boy keeps his head down and hides behind a mangy, overgrown length of dark hair like a shield. Despite his best attempts not to see himself in all the young men that come through the center, everything about Dillon calls out to Red. Needing to share their encounters, and maybe hoping for a little perspective, he turns to the one man he knows he can always count on. Expecting Bull to be the voice of reason had been a fool’s mission from the start and soon they’re both invested in helping Dillon.

There’s no doubt they have an abundance of love to share and if ever there was someone who needed it, Dillon was the one. Between Bull’s strength and Red’s patience, they’ll help Dillon learn to trust again and in the process, create a family that none of them intended. Though they never envisioned themselves as parents, Bull and Red will find room in their happily ever after to save the child they didn’t know lived in their hearts.

AMAZON
GOODREADS

Our Reason by Jessie G - Teaser #1

Dillon was at school when the center called about a job interview and his grandmother made the appointment before he knew it was happening. When he walked through the door, she was waiting with the news like they’d won the fucking lottery. He tried not to dampen her relief, but it only added weight to already high expectations—especially because Dillon knew it would probably blow up in his face. One lesson he learned in this fucked up life was that the more he wanted or needed something, the harder it was to get.

And they needed this. Desperately.

His grandmother tried her hardest, but they were barely getting by and all it would take was for the wrong person to notice. Dillon knew all about services that were supposed to protect children and wanted no part of being sent to some group home where he’d have to grovel or worse just to earn a blanket and a meal. More than that, he definitely didn’t want to be sent back to his mother.

Alabama had done both to him. First, taking him out of a situation they called dangerous only to put him someplace worse, then returning him because his mama proved herself reformed. The joke was on him for believing that things would be different. That she’d actually be the mother he’d always wished for. Now he knew better and having that threat hanging over their heads made him willing to do anything. Including allowing himself a moment of hope that maybe—just maybe—if the center vouched for him, then it might be doable.

Turns out, hope had a seriously screwed up sense of humor and Dillon really hated the thing that happened in his stomach when he heard the name of the business. The same one he’d seen it on the side of the tow truck that Mr. Connor’s husband drove. That massive beast gleamed in the sunlight and was impossible to miss, just like the man who drove it.

Dillon would never admit that he was both intimidated and fascinated by that big, bald, hulk of a man, but he was. How could he not be after seeing how that massive mountain treated his husband? Or that he had a husband to begin with? Men like that weren’t gay, they weren’t nice or gentle…or so he believed. That was his experience and he hated that someone was making him question it.

Red and Bull have settled in to married life and it’s everything they were hoping for. Red is still working in the garage but at Davin’s request he has started teaching art classes at The Bennett House. There Red meets Dillon, and Red can’t help but drawn comparisons to himself at that age.

Dillon is standoffish and shy, hiding behind his overgrown hair. Red is drawn to Dillon and in turn so is Bull. Bull offers Dillon a job in the garage and just as they get to know one another something from Dillon’s past spooks him and he runs. Red and Bull call in all their reinforcements to help find Dillon and together they prove to him that family is not only made from blood.

I absolutely love Red and Bull so I was really excited to get my hands on this one. If you’ve read some of the previous books in the series then you know Jessie has a way with words like no other and the is book is no exception. While this book has no on page love scenes which is a little different than her other works, you can still feel the smoldering heat between Red and Bull. The story is well developed and intriguing, I can’t wait to see where the “fishing lawyer” takes us. It’s sure to be entertaining and heartbreaking.

In “For a Reason” I met Red and Bull, watched them fall in love and fell right along with them. In “Their Reason” I saw their love grow and deepen, culminating in an adventurous wedding and honeymoon. In “Our Reason” I see how strong the foundation of their love really is and how they use that support to expand their family. I never thought I could love Red and Bull more than I did after the first book, but seeing how much Red’s confidence has grown and Bull’s unwavering support of anything Red wants or needs had me falling even harder for these two.

5 pieces of eye candy

Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters, and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.

WHERE TO FIND JESSIE G:

Contact Links:

Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com

Email: jessie@jessiegbooks.com

Newsletter Signup direct thru Mailchimp: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1

Newsletter Signup via InstaFreebie (Get a free copy of Brewing Up Trouble) https://www.instafreebie.com/free/sNhSy

Social Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks

Google +: google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessiegbooks

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessiegbooks

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/

Tumblr (NSFW 18+): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks

Author Pages:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jessieg

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jessiegbooks

Rule Breaker by Lily Morton: New Release Review with Giveaway

August 23, 2017 by Denise

Is it really wrong to want to murder your boss?

Dylan has worked for Gabe for two years. Two long years of sarcastic comments. Two long years of insults, and having to redo the coffee pot four times in the mornings to meet his exacting standards. Not surprisingly he has devoted a lot of time to increasingly inventive ways to murder Gabe. From stabbing him with a cake fork, to garrotting him with his expensive tie, Dylan has thought of everything.

However, a chance encounter opens his eyes to the attraction that has always lain between them, concealed by the layers of antipathy. There are only two problems – Gabe is still a bastard, and he makes wedding planners look like hardened pessimists.

But what happens when Dylan starts to see the real Gabe? What happens when he starts to fall in love with the warm, wary man that he sees glimpses of as the days pass?

Because Gabe is still the same commitment shy, cold man that he’s always been, or is he? Has Dylan had the same effect on Gabe, and has his solid gold rule of no commitment finally been broken? With his heart taken Dylan desperately needs to know, but will he get hurt trying to find the answers?

From the author of ‘The Summer of Us’ comes another scorchingly hot romantic comedy, showing what happens between two men when rules get broken.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Okay, you know a book really hit you when you are still talking about it, still posting on social media about it, and still posting quotes from it days after you read it. And that is how I feel about

Rule Breaker by Lily Morton. I haven’t read anything by her, and received a review request on it. I thought, “looks kind of funny, and I need that right now…sure.”

Wow! Was I wrong. It made me giggle out loud (on an airplane no less!). I highlighted multiple passages (if I highlight, and I don’t often, it might be one or two passages). And I savored it, by taking a couple days to read it, because I didn’t want it to end.

These two men bring the snark. The emails at the beginning of each chapter are hilarious. Here’s one example:

To: Gabe Foster

From: Dylan Mitchell

Due to your temper tantrum over my spilling coffee on your laptop, I am taking an early lunch. Would you like me to bring you something back? Maybe the blood of a virgin, or eye of newt?

Dylan and Gabe are hilarious throughout the book, and that just made it so much better for me as a reader.

However, there were also a lot of feels. I cried at more than one part. (Lily, I do not like crying when I am reading, just saying…it’s okay, I will forgive you this time.) Dylan had such a soft heart, and it was so obvious how much he loved Gabe, while Gabe was so stand-offish, with good reason, and just would not allow anyone close to him. Pushing Dylan away more than once with his hurtful actions and words. It was hard to see these two butt up against each other, and both walk away practically bleeding, yet you knew they were perfect for each other, once they got their heads out of their arses (it is set in London, so have to use ‘arse’).

The second half of the book was more painful than humorous, but still had plenty of spots of humor. In the end though, this book worked so well for me, on so many levels. I don’t often mark things as a re-read, and I haven’t given a 5 pieces of eye candy rating in months. Both of these are happening with Rule Breaker, and I am glad for it. Now, I will have to sneak back and read Lily’s other romantic comedy, The Summer of Us.

Lily Morton has offered up a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card to a commenter on this blog post. So, tell us, do you enjoy reading romantic comedy books?

The Long and Winding Road by TJ Klune: Release Day Review and Giveaway

August 11, 2017 by Denise

Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are.

And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before.

There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go.

There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect.

There’s a brother returning home after learning how to stand on his own.

As these moments converge, all of their lives will change forever.

Beginning in Bear, Otter, and the Kid and continuing in Who We Are and The Art of Breathing, TJ Klune has told a saga of family and brotherhood, of love and sacrifice. In this final chapter, the events of the past pave the long and winding road toward a future no one could have imagined.

Title: The Long and Winding Road
Series: Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles: Book Four
Author: TJ Klune
Release Date: August 11, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 346

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

I feel like I knew this was coming and I still wasn’t prepared for it. How do you? How do you prepare for the end of something you’ve felt so invested in for so long? Something that impacted your life a great deal, even though they were fictional people in a fictional world ? I wasn’t ready… I’m still not.

Probably be mild spoilers, though I’ll try not to… Beware of that now ….that was your warning!

In this one, we start out looking in the past… we see a lot that went on in the time gaps, from Bear’s POV. Ty’s addiction, man, that was a tough one. It was so very well written and explained. My heart broke for both of them, but Tyson…reliving it all from Bear and Otter… I just loved the realness of it all. The reality of it and how much it hurts the people who love you. I wasn’t expecting that. Then, we go on another journey we didn’t get to see in other books. How they decided and how it affected each of them. There’s so much I could, and that I wanna say here. I wanna gush and ramble and cry, because I did a lot of all of that, while reading it… And I’m not being dramatic; especially if you’ve followed this imaginary family from the beginning, you can’t not help but get invested in their fictional little lives and want the absolute best for them, always. All of them, even Creed, who I gotta be honest, drives me a little crazy.

Then, we get to the present…. Izzy… I worried about her after Ty left her last book. That effing cliffhanger… I mean, spoiler if you haven’t read it.. sorry, but if you haven’t then why are you jumping ahead? Go back and read it!

So, Izzie…and Bear and Otter and their amazing news. Then Ty and Dom and Anna and Creed, and everyone is all here. Ty is getting settled into his life where we left him, Dom and Ben… things are good with everyone finally, and we’re on the road to preparing for their future and the greatness they’re getting. It’s a hard road… hard and funny and taxing and emotional… everything you’d expect with this family. But through everything, they always have each other…They’re one giant team, right? Bear and Otter, there isn’t anyone alive that loves as much as those two do… they have an endless amount and it’s so fun to read about. I loved every single second…. Even if I did wanna throttle Otter for just a split second. I love how everything was handled and how Bear can be the serious one when he needs to be. His heart to heart with Izzie had me a mess….I was happy to see him be the calm one, when it counted. When he needed to be, he had several heart to hearts in here….They were even coherent…mostly 😛

And then everything that they’d worked so hard for, everything that had been leading up to this moment…. Happened…. And F if I didn’t fall in love with all of them even more all over again….

Now, the future…the future is perfect. Although I hated to see it end… it ended perfectly… in the best place. Everyone was in the best place. Happy and healthy and together. Kids and family, love and extended hippy family. It couldn’t have ended better. I’m sad, really that it’s over… I’ve been following this series for what seems like ever and we’ve been through a lot with them… a whole lot. But we got everything we needed by the end. Everything to make it okay to say goodbye to. I hope we do get a glimpse at everyone later, maybe in brief cameo in a Paul and Vince book, or possibly if Kori/Corey gets a book, which I beg to all that is Holy that, that will happen.

Although it’s time to say goodbye to everyone, I feel better knowing I can come back and revisit them any time I want to….I give this series AND this story… ALL the sunshine points!

5 stars from me. And even though I may be a little biased, I was given this story with the promise of an honest review… If you follow my reviews at all, I am nothing but honest… perhaps a little dramatic at times too, but always honest. If you loved any part of this entire series. You won’t want to pass this one up. It’s perfect.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Runner by Parker Williams: Exclusive Guest Post, Release Day Review and Giveaway

July 21, 2017 by Denise

Matt Bowers’s life ended at sixteen, when a vicious betrayal by someone who he should have been able to trust left him a shell of himself, fighting OCD and PTSD, living in constant fear and always running. When he buys a remote tract of land, he thinks he’s found the perfect place to hide from the world and attempt to establish some peace. For ten years he believes he’s found a measure of comfort, until the day a stranger begins to run on Matt’s road.

He returns every day, an unwelcome intrusion into Matt’s carefully structured life. Matt appeals to the local sheriff, who cannot help him since the jogger is doing nothing wrong. Gradually, after tentatively breaking the ice, Matt begins to accept the man’s presence—

But when the runner doesn’t show up one day, it throws Matt’s world into chaos and he must make the hardest decision of his life.

Title: Runner
Author: Parker Williams
Release Date: July 28, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Building New Worlds: How to do it authentically

I’m going to admit, building new worlds in a single book isn’t all that hard. Look at your setting. What motivates you to put your character in that locale?

Example: Runner takes place in a remote town. The main character, Matt, lives far out of town, where he feels safe. Why? He can build a life here. He has his garden, his greenhouse, a stream to fish from, animals that he can hunt. He wants for nothing. Or so he thinks.

Your character: What affects him? What motivates and drives him? How does this affect the people around him?

Example: Matt cuts himself off from his family for the most part. He talks to his brother on the phone occasionally, but he can’t be a part of his family’s life. It just won’t work for him with his issues. So how does this affect others? What impact does it have on his family? The people who know him? Does it have a ripple effect on others? How does your character—and those around him—deal with the situation?

The problems: And here is what’s swirling around, affecting everyone. In a single book, the problem—and resolution—are handled pretty easily.

Example: Matt’s abuse at sixteen by someone he should have been able to trust. Matt assumes that this affects only him, but as time goes by, he realizes how it impacts those around him as well.

But… And here’s where we get into the fun of world building… what happens when your book is actually a series?

When K.C. Wells and I did Collars & Cuffs—and Secrets—all the rules above are in full force, but now the problem comes in that you have to determine if there is an overall story arc and how one event will flow into another book.

Example: Peter from Collars & Cuffs (Trusting Thomas). His abuse at the hands of his tormentor ripples throughout the series. In Someone to Keep Me, it shakes Scott to his core, but it also gives him a friend. Peter’s issues continue to resonate, and touch many lives such as

Jarod in Dom of Ages and JJ in Endings and Beginnings. Peter’s problem becomes a focal point that affects everyone in this world. And this is a good thing. It’s part of your world and it needs to be addressed from time to time so people don’t think you’ve forgotten about it.

In fact, Peter’s mentioned in An Unlocked Mind (book two of the Secrets series), because he does have such an impact on this world.

So when you build a world, you have to look at all of the pieces and see how they slot together. Some may be like an IKEA set, where you’ve got little things that don’t really need to be checked up on each book, but if it’s the main thrust of your story, you need to keep it in the reader’s eye from book to book, especially if there is a long gap between each issue.

Example: In Before You Break, Ellis is injured on the job. Will his injury have an impact on the series as a whole? Maybe not, but it’s still going to ripple from time to time. He’s going to appear in book two when he gets to deal with Rob (poor Ellis).

In closing, remember that in the worlds you create, you’re the god. What you say goes. But you’ve got to make it believable. Or not. That’s the fun thing about creating them. Oh, and because you get to tear them apart, too. That’s always fun.

After suffering an attack at 16, Matt suffers from extreme OCD and PTSD. He has locked himself away from the world in a cabin miles from town. He has turned his land into a self-sustaining oasis. He grows his own food, he fishes and hunts on his land and has almost no contact with the outside world. Then one day his world is turned upside down when someone starts jogging past his house everyday. The first sighting sent Matt into a panic attack to rival all panic attacks. Matt tried calling the sheriff to see if he could stop him, but the runner isn’t breaking any laws. Slowly, Matt comes to expect the runner at the same time everyday. One day when he doesn’t show up Matt’s world tips again. Can he leave his carefully constructed world to find out what happened to his runner?

This was a great read. My heart broke for Matt so many times throughout this story. His reaction to the attack was extreme, but how could it not be? He was 16, with very little if any coping skills. His mom did his a great disservice, she wan’t strong enough to get him the help he needed and so he retreated into himself where he knew he was safe and then eventually to his compound.

The runner, Charlie was an intriguing character. I love that he pushed Matt’s boundaries without being pushy or mean. He knew when to push and when to back off. He was so caring and understanding.

I loved the amount of detail in Matt’s compound. When Parker Williams described it I could actually visualize it, and I really have no imagination. From the greenhouse to the lake and all the gardens.

The thing that made me love this story was that Matt fell in love with Charlie and that made him want to get help to fix his issues, but Charlie made his see that he loved him issues and all and if he was getting help it was for himself. That he was loved either way, warts and all.

The story line was not at all predictable, as soon as I thought I knew what was going to happen something else would. I love that. The characters and the setting were well developed and rich with detail. This is the first time I have read anything from Parker Williams but it won’t be the last.

5 pieces of eye candy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You Never Know by Mary Calmes: Release Day Reviews with Giveaway

July 20, 2017 by Denise

Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way—until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.

Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business and encourage it to thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and they have not talked since.

If Hagen’s going to trust him again, Mitch needs to show him how he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go. They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not reviving a relationship with Mitch. Then again, you never know.

Title: You Never Know
Author: Mary Calmes
Release Date: July 21, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Kobo Books

Hagen Wiley… knew he had the love of his life when he was sixteen years old.

Unfortunately, life happens, especially when you’re young and stupid and I hate so badly that he got hurt like he did. The phone call between the two guys, just about gutted me. But here it is, 17 years later, and the love of his life is back, with his adorable two kids and they’ve come to claim Hagen.

Unfortunately, again, Hagen’s had a lifetime of heartbreak and getting hurt that he doesn’t just not trust Mitch, but he doesn’t trust any guy.. Which is a good thing, because we see him with a FWB, who all the sudden wants more…. Even though he’s a liar and kinda douche, I did kind of feel sorry for him before I knew all that. I’ve known what it’s like to lose the love of your life and then I’ve been on Ash’s side where I wanted someone to want me but they couldn’t, because of the love they had for someone else. I wouldn’t want to be in either of those positions, ever!

I loved Hagen, he’s so forgiving, much more so than I would be, ever….especially with how badly Mitch hurt him and how many times Ash lied to him… he just forgave… they said sorry, he said, okay. With Mitch, it was a little harder for him to win back his trust… not as hard as it should’ve been, because I think he needed to have to prove himself…. But, there was no denying that he loved Hagen… no doubt at all. It was in everything he did. I loved that for Hagen.

So, overall, this is just another amazing story from Mrs. Calmes; one that I couldn’t wait to read and now I’m sad that I’m finished with it. I get so sucked in to each of her stories to a point where, I want to wish them so hard to be real so I can see such amazing love between two people. I feel that way about all the guys in her stories, every single one.

So, I’ll end this with 5, well, well, well deserved stars and I’ll go ahead and declare my impatience for literally anything else she writes, ever!

Don’t skip it, you’ll love it.

I love the idea of high school sweethearts reuniting after they have experienced life a little. They’re not as naive and they know who they are and what they want from life. So, with that story line and the added bonus of Mary Calmes being the author, I knew going in this was going to be a great story.

Hagen and Mitch dated in high school. They had plans to go to the same college and see where Mitch’s promised NFL career took them. Life got in the way, Mitch went to college and Hagen joined the Army. Hagen has returned home needing to heal both his body and mind from the war. His leg needs mending and he needs to get a grip on his PTSD. Mitch has lived his whole adult life in the closet due to his football career. He married a woman and had two children, but after a hip replacement and a trip to rehab he can’t continue to lie to himself. Armed with a divorce and two small children, Mitch heads back to his hometown to raise his boys and to win back the love of his life.

Hagen has long since forgiven Mitch for changing their plans. What he has no intention of doing is picking up where they left off all those years ago. Hagen is just getting his life back to normal and he doesn’t want to disrupt that with bringing Mitch back into his life. It seems that fate has something to say about that and throws Mitch and his adorable boys right into Hagen’s path. Hagen stands no chance again Mitch’s boys and before you know it Hagen is spending time with Mitch and his family. Hagen needs to decide whether he can trust Mitch with his heart a second time or if he needs to tuck tail and run before he gets too attached to all three of them.

Love, love, love! I love stories with kids, especially when the kids are as cute as Brandon and Ryder Thayer. The kids play an important part in the story, making Hagen realize that he wants to be a father. The kids are well adjusted and make Hagen realize that by trusting his heart to Mitch he gets a chance at fatherhood that may not have been a possibility before.

The town of Benson is a great setting for this story and I am hoping that there are a few more stories in this setting. I would love for Ash to get his happily ever after and remain friends with Hagen.

The characters are well developed, their backstories are perfect; no too vague and definitely not too over the top. Hagen was cautious without being whiny and Mitch pursued him with confidence that didn’t come off as cocky or entitled.

There isn’t anything I didn’t like about this book. It was everything I have come to love and expect from Mary Calmes.

5 pieces of eye candy

a Rafflecopter giveaway