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The Realist (The Vers Podcast book 3) by Riley Hart: New Release Review

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Marcus

To listeners of The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, I’m known as The Realist—I accept life the way it is, believe in honesty over sugarcoating, and okay, I can maybe be a little bossy.

If you asked The Vers guys, they’d tell you I’m a caretaker who’s always thinking of others, but they also give over-the-top hugs and don’t believe me when I say feelings are the worst.

It’s why I have no business offering Kai Lewis a place to stay when he’s in need. He’s a flirt who makes no secret about wanting in my bed…somewhere I’d like to have him if he wasn’t the employee of one of my closest friends. But he’s too trusting and leaps before he thinks, so at least he won’t get taken advantage of if he’s with me.

Now he’s always around, wearing shorts that leave nothing to the imagination and saying he wants to take care of me because I’m always doing it for others. It’s not long before I can’t resist him—a man who likes listening in the bedroom but is stubborn in other situations.

Kai is sweet and funny and gets me to open up to him. Maybe this whole relationship thing wouldn’t be so bad…if he wasn’t nine years younger…and leaving Southern California soon…or if I had any idea what I was doing.

The Realist is an age-gap, forced-proximity romance with a bossy realist and a sunshiny flirt who has Marcus wrapped around his finger.

If you read books 1 and 2, you already know Marcus and Kai. Marcus the super successful real estate agent who is always there for his friends in a myriad of ways. And Kai, the super cute twink who works at Declan’s bar.

On a bit of a whim, when Kai is about to lose his housing and move back home with mom and dad, Marcus invites him to live at his house. And it’s not like it’s a small place. Now Marcus and Kai have flirted hard when they saw each other, but it is Marcus who holds back. Because Kai is a bit younger and because he is an employee of his best friend. Now he can add roommates to the list which makes him untouchable. HA!

I really enjoyed seeing firsthand the family dynamics of both men. Kai’s family is far from rich. Probably a solid lower middle class. But they ooze love. They enjoy spending time together and his mother complains she doesn’t see him enough. Whereas Marcus’ parents are quite cold, constantly cancel plans and take work calls when they are together.

These family dynamics really play a role in their lives. We’ve all seen Marcus with the other 3 guys. He loves and loves hard, but he isn’t demonstrative at all and hates being called out on his soft side. Whereas Kai is super demonstrative, but his defense mechanism is the whole “not a relationship guy”, when really you know he wants what his parents and siblings have.

Honestly, I feel like Marcus toyed with Kai a bit too much. Flirting to the point that Kai thought they were getting somewhere, but pulling back at the last second. And being proud of it when Kai was upset.

Other than that, they really gelled as a couple. They are very yin yang. Including their families- with Kai’s family recognizing that Marcus didn’t have anything like that himself.

I also appreciated that Kai was willing to make a huge decision for himself, without falling back on Marcus. Showed a maturity that he hasn’t yet had.

In the last and final book coming, I’d really like to see Marcus loosen up some. Now that he and Kai are together and happy, it’s time for him to jump in the pool as well.

4 pieces of eye candy

Ruler of the Waves : Love At Lake Clyde, Book 3 by Aidan Ainslie: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Tyler: All I ever wanted was to be a good doctor and serve the community I had grown up in. And I wanted a loving husband to share my dream of a house with a picket fence, two children and a dog. Was that so much to ask of life? Why was it so difficult to find that man?

Rickie: All I ever wanted was the freedom to sail the oceans, taste salt on my lips and feel sea spray on my face. So when Tyler Matthews offers me the chance of a week’s sailing at Nantucket, I agree to go with him. The only snag – we have to convince his snooty friends that we are boyfriends. How difficult can that be? Tyler is a good friend, I know him. Surely we can pull this off.
The only danger I did not foresee was that all my dreams could be derailed if my heart became entangled with the cute doctor Tyler Matthews who is rooted to the soil like a giant sequoia.

Can love find a way to bridge the ocean-sized chasm between two men who do not appear to be destined for each other?

Read the latest book in the Love at Lake Clyde series. A delicious fake boyfriend romance with many unexpected twists and turns.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Rickie

We boarded the plane and luxuriated in the space and comfort of first class. Free champagne even before take-off. Man, I could get used to this. We settled in. That is, I put in my earbuds and chose music on my phone while Tyler sterilized the area around his seat with a sanitary wipe. Then he took out the emergency safety card from the seat pocket and studied it. I think it was the first time in my life I’d seen someone actually read one of those cards. He leaned toward me and pointed at the exit signs three rows in front of us. It was on the tip of my tongue to say, Yes Tyler, I can read. I’m pretty good with four-letter words. But I didn’t say anything. He was so earnest and so damn cute and innocent. I guess that’s what happened if you grew up without two older brothers who mocked you mercilessly if ever you did something remotely dumb.

Just before take-off, I was about to put my jacket in the overhead bin when the stewardess – a gorgeous brunette with a ready smile – reached for it and said, “You wouldn’t want that to get creased, sir. Let me hang it up for you.” Her colleague, a handsome dark-haired guy with a neatly clipped beard, was busy serving champagne. He turned and said to me, “I love your shirt. I’ll come by later so you can tell me where I can get one of those.”

I was wearing one of the T-shirts that Mandy, our local tattoo artist, had designed for the Master of the Wild challenge. It featured two stallions on their hind legs with their necks entwined. I’d never been able to figure out whether they were fighting or embracing each other. Mandy was coy about it, saying everyone was free to interpret the intricate, tattoo-like design as they pleased. The slogan under the stallions read, Go Wild in Clydesdale.

 Tyler was bemused and whispered, “How do you do it? You must have special pheromones that intoxicate everyone who comes near you.”

“Is it working on you?” I quipped.

He punched me on the shoulder and rolled his eyes again, “You’re obnoxious when you’re grouchy and you’re even more insufferable when you’re in a good mood.”

I was beginning to enjoy his eyerolls almost as much as his smiles.

First time author for me. And probably the last.

I didn’t read the previous books, but you don’t need to. It works as a stand alone.

After reading for a bit I had to go and look up the author. Who says they live in Northern California. But so much of the language used was British. And formal. And not even close to how Californians would talk. And I don’t mean surfer slang at all. I mean, a lot more casual. You aren’t going to hear “Fancy something to eat?” from a local.

Honestly, the characters were just either unlikable or wet rags. Rickie has a chip on his shoulder because he is on probation for a crime he didn’t commit. (BTW, no way was someone getting probation for that), his brother and boss was nasty to him, Tyler is a limp noodle who everyone walks all over and his friends are awful.

The plot mostly worked, but still. A bit much and a bit coincidental. I know it’s fiction. I still want it to be a little believable. There was just no connection between characters for me. The realest connection was between Tyler and his dad.

This is one of those cases where it could have been so much better with a good beta read or 4. A good editor, etc.

2.5 pieces of eye candy

Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”

According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels. Check them out on his website www.aidenainslie.com

When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

Connect with Aiden:
https://aidenainslie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/aiden.ainslie
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Under the Arabian Sky (Love Abroad) by Robin Knight: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Find Love Abroad Under the Arabian Sky…

Arthur Somersby is an expert in sand. Working as an arenologist at Oxford University, it’s Arthur’s job to gather research and data on the movement and molecular structure of sand, blending geology, chemistry and biology into one specialty science. But while Arthur’s colleagues conduct their work around the globe — from the Sahara to the Kalahari and beyond — a tragedy in Arthur’s past prevents him from wanting to leave the safety of his office.

That is until one of his colleagues goes missing, presumed dead, and Arthur is called upon to take his place in the distant Arab nation of Oman.

It is there upon the shipless oceans of sand that Arthur meets falcon veterinarian Tariq Hassan. And while the desert heat ignites an instant spark between the two men, a clash of cultures could mean their Arabian love affair is over before it’s even begun.

Can two strangers from opposite worlds overcome the Middle East’s tightly-held religious beliefs and find a way to love one another? Can a connection be made between the science of sand and the spirituality of the desert? Will Arthur’s past and centuries-old traditions keep two souls apart, or will Arthur and Tariq find their happily-ever-after… Under the Arabian Sky?

Under the Arabian Sky is a 40k-word MM romance that will transport you to the deserts of Arabia from the comfort of your favorite reading chair. It can be read as part of the Love Abroad collection or as a stand-alone romance.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Love Abroad collection (9 books)

Lost.

Despite the fact that Tariq knew exactly where he was going, lost was how I felt… but not in a bad way.

No, I felt lost in the best way possible.

After three hours of driving, the desert landscape we came across was like nothing else I’d seen before.

The road disappeared.

The dunes reached for the sun.

And the horizon seemed to run away from us, journeying as far as she could in her quest to touch the bright blue sky.

As civilisation fell away behind us and the burnt orange dunes of the Sharqiya Sands opened up before us, transporting us to a world beyond this one, I felt myself letting go of everything I was, everything I am, everything I knew. The desert unfolded before us, the dunes like the pages in a book of secrets that was forever re-writing itself.

There in Tariq’s Jeep— as I sat beside a man who seemed to be doing everything right if he wanted to capture my heart like a wounded falcon— I felt utterly, completely, wonderfully lost.

We neared the peak of a dune, and he stopped the Jeep.

He shut down the engine, then shouldered his car door open so I did the same, plucking my camera out of the daypack on the backseat and putting the strap of it over my neck.

He walked ahead of me to the crest of the dune, his kandura and ghutra billowing gently in a soft breeze.

I had to stop myself from trembling as I looked at him, this prince of the desert, in so perfect a pose I snatched up my camera and snapped half a dozen pictures of him before he had a chance to turn around and catch me out.

“Arthur! Come and see this!” he called over his shoulder.

My feet sank up to my ankles, but I managed to climb to the top of the dune… at which point the entire world fell at my feet, so much so I might as well have been standing on the top of Mount Everest, only surrounded by sand instead of snow.

“Take it in,” Tariq said. “Just take a deep breath and take it all in. This land is endless. This land is timeless. This land is alive and ever-changing. It is a shipless ocean, each dune forever shifting, forever moving like a wave carrying more grains of sand than stars in the heavens. So many men look up to find their god, their religion. Me? I look to the desert. This is where my spirit lives. This sand— and this sand alone— will guide me to where I need to go. It will always light the way and show me the man I need to be.”

He looked at me. Then, without so much as asking, he took me by the hand. “Sit with me.”

I didn’t question him. I did exactly as he asked. Together the two of us lowered ourselves and sat cross-legged on the sand. He released my hand and said, “You know the science of sand, but have you ever experienced the spirituality of sand?”

In this beautiful, breath-taking, faraway place, it felt unnecessary— almost inappropriate— to respond with words. In the golden glow of the desert, I simply shook my head.

He held up both hands and I did the same.

“Take your right hand and place it on the ground beside you, your palm upon the sand.”

I did as he said, and instantly I felt my body draw upon the warmth of the desert.

“Take your left hand and do the same on your left side. Now… close your eyes and feel the energy of the desert. The positive energy flows in through your right hand… and all the negative energy within you flows out through the left. Can you feel it passing through you? Can you feel the desert cleansing your soul?”

Perhaps it was the sun.

Perhaps it was the desert breeze gently brushing against my skin.

Perhaps it was the melodic tone of Tariq’s voice, his accent, the wisdom I so desperately wanted to hear in his words;

Whatever it was, I felt something that day.

I felt a connection.

I felt my energy become one with the earth.

I felt a pulse surging through me, a heat that rose up into the palm of my right hand and passed through my entire body before exiting back into the earth through my left hand.

At that moment, I felt what I can only describe as a sense of purification.

This is a new to me author, and I loved the premise of this series. I really enjoyed this novella! Unless this author has first hand knowledge of a lot of information that the general public doesn’t know, they did a great job researching this. I had no idea what an arenologist did, or even that it was a thing at all. And my knowledge of anything in Oman, other than it  being a desert was non-existent. However, the author presented it all in a way that made it easy to digest, and fascinating to read. If you don’t want to visit Oman after reading this novella, we need to have a chat. 🙂

Poor Arthur, still grieving and wanting to stay in his little apartment, in his leaking office, and not ever venture out again after his heartbreak. For him to be sent to a place he’d only seen on a map and had no notion what he was getting into, or even how to say “Hello” in the native language, this was very much out of his comfort zone. He bucked up though, and did his best. Meeting and spending time with Tariq really helped him to open back up and trust again. Arthur jumping in and helping when Tariq needed it the most, definitely hits you in the feels.

Tariq was such an amazing contrast, and it was lovely to read, since often you only hear the negative side of being LGBTQ+ within the bounds of the Muslim religion. He felt strongly that he could still honor and love his religion, do right by the world and the people around him, and be gay all at the same time. He was able to walk that line confidently. He cared so deeply about all those around him, and quickly drew Arthur into that circle.

Small side note, considering the impression that is often given about Muslim women, and that they are forced to be meek and defer to their husbands, she was so refreshing to read! She was sassy, clearly loved her family, no matter their faults, and was open and willing to letting an outsider such as Arthur come in and be welcomed. She was a favorite character, to be sure.

This just made me happy to read.

4 pieces of eye candy

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Robin Knight is the author of gay fiction novels, novellas, and short stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense, and gay comedies.

The heroes of Robin’s books love to spend their time jumping off the page, stumbling through misadventures, and falling in love.

Robin has worked in advertising, politics, journalism, and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories.

Connect with Robin:
www.authorrobinknight.com
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Pictures of You (’90s Coming of Age Book 1) by Leta Blake: New Release Review

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Peter Mandel is an 18-year-old private school senior who’s passionate about photography and bent on keeping his attractions secret. Enter Adam Algedi, a charming, worldly guy who doesn’t do labels, but does want to do Peter.

Swept away on a journey of first love and intimate discovery, Peter hopes for a future where he won’t have to hide his truth. But as the web of lies he and Adam are weaving grows relentlessly tangled, can Peter find the confidence to do the right thing? Or will his crush on Daniel, a college acquaintance, put him on a different path?

Join Peter in the first book of this critically acclaimed trilogy as he struggles to love and be loved and to grow into a man worthy of his own respect.

Leta Blake’s ’90s Coming of Age series is a must-read for fans of New Adult Romance and coming-of-age fiction.

This series by Leta Blake is an M/M New Adult Coming-of-Age Romance set in the early 1990s.

This is a rerelease and I had never read it before so I honestly don’t know if it was edited to add or remove anything. Just a head’s up if it sounds familiar to some of you.

Cue feeling super old. I’ve heard this series called historical. Historical. Sigh. The characters graduated high school two years after me. So yes, the story starts in 1990. And I loved that. So many things- movies, shows, etc, that are set in the 80’s or 90’s are SO over the top stereotypical. It was refreshing to read something that really represented that time.

On to the story. It’s a rollercoaster ride. 18 year old kids still in the closet because it was 1990. Unless you lived it, you don’t know. Looking back at my own high school life, there wasn’t a single out student. Now I need at least both hands to count who came out as gay just from my graduating class.

Sorry, focusing now. We have nerdy Peter starting a new private school for his senior year because of bullying at his previous school. He quickly meets the 2 other new seniors- Adam and Sarah. Diplomat brats who finally get to finish their high school career in one school. Adam is gorgeous and charming and nice and befriends Peter immediately. Even though Peter can’t understand why. Sarah is a sullen teen who is just cranky.

They start hanging out, Peter just waiting for Adam to realize he isn’t cool. But Adam isn’t like that. He isn’t the typical American teen who tries to be cool and popular and hang out with the cool and popular. They quickly become “best friends” and then more. Adam, the more experienced, is really patient with Peter. Even holding off on doing some things that Peter wanted. Obviously Sarah figures it out and tries to stop them constantly. Because she has seen what their father will do if he thinks his son is gay.

Once school starts, the more intricate the lies become. Even though they all hang as a group, Peter is often whispered about as gay. Enter Leslie, Adam’s now girlfriend. But he still wants to be with Peter. In secret. And Peter puts up with it. Now, at 50+ I would yell at my kindle that he deserves better. But to him, an 18 year old, not out but definitely gay nerdy kid who takes pictures….he wasn’t giving Adam up.

This story was really emotional. The hiding, the sneaking around, lying to friends and family, meeting and befriending a drag queen and her husband, it was a page turner. My heart broke for Peter every time Adam was with Leslie. And Peter just watched,

And Leslie really liked Peter as a friend. Which made the secret so much worse. Because she was a genuinely nice person. I think she guessed early on that Peter was gay, but never said anything. She had no idea about Adam though.

This book ends with them graduating high school, Adam and Sarah going to Italy to spend the summer with their parents and the rest of the friend group kind of splintering.

I don’t know that I’ve read a romance that was between 18 year olds that was just so well told.

I can’t wait to read more.

(Book 1 of 3 of a continuing story)

4.5 pieces of eye candy

This Will Hurt by Cara Dee: Release Blitz, Excerpt and Release Day Review

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Standalone Part I of II Angst Awakening Friends to Lovers Single Dad Slow Burn
Maybe the heart needs to break before one can put together the pieces correctly. This is Jake and Roe’s story.

I used to think leaving the Marines and moving to LA was the defining moment that changed my life. I was gonna become a documentary filmmaker and see the world through my camera. Then I met Roe Finlay.

Never in a million years could I have imagined…well, everything we went through. I sucked at expressing how I felt—which was emotionally stunted most of the time—but Roe seemed to get me. I became…dependent. Attached. Not in a sexual way or anything—I wasn’t gay. Far from it. Or bisexual like Roe, for that matter. No, this was different. I just wanted to be close to him. He made me laugh like no other. We were a fantastic team. We lived together. Worked together. He was my best friend.

He was everything. He was my defining moment.

Until he decided to commit to his f—to his girlfriend.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Just go home, you fucking moron. You don’t belong in LA.

I made my way across campus, feeling more out of place every time I left class.

I was leaving behind a good career in the Marines for…random classes at Santa Monica College. Learn videography in twelve weeks. Study the art of documentary filmmaking in one semester. Then I thought about why I’d left the service. How sick I was of seeing death through my lens. Combat photography had been such a fucking fluke anyway. I was infantry. I was more at home on the front lines in Afghanistan than… But no. No. No, I was here because I couldn’t stand the war anymore. I didn’t wanna see another dead soldier, hear another explosion, witness another crying child surrounded by blood and debris.

I went to the coffee shop on the corner of the street where Nikki worked. She had the car, and we’d go home together once she was off her shift.

I ordered a coffee and found an empty table by one of the windows.

Sounded pretty good, though, didn’t it? Go home with my girlfriend at the end of the day… Except, it was her car, her apartment, and my savings were almost gone. By next month, I’d have to take that bartending job in West Hollywood where the tips were so good.

By then, I’d be twenty-seven.

I retrieved my pen from the inner pocket of my jacket, and I opened the notebook.

Final project. Final project, final project, final project. I needed content. I understood filming. Documenting. But coming up with my own content for a fucking college class’s final project? I was doomed.

“There you are! Fuck, I thought I lost you, man.”

I furrowed my brow and glanced toward the man’s voice—that belonged to someone I definitely didn’t know. But he was coming toward my table, and he was staring right at me.

No, wait. I recognized him. He was in my class, wasn’t he? Out here, I had developed a radar for East Coast people, and he had a New York accent. Otherwise, not much about him stood out. Average height, dark hair, fairly fit, on the lanky side, probably a bit younger than me.

He sat down in front of me, out of breath, and removed his messenger bag. “Look, I’m just gonna come out and say it. I have two hundred bucks, I’m living in my truck, and I have one network connection that I desperately wanna use. He told me to send him my final project—see if he could make some calls—but as has become painfully clear in this class, videography isn’t my thing. I understand fuck-all about goddamn HDV, SxS, and the difference between standard definition and hi-def.” He leaned forward. “Dude, y’all were talking about memory cards, and I thought we were discussing a fucking festival in Austin.”

 That…was SXSW. South by Southwest.

 “Anyway—in short, I have an idea,” he went on. “There is an artistic approach to it, but I’ll admit, it’s more of a come-hither for networks, something I think will sell. To get a foot in the door. But I need a partner, and I’ve watched you in class. You know your way around the equipment and the editing software. When the professor asks his dumb, insane questions, you actually know the answers.”

Was this how he talked to people he’d never met before? I didn’t even know his name.

I guessed if you were desperate enough and living out of your car, you cut to the chase faster.

That might very well be me in the near future.

So if he had an idea…

I extended my hand. “I’m Jake.”

He gave me a puzzled look, before he seemed to remember he’d just jumped into the conversation with no preamble. Then he flashed a dimpled grin and shook my hand.

“Roe. It’s Monroe, but everyone calls me Roe.”

This book. This book reminded me of why I love Cara Dee’s writing. Not gonna lie, the past couple in The Game series were meh. But this one. This book. Stand alone (there’s a familial connection, but none play a part), with best friends, unrequited love, repressed homophobia, bi awakening, just a little bit of everything. Oh. And it’s vanilla. With a capital V.

Roe and Jake. They are the kind of best friends that are so obviously soul mates. (FTR, to me, soul mates don’t have to be romantic or sexual partners). They met in their mid 20’s and just…connected.

They lived together, worked together, supported each other and dreamed together.

Jake has a child with a former girlfriend and I ADORE the representation of 2 people co-parenting in a healthy way without hating each other. And Jake loves being a dad. It’s so great. And Roe just rolls with it. Like, ok cool, this kid will live with us part time. And call me Uncle Roe.

They go from broke to semi-famous. From documentary film-makers to podcasters, producers and hosts.

It’s a ride for sure. And it culminates at Jake’s 30th birthday party.

AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR BOOK 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sigh. Ok. But I need it. NEED. IT.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex. 

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. 

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write. 

Find Cara on social media here: https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

Guys Like Him (Redemption Ridge, Book 1) by Aimee Nicole Walker: RB, Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Redemption Ridge, Book 1

Kieran Sullivan is broken when he arrives at Redemption Ridge. A wrongful conviction and twenty months in lockup will do that to a man. The ranch is a place for second chances and fresh starts, but for him, it’s an opportunity to discover who set him up. Get in, get answers, and get out. The plan sounds easy enough until Kieran meets an equine specialist whose sunny smile could warm the coldest heart.

Finley Ashe is a sucker for bruised spirits and sad eyes. The horse whisperer and broken-boy magnet is six months into a hiatus from love when Kieran, the king of emotionally unavailable men, gets assigned to work under his supervision. Mutual attraction is gasoline on proximity’s flame, testing Finley’s resistance in new ways.

Priorities shift, shields come down, and truths get exposed. Will the inevitable combustion redeem Kieran and Finley or consume them?

Guys Like Him is book one in the Redemption Ridge series. Though each story features a different couple, reading the series in order is essential. Guys Like Him contains mature themes and is intended for adults.

Title: Guys Like Him
Author: Aimee Nicole Walker

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Thick gray clouds hovered overhead, rolling like the anger churning inside him. For the past year, he’d expressed his eagerness to put the past behind him and start fresh. That’s what the prison counselors and the people with power over him wanted to hear, so that was the bullshit he fed them. But privately, Kieran tended to his bitterness like a stew on the stove. He knew when to adjust the heat and which ingredients to add to the pot to keep his resentment sharp. And the fucking drab sky and clouds only antagonized him more.

For twenty months, his entire existence had been gray—the floors and walls, the food, and the pallor of the inmates’ skin. The only break in the monotony were the prison scrubs. He would happily go the rest of his life without seeing the color orange again. Kieran had foolishly allowed himself to daydream about the vibrancy he’d see on release day, but he’d just gotten more of the same. Everything around him was wet and shiny from the rain, but it was more of a piss on his parade than a refreshing, clean slate. Kieran’s olfactory senses zeroed in on the motor oil brought to the asphalt’s surface by the shower. It was a scent he knew all too well, and it became a match to his pilot light. Rainwater splashed up on his feet and shins as he walked, but his wrath made him impervious to the chill. Kieran reached inside the padded envelope, removed the wallet, and stuffed it into his back pocket. Then he tossed the envelope with the cell phone into the trash bin. The device was dead, the contract canceled, and there was no one on the contact list he wanted to speak to anymore.

A slight breeze stirred the air, and Kieran closed his eyes and tipped his head back. Yeah, he’d enjoyed fresh air during breaks in the yard, but they never lasted long enough and were controlled by someone else. He’d lived long enough like a marionette, and there was no better time to embrace free will. The weather wasn’t what he’d hoped for, but he got to enjoy it outside the fences, and that was a victory he’d stop and embrace.

A rumbling engine caught his attention, and he opened his eyes in time to see a black king cab truck with a silver Redemption Ridge logo stop in front of the facility. The guy behind the wheel wasn’t a chauffeur, but he was there for Kieran just the same. A year ago, he set a plan into motion, and Cash Sweeney’s presence proved it had worked.

Kieran’s good behavior had gained him access to the K9 programs at Arrowhead, where he’d met Cash and his dogs from Redemption Ridge. The front passenger window rolled down, and a familiar black-and-white head poked out. Patsy, a border collie, was the first dog he’d met during the program, and it had been love at first sight for them. It turned out Kieran had a sixth sense when working with animals, especially the shyest ones. His talents had captured Cash’s notice, and he’d offered Kieran employment and housing on his ranch, where he rehabilitated horses and dogs. Kieran’s participation in the program and the subsequent employment opportunity hadn’t been divine intervention or luck; it was all part of his carefully orchestrated plan.

Oooh, a new series by ANW! **rubs hands together** GIMME!

Set in Colorado on a ranch called Redemption Ranch, this is a long way from her previous books set in Savannah. Run by a former convict turned gazillionaire, the owner Cash likes to give people a chance after they get out of prison. He offers that chance to Kieran who served 20 months for car theft. But Keiran was set up and wants to get to the bottom of it. And how Cash, his new boss, is connected to it.

Keiran is kind of a typical kicked puppy kind of kind. Drug addict parents, tossed into the system at 10, no one held out much hope for him to make anything of himself. He wants to be at Redemption Ranch to do some digging. Find out how Cash is connected to his slimy exboyfriend. And while he is there, he plans to keep his head down, work hard and make no connections.

UNTIL he ends up working with the horses with Finley as his boss. Finley who likes to try to fix broken guys. But he wasn’t doing that anymore, right? Right. Six months clean. Even though his hippie mom (she’s fab!) is pushing him to try dating again.

Since both guys are swore off relationships, y’all can guess what happens. It is a romance after all. They did start out trying to be friends. They did pretty well at it. And even though Keiran really didn’t open up and say much, they still really enjoyed each other’s company and just hanging out together. But then they kiss.

And even though Keiran didn’t want to involve anyone, he does tell Finley a bit about his ex and taking the fall for him and wanting to catch him doing illegal car stuff. He doesn’t tell him about the Cash connection though.

There is a fun cast of characters as well. Finley’s mom, as I mentioned. But also his sister who is the cook at the ranch and a bunch of ranch hands with fun personalities.

Honestly, the vibe of this book reminded me a lot of the Clean Slate Ranch series by AM Arthur. And that’s not a bad thing at all. There are some key differences though, which makes it very easy to separate one from the other.

Keiran does get answers and closure. It was a little bit of a stretch for me, but still believable without going over the top.

I’m really looking forward to more!

4 pieces of eye candy

Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.

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