New Release Book Review: The Home Game by Brigham Vaughn

My Review

This is my favourite series by Brigham Vaughn and The Home Game giving Matty his HEA was a great read.

All Matty wants is someone to love, someone who loves him, and a family and in The Home Game he gets all he’s ever wanted.

Antoni is struggling to raise his deceased friend’s 4 children by himself, ranging from 6 months to 15 years old he has his hands full and is overwhelmed. He needs to find a new place to live as well as fight religious, homophobic grandparents for custody of the children. Enter his knight in shining armour Matty.

Matty is adorable and I’d love to find someone like him, but since I can’t manage that I’m glad Antoni did. He cares about everyone, often to his detriment, but that doesn’t stop him from stepping in when he can help Antoni with a place to live.

I really loved the friendship that bloomed between Matty and Antoni and the relationships he formed with the four kids. The kids were great characters and I enjoyed getting to know them all, especially Alexa and Eli.

Matty’s teammates and their partners are as supportive as I’d have expected, they are such a great bunch and while they have some concerns they still embrace Antoni and his children into their ‘family’.

It isn’t all smooth sailing, there are gossip sites to contend with, PR and the team coach, rash decisions made for the right reasons and conflict between Matty and his teammate and friend Dom. We get to find out a bit more about Dom, whose story will be the final book in the series.

This was another great read in the Relationship Goals series and I am looking forward to Dom’s book, he deserves his HEA.

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Blurb

Matty Carlson Playing House with Local Schoolteacher?

Toronto Fisher Cats enforcer, Matt Carlson, was recently spotted in the park with a hot mystery man and four children ranging in age from pre-teen to infant.

A close source indicates that the man is prep school English teacher, Antoni Bianchi, who has been spotted with Carlson in public recently.

Following the cozy park outing, Carlson was photographed with his arm around Bianchi as they returned to Carlson’s home, adding fuel to the speculation that the men are dating and, perhaps, living together.

Just friends or is something else heating up their late summer nights?

Since Carlson’s acrimonious divorce five years ago, he has not been romantically linked to anyone but rumors swirled of involvement with a man prior to the split.

Is the enforcer ready to “switch teams” for good?

When asked to comment on her ex’s sexuality, aspiring actress Courtney Quinn stated, “I don’t know why everyone is surprised. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s been with a man.”

Sour grapes from a jilted lover or secrets from his past revealed?

Check the JockGossip blog for all of the latest developments in this intriguing new chapter of Carlson’s life.

TRIGGER WARNING:

The story contains discussions about the death of background characters in a car accident, children being orphaned, and grieving.

Mentions of biphobia, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, and violence against non-binary characters.

Spell the Month in Books #1 – February – Comfort Reads

Seen on The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog, Spell the Month in Books is run by Jana at Reviews From the Stacks a pretty straightforward monthly linkup. Find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! The linkup opens on the first Saturday of the month and remains open through the end of the month so that you can participate whenever is convenient.

This month’s theme is Comfort Reads I’ve picked books I’ve loved and that I’ve either read more than once or would if I had the time to do so.

Facing the Flame by Jackie French

Embrace Me by Beck Grey

Black Diamonds by Kim Kelly

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

Up on Horseshoe Hill by Penelope Janu

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

The Road to Gundagai by Jackie French

Yellow Light by Theresa Smith

Have you read or enjoyed any of these books? What would your comfort reads be for FEBRUARY?

I have to say, this was a harder challenge than I first thought, but it was good to revisit some favourites.

#ThrowbackThursday #1 February 2024

I was asking Davida from The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog for some ideas of memes I could join in with and she suggested I could join her twist on #ThrowbackThursday.

The gist of her Throwback Thursday is to highlight one of your previously published book reviews. I love this idea as it brings to people’s minds wonderful books they might have forgotten or not even heard of.

For the Twists/Instructions for Throwback Thursday visit her here. I’m going to try and keep the same schedule she does, the Thursday before the first Saturday of every month, but you can link to her blog all month.

I’d love to know if you join in.

For my first #ThrowbackThursday post I have gone with a review I originally published on 1st February 2021. I can’t believe it was three years ago I read this fabulous novel, it might be time for a reread.

The Truth & Addy Loest by Kim Kelly

This was a story I didn’t want to end.

As I got pulled deeper and deeper into Addy’s story, drawing several parallels to some of my own struggles, I wanted to stay there with her as she dealt with those struggles, the stories her brain told her, the encounter with the woman who owned the curiosity shop, beautiful and tender-hearted Dan, her brother Nick and her ever grieving father.

Addy is so like many broken parts of me, so many broken parts of many others, but she shines brightly even as she doesn’t see it, even as she doubts everything about herself and thinks she is dying.

As always Kim Kelly brings to the fore important issues, not just of then, but of now. The fight for women to be treated with respect and not as an object for a man to drool over or take advantage of, the fight to not be afraid. She deals with past injustices of the war, both WWI and WWII, and the effects felt generations on by those who come after and carry those memories in their cells. She touches on the need to hide who we are from those we love, to protect ourselves and them. How hard it was to be gay in the 80s, not that it is easier now for many, but as a society, it is much more accepted.

Click here to read the rest of this review and find out more about the book

New Release Book Review: Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume By Vawn Cassidy

Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed, Book 4

Review

4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I am enjoying this series so much, I love the whole cast of regular characters and enjoy getting to know them all better in each book. Tristan and Danny are such a cute couple and I love how supportive and loving they are with each other.

This was a much more lighthearted read, except for the failing health of Tristan’s dad and the meeting with Danny’s family.

Tris and Danny decide to go away for a few days during the Christmas holidays as they don’t get much downtime together due to everything that has been going on for the past year, the whole saving the world thing does start to its toll. Danny books a hotel in the Yorkshire Moors but it isn’t the nice peaceful romantic getaway they were hoping for.

There are ghosts aplenty in the hotel and they inadvertently book in when they are running a murder mystery night. Dusty makes some ridiculous and fun appearances throughout and they all get caught up in areal crime.

A fun read with an ending that lets you know in the next book they will have some serious issues to deal with once again. Evil is still lurking and their reprieve is over. I can’t wait for the next book in the Dead Serious series.

About the book

Inspector Danny Hayes has something very important to ask his boyfriend Tristan Everett. Over the past six months they’ve survived reapers, chaos monsters, and biblical storms, not to mention averting an apocalypse. So, what’s left to do but pop the big question?

Tristan is ready for a break from world-saving, spectral crises, and most definitely from ghosts. He wants some one-on-one time with his boyfriend, preferably horizontally. So when the incredibly thoughtful aforementioned boyfriend books a romantic New Year’s getaway at a quiet little hotel in the wilds of the North Yorkshire moors and away from London, Tristan can’t wait.

But as usual nothing ever goes according to plan. Snowed in during an unexpected murder mystery weekend at what turns out to be one of the most haunted hotels in Northern England is not what they had in mind, and when one of the actors turns up really dead not just fake dead, they once again find themselves caught up in another investigation.

With only one night to figure out who the killer is while wrangling a multitude of overly helpful ghosts, Tristan begins to wonder if romance really is dead…

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New Release Book Review: Tortured Tones by Tania Joyce

Tortured Tones (The Flintlocks Book 3) is Cole’s story, the drummer in the band, Cole has demons that haunt him and as he continues to run from those demons, he finds himself overdoing everything in his life except for making real connections. When he finds himself a dad, he doesn’t want the responsibility and he certainly doesn’t want to change his lifestyle, but more than that he doesn’t think himself worthy of being a father to a little girl. I enjoyed seeing Cole grow in the face of taking on the responsibility of raising his daughter and loved seeing him fall in love with her, at times my heart hurt for him and I loved seeing him genuinely happy by the end.

The bodyguard trope isn’t always a favourite of mine and I didn’t overly like the romance between Cole and his bodyguard Ava. As with the other females in the series, I found it took me a while to start to like her. As she started to relax around Cole and open up to him about her marriage and her son, I got a better feel for her and by the end, I hoped she and Cole could make a go of it. Ava’s husband was a nasty guy and I will never understand the vindictiveness of some people.

It was good to catch up with the guys from The Flintlocks again, it’s good to know Flint and Sutton are still going strong as are Lewis and Tia. I’m looking forward to Slip’s story and really hoping he finds the right girl.

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THE BLURB

Playboy drummer, Cole Tanner, is hit with a life-altering bombshell—he’s a father to a three-year-old girl, left in his custody after her mother’s tragic death.

Thrust into parenthood, Cole is forced to confront the secrets and nightmares he’d kept hidden for years.

The last thing Cole needs is his new, no-nonsense bodyguard, Ava Matthews, telling him what to do, though Ava seems hell-bent on keeping Cole in line during his band’s tour.

But when sparks fly between them, Cole discovers she has custody battles of her own. Resisting their unrelenting connection becomes a constant struggle but Ava and Cole aren’t willing to gamble with their hearts, her career or the future care of their children.

When security threats escalate and touring takes its toll on Cole, will he risk everything for Ava, or will his tortured past destroy the lives of everyone he loves yet again?

AMAZON LINK for US, UK, CAD, AUS

AMAZON

NOTE: Paperbacks will hopefully also be live by release date and will be available via Amazon.

Read my thoughts on

Scarred Strings (Book 1)

Broken Bridges (Book 2)

First Lines Friday

I first saw this featured on The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog & The Geekish Brunette and since I am trying to be more active on my blog this year, I thought I’d give it a go.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers that was originally hosted by Emma @ (the apparently, now defunct) Wandering Words (don’t click on the link, it isn’t there anymore).

However, the lovely Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower not only does a similar weekly meme, she also hosts a weekly link party to go with it! So, if you decide to do one of these yourself, you might want to join her link party as well!

What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? To participate, you only need to do three things

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read, one you read long ago, or one on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

Simple, right? So, without any further ado…

I’m picking my current read

It had been six hours, thirty two minutes, and twelve seconds since I’d read the letter that changed my life. Downing another mouthful of vodka straight from the bottle, I stared at the page lying on my coffee table. Bile mixed with a bucketload of booze swirled through my belly. The Christmas party nightmares and hazy memories that had haunted me for years had turned out to be real. But I’d never expected to land in living hell.

Does this first paragraph draw you in and make you want to read it?

Here’s the blurb

Playboy drummer, Cole Tanner, is hit with a life-altering bombshell—he’s a father to a three-year-old girl, left in his custody after her mother’s tragic death.

Thrust into parenthood, Cole is forced to confront the secrets and nightmares he’d kept hidden for years.

The last thing Cole needs is his new, no-nonsense bodyguard, Ava Matthews, telling him what to do, though Ava seems hell-bent on keeping Cole in line during his band’s tour.

Ava won’t tolerate Cole’s dirty mouth or fall for his seductive charm. And when sparks fly between them, Cole discovers she has custody battles of her own. If they succumb to the unrelenting blaze burning between them, she could lose not only her career but also her son.

As Cole clings to his wild ways, Ava has him doubting every move. When the demands of touring take their toll, he questions his ability to be the father his child needs. Will Cole’s tortured past strip away everyone he loves yet again, including his daughter who keeps edging her way deeper into his heart?

And the book is …

TORTURED TONES is an emotional, heart-wrenching single dad vs single mom, forbidden bodyguard rockstar romance, with a ton of steamy sizzle and everything is at stake . . . oh, and it may cause a few tears.

I’ll post my review next week and let you know what I thought, but Tania Joyce has never let me down so far.

Book Review: Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room by Kim Kelly

Winner of Independent Publisher Finlay Lloyd’s inaugural 20/40 Prize 2023

Once again Kim Kelly has taken me from the here and now and this time transported me to Sydney in the 1920s. It is here I met Clarinda and Dotty, two very different women on the surface, and both of whom I connected with immediately.

I don’t want to give too much of this wonderful story away which makes it hard to know what to write.

Dotty and Clarinda’s lives intersected the first time when they were at school, though they weren’t friends, then came the war and with it many losses and much grief, neither woman’s life has gone the way they thought it would. A chance interaction at the Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room of Farmer’s Department Store sets off a string of events that has the potential for healing, understanding and a shot at happiness that neither expected.

I have to say I loved the ending, I finished with a feeling of hope for a better future for both Dotty and Clarinda.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy of Kim Kelly’s award-winning novella and meeting Dotty and Clarinda for yourselves.

Purchase link

New Release Books Reviews: Merry Elf-Mas – Multi-Author series

The Merry Elf-Mas multi-author series. Each story can be read as a standalone, but why not come along for the ride as each of Santa’s elves finds love during the holidays?

Jingle by Morgan Lysand

I adored Shae and Trace, lifelong best friends who have managed to keep their friendship going despite living on other sides of the country. Until Trace decides it’s time to return to Shae and Frostdale not realising that they both have more than just friendship feelings for the other.

Shae was such a fun ray of sunshine and would do anything for anyone he cared about. I loved how he rallied all the elves and made working at Santa’s Village such a fun experience for them all. I loved how Trace adored how fun Shae was and wanted to take care of him.

This friends-to-lovers, sweet, sexy, no-angst Christmas read was just the perfect book to start this series.

About the book

It’s Christmas time again and Shae can’t wait to slide into Jingle—his elf persona—for a few weeks at the Frostdale mall. The costumes, the scents, the bright laughter, his friends. It all fuels him for the rest of the year. What he doesn’t anticipate is his entire world changing when his best friend moves back home after being away for eight long years.

Trace has had one goal in mind since his family moved away from Frostdale and that’s to get back. He’s finally saved enough money after college, and he’s home just in time for the holidays. He doesn’t expect to see Shae as anything other than his best friend, but once they’re together again, sparks fly and he can’t help but realize he wants something more.

Jingle is a best friends to lovers, sweet and spicy MM romance featuring a talented pianist that moonlights as a mall elf every Christmas and a web developer that wants to help unwrap him.

Juniper Evergreen by Kota Quinn

I adored Juniper and Alec, workmates to housemates to lovers this was another sweet sexy read with a gorgeous bear of a man who is down on his luck and a hot younger man who adores bears and loves to show them who’s boss in the bedroom as well as take care of him outside of it. These two fit together so well and I really enjoyed spending time with them.

After meeting Juniper in Jingle, I was looking forward to his turn to fall in love. Like all of the characters who are part of Santa’s Village, Juniper and Alec are very likeable and you can’t help but cheer them on as they find their perfect person.

There are plenty of sweet moments and some humourous ones as their romance kicks off and they fall hard and fast.

About the book

June:

I never imagined I’d be starting over at the age of thirty-six, but when I lose my landscaping job due to seasonal cutbacks, my boyfriend of six years decides to dump me as well. Just like that, I’m forced to sleep on my mom’s old sofa while I look for a job. I never expected to be a mall elf, but here I am in a crazy costume, trying to avoid the sexy photographer that looks more like a supermodel than the guy behind the camera.

Alec:

It was just supposed to be one night. A moment of weakness between me and my grumpy coworker. But when I realize how June is living, my dominant and protective side flares up and I offer him a place to stay. As if June isn’t distracting enough with his larger body, sexy tattoos, and love for Christmas movies, now we’re roommates, and he’s so freaking tempting.

Juniper Evergreen is a roommates-to-lovers, age gap, MM romance featuring a beautiful photographer with “Big Daddy Energy” and a landscaper trying to find his way in life.

Sugar Cookie by A.E Madsen

Sugar Cookie was an age-gap, best friend’s son romance with plenty of spice.

Nate aka Sugar Cookie (another elf from Santa’s Village) hooks up with Clark for the night neither realising that Clark is his dad’s best friend home for the holidays.

While Clark is initially shocked when he discovers who Nate is, Nate isn’t backwards in letting him know he’s up for a repeat. And this older man is no match for Nate when he wants something as bad as he wants Clark.

Feelings get involved quickly and any doubts get cast aside as both decide their happiness comes first with or without their family’s approval.

Sometimes age really is just a number and Nate and Clark made a sweet couple.

About the book

Clark
Forty-years-old, divorced, and cruising dating apps for a hookup. Maybe I’m having a mid-life crisis, but don’t I deserve to cut loose a little? How was I supposed to know the guy I matched with was my best friend’s son? It’s been years since I’ve seen him. I should tell him it was a one-time thing, but it’s harder to tell him no than I thought.

Nate
I’m working two jobs and saving up for culinary school. I’m not looking to settle down and have a relationship, but sometimes I need to scratch an itch. When I run into my most recent one-night stand in my living room, I know once won’t be enough. He’s only in town for the holidays, so it’s the perfect opportunity for us to mess around. No strings attached. Sugar Cookie is a dad’s best friend, age gap, MM romance.

Holli Jolly by Freesia Woodley

One of my favourite tropes, the fake boyfriend, Jack and Holli are exactly what the other needs. Holli needs a Daddy and Jack needs a boy and these two were made for each other.

Holli Jolly is one of Santa’s elves and Jack is the owner of the mall Santa’s Village is in, both are so different from the other, but boy they did work so well together. I loved Jack’s little girl, she was adorable and claimed Holli as hers even before Jack did.

While Jack’s sister is a horrible person, Holli’s family (except his parents) are just the best and I love the welcome they have for Jack and his daughter and how they accept him into their family straight away.

This was another sweet, sexy and fun read in this series.

About the book

Holli

Who knew returning a toddler to her dad would turn my world upside down? Now I’m pretending to be the fake boyfriend of the richest guy in town. Between school and work, my life is messy enough. As Jack and I get closer, though, I find myself falling for him and his gentle guidance. Maybe my cousin was right and I need a Daddy after all.

Jack

Since turning forty, I’d all but given up on finding my dream boy. Then fate dropped Holli into my lap. He says he doesn’t have time for a relationship, but I can see he needs me. My sister’s gala is the perfect excuse to get closer to this stubborn boy. I’ll win him over and we’ll have a Holli Jolly Christmas.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of past parental abuse, on page gaslighting by a sibling

Snowdrop by Essie Sloane

The final book in the series Snowdrop was another sweet, fun and sexy read.

I loved Noel and Billy aka Santa and Snowdrop the elf. I’ve enjoyed Billy’s character throughout the series, so getting to know him better, along with Noel in this book was great.

Noel might have been the older of the two, but Billy knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it and he wanted Noel; Noel didn’t stand a chance. Initially worried about their age difference Noel fights his attraction, but once he starts getting to know Billy properly the age gap flies out the window.

I loved seeing Noel gain confidence in himself due to Billy being determined to make him see how wonderful he was, it was nice to have it the other way around, the younger man building the older man up.

A sweet read and an enjoyable Christmas series.

About the book

Billy

I thought I was prepared for everything a busy December could bring: my upcoming drag show, my delivery gig, the cater waitering, and of course the latest job as a mall elf. What I didn’t count on was an incredibly sexy Santa Claus. From the first time I saw him, I knew that he was all I wanted for Christmas.

Now the only question is how do I get him wrapped up in a bow and under my tree?

Noel

Boredom and a favour for a friend led me to the last place I expected to spend the month before Christmas: playing Santa at Frostdale Mall. And being a mall Santa led me to the person I least expected. Billy is outgoing, flirtatious, and way too young for me. Yet I just can’t seem to get him off my mind.

Lusting after an elf is a surefire way to get on the Naughty List, right?

Snowdrop is an age gap, size difference, drag queen and construction worker MM Romance between a mall Santa and his elf.