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*verified purchase April 2020* I loved Always, and I waited for so long for this, the followup, so very long. And I struggled. It took me 2 months to read this, I had to read a little bit at a time, because I found it such hard work and I have no flipping idea WHY! It is a lovely story, I did love the feathers thing. Both Robert and Landon have their say. I just . . . don't know! I did finish it though, so . . 3 stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolubrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. Thornton runs into the side of Asher's car and neither man will ever be the same again. Thornton is a Daddy, and he wants Asher for his boy, but Asher doesn't have a clue about the lifestyle or what being a little means. Can Thornton make Asher see that he needs him, that they need each other? I really REALLY enjoyed this book! I've been struggling with a lot of reading at the moment, and to be honest, Daddy/littles haven't really been my thing but this one twanged something when I read the blurb, and I am so glad I gave it a go! Poor Asher! He really is a wreck about most things, everyday things cause him into meltdowns and he is struggling just to function. Cue getting sideswiped in the rain, and Asher is losing it, big time. Then a voice cuts through the panic and Asher can just breathe (as much as fractured ribs will allow) and Asher falls hard and fast for Thornton. Thornton, while feeling incredibly guilty for crashing his car into Asher's, feels a pull to Asher that he never felt before. Just seeing him in that wreck calls to his inner Daddy so far and so deeply, Thornton cannot resist. But Asher thinks he is damaged, and Thornton knows that isn't the case, he just needs to make Asher see. I've tagged this BDSM but there is actually very little of the "usual" stuff, just some spanking, and talk about power exchange and a Dom/sub relationship that is in this book for Thornton's best friends. It is HEAVY on the emotional side of things though, and I think that's what carried me through, watching Asher get out of his head, and into his little for his Daddy. Thornton's emotions are all over the place too, but I didn't feel them as deeply as I did Asher's. It is also incredibly SWEET in places, hence the warm and fuzzies tag. Both voices are clear and you really do get into Asher's head when he starts to meltdown. Very well written scenes when Asher loses it and Thornton brings him back. I'm interested in reading about Damian and Syed (the D/s relationship here), Thornton's best friends, but MORE so about another pairing that blossomed towards the end of this book. Madi, who is Asher's best friend, and Trent, who is Thornton's younger brother. That pairing would be a Mummy/little relationship, and I'm really rather curious about that one! Not quite hitting those 5 stars, but so very nearly! 4 stars **same worded review will appear elsehwere**

Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book. So, cute! Really a rather amusing read, not laugh out loud funny, but one of those that kept me chuckling at random points long the way. Twig is half dragon, half fairy and cannot shift. Quinn is traded (yes, traded) with Twig as payment for services to find the unicorn's horn. Quinn thought he was a wizard, but failed the last test to find a familiar, and was bought by said unicorn as a slave. Twig and Quinn must work together to find the horn, but also to find themselves. I liked this, a lot. It is busy though! Lots going on, lots of side characters, and lots and lots of action! I got a bit concerned when zombies were mentioned! Usually I steer clear of book that mention the Z word in the blurb and I must have missed it in this one, but the zombies here are only on page long enough to be . . destroyed . . by someone(spoilers, don't ya know!), so I didn't have to worry about them too much. I liked all the twists that were thrown at Twig and Quinn. The shifting, or not as the case may be for Twig. The wizard thing for Quinn. What I didn't like was how FAST the book moved. There was no let up, once Quinn and Twig were off after the horn, not one! It was one thing after another and another and they had no time to process what happened at each encounter before moving on to the next. I also didn't like we didn't get to hear from Quinn. Yes I knw that might have given some things away way before they were literally thrown at us, but still. I wanted to know about what the unicorn had done to Quinn, it is hinted at, and then . . left. So while you can put the pieces together, I still wanted to hear it from Quinn, you know?? A fun read, just far too fast moving, and I wanted a page or three to catch up! 4 good solid stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. For the most, I did enjoy this. Couple of things let it down, for ME, and I'll enplain shortly. Dallas is called up by an acqaintance, is best to describe him, to cash in on a favour owned. Someone needs protecting, and the acquaintance needs something from this someone to keep her safe. There follows a lot of double crossing, back stabbing and general underhandedness you would expect from an organised crime boss, and an organisation that walks under the radar of most things. From what I can gather, this is actually a spin off from another series, The Nicci Beauvior series and Dallas plays a huge part in the 2nd and 3rd book in that series. Some reviewers of THIS have said you should read THOSE books to get the full picture of what Dallas went through, and how he came to where he is now. Personally, I don't think it's really necessary. There is enough recapped and retold here, for you to get the picture, or for ME anyway, to get enough of the picture to fill in the gaps and for this story to flow. I was a little concerned at first that this would be a bit too complicated for my addled brain (April 2020, you get my drift?) to cope with, but it's good. There is a good, intriguing plot to follow, but it's not ever so complex that you have to concentrate too hard on, you know? It's ENOUGH to make you think, to excerise the grey matter, and just enough to keep you engaged til the end. What let it down for ME were two things. Only Dallas has a say. I would like to have heard from Gwen, the someone who Dallas is called to keep safe. I get maybe some of the plotline would be given away, yes, but still I wanted to hear from her, and (job aside) what she thought of Dallas and what leads her to make the offer she does. And Dallas himself was very . . standoffish? . .maybe not quite the right word, but I struggled to connect with Dallas, made more difficult because only his voice is heard. Had Gwen had a say, I could have coped better, or maybe connected earlier, with Dallas. I LOVED Cleveland and Stokes, two of Dallas' operatives. Their banter has, I'm sure, far deeper roots and far further reaching branches, than is currently showing. A very engaging 4 stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Indpendent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book. For the most part, I did enjoy this book. Its about a selkie, and I had to look up what a selkie was, because I really didn't know and so this is the first selkie book I've read. Gregory is an alpha selkie, and Daniel a human omega. That Gregory can recognise his fated mate by sound is different, and there are lots of subtle differences to shifter lore in the book, and I really enjoyed that. But Daniel is like a flipping ping pong ball, back and forth, almost through the whole book, and I got a bit dizzy keeping up with him! I mean, one minute he wants to mate with Gregory, then he reads something, and he doesn't. Then his friend says something, and he does. Then Gregory says something and Daniel is against it again. I really wanted to slap Daniel and make him make a decision. I liked Gregory's mum getting involved but she does go a bit too far at points. Love Henri, Daniel's best friend. Loved Winston, who is Gregory's best friend too. Loved how he was all, "oh, okay then, thats us done, then, right?" when Gregory tells him he met his fated mate. Both Daniel and Gregory have a voice, in the first person. I loved that Gregory's voice is what I call "proper" and Daniel makes reference to it being a Victorian voice. Gregory likes to use whole words, and proper words, rather than to shorten them to the modern version. I LOVED that neither Gregory or Daniel was shortened though! From what I can see, this is the first I've read of this author (unless something pops up in a box set somewhere) Will I read more? I will certainly give them a go. Will I continue with this series? I hope to be able to. I loved that I saw the next book going one way, but then was thrown for a loop later on. So, a good book, with a difference, but one that doesn't quite hit *that* spot, you know? 3 good solid stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book. This is book 2 in the Deviant Hearts series, but it can totally be read/listened to as s stand alone book. Dashel and Billy from book one do pop up, but they are not central to the plot. I do, however, suggest you DO read/listen to Captive Hearts, cos you know, I said so! Lee is out of the police force, after one particular undercover operation tips him over the edge and is currently building his security business. Finding the cafe to wait out the storm brings Dominic into his life, and things are not ever going to be the same again. Dominic is head of a campaign to save a rundown pub from development, and its floundering. A saviour comes to help, but is he all he seems? So! Again, I need to say, usually I try to keep two seperate parts to my audio reviews, one for the book and one for the narration. Increasingly, especially with first person books, I can't do that. So not gonna really try to! Lee is part of the plot of Deviant Hearts, and I knew when I was listening to that book, I needed to hear his story. So glad I got the chance! There is immediate attraction between lee and Dominic, that much is obvious, but what I particularly liked about this one is that much of the "action" is off page! Go figure, me, who likes her books down and dirty, and this one . . .isn't so much! Oh don't get me wrong, it's hot and it's sexy, it's all just that little bit out of reach and I really did love that. There was MUCH going on, aside from the romance between Lee and Dominic. MUCH. There is the campaign to save Charlie's. There is Dominic's ex, who he has to work with, still trying to get back with Dom. Lee's ex, causing him problems too. There is the new guy taking up the baton for Charlie's too. Dom's dad is trying to make amends with him for what he did all those years ago, and Lee's business is taking up a lot of his time. All of these items come together in a spectactular fashion! Dan Calley again narrates. The man is growing on me, big time! He gets over all of Lee's need to be ENOUGH for Dominic, to be the best he can, regardless of what his ex said. Calley gets over every single alarm bell that Lee has about *everything*! But I loved that Lee is listening to his instincts, and Calley gets that feeling across beautifully. Calley gets over every single thing Dom thinks of his father, of his brother, and how much he loves his little sister. What Dom feels about Tiger, the ex. What Dom feels when all becomes shockingly clear and how much that hurts him. And Calley gets over every single thing Dom feels when things come to a head. You can READ the words, and you get a picture, you know, but LISTENING to them? Paints a totally different picture to the one you read. It's why I really enjoy listening to a book AFTER I've read them. There is a third book, but I'm not entirely sure where the characters in that book fit in with Billy and Dashel, or with Lee and Dominic, but I look forward to listening to that, when it comes out in audio. I don't like to flip between listening and reading in the same series, it sor of spoils it for me a bit. 5 stars for the book 5 stars for the narration 5 stars overall. **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. This is book three in the Arizona Raptors series. It says that it is not a stand alone and you should read books one and two first, however, I don't think its entirely NECESSARY, but it certainly would help. I have read those two books, and they were both solid 4 star reads. THIS one, though, is a whole different kettle of fish! I LOVED this book! You feel for Henry. His life has taken a turn he didn't expect. The man who was using him, almost killed him. His money is all gone, and he is living in someone else's house, mansion, all by himself. His hockey is on the line, because of the accident and his mind is on a downward spiral. Enter Apollo. Apollo is the best friend of Adler, the man paying for the house, who is Henry's brother's friend. Apollo is at a loose end since Adler is all loved up, and Apollo needs some sun. So Apollo goes to Arizona to look after Henry while he gets backs on his feet and back onto the ice. Apollo is just the kind of man Henry wants, but who would want a washed up hockey player who might go blind? Apollo clearly wants Henry, but he is supposed to be going home at the end of the summer. Can he let his heart take the break? This one is my favourite of the three, it really is. It had me crying in places, laughing in others. Shouting at the kindle, and cheering away. I wanted to wrap Henry up in cotton wool and I wanted to smack him upside the head. Apollo too! There are numerous references to The Harrisburg Railers players and pop ups from all the major players and team from this series. I loved that. The relationship between Apollo and Henry is slow and sweet, and I loved that. They grow into each other, you know, as the book progresses. It's beautifully written, and gave me so many feels! Ryker Madsen is Henry's team mate, he plays the same line (although, to be honest, I have no idea what that actually means, I just thought someone MIGHT!) and HIS book was in the Owatonna U Hockey series. I did NOT like Ryker in that book. He does redeem himself in that series somewhat, but HERE? As Henry's best friend, that kid done good! So, as a totally irrelevent point, Ryker? I forgive you! So, my favourite of the three so far, but I know there is one more out later this year. 5 stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. So, there I was, merrily reading away. Enjoying this book, not a 5 star read, but a very good solid four star. Some minor typos, but they might be cos of the changing file thing. A good solid 4 star read, that piqued my interest enough to keep going. And then, in the VERY last chapter, followed by the EPILOGUE, it all changed! I mean, it made the whole bloody book flip on it's head! And it's gonna be really REALLY hard not to write spoilers into this review, so if it's vague, I ain't sorry! Paislee takes a job as a blood donor, a donateur for Michael, a Cardinalis, (not EVER a vampire!) When Michael's vicious half brother takes a shine to Paislee, things become deadly, both for Paislee and Michael. Then The Order become involved and Michael has a fight on his hands to keep Paislee safe, and more importantly, to keep her HIS. Like I said, plodding along, nicely. Moving at speed in places, and little slower in others. Sexy at points, but deadly in others. Sufficiently different in the 'vampire' (Sorry, Michael!) lore to be interesting. These guys don't combust in the sun or sparkle, either! They have a usual sleep pattern, they eat food. So, I enjoyed all that. Both Michael and Paislee have a say, as do a couple of other characters. The story concludes, or so I thought, in a way I expected it to, mostly. Michael's brother doesn't quite get the ending I was expecting but still. It all comes to a head and is wrapped up nicely. THEN! Michael's mother says something, and the doctor says something and then the doctor says something else and . . . . .cliff hanger people! I mean a proper, spit you dummy out, throw your toys out the pram and throw your kindle at the wall so hard it bounces off and scares the cat! I had to double back a couple of times, to reread what was said by whom, to put the pieces together, and still I have no bloody idea what's going on! So, for a first book . . .very well played Ms Sterling! For a first in series, because there is much unfinished here, very well played. For that bloody cliff hanger . . . 5 full and shiny stars! **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. Bok two in the Lancaster Falls trilogy. I would say you really SHOULD read book one, What Lies Beneath, before this one. There is a underlaying story line that runs through all three and you need the information that comes out in that book. Drew returns home when his brother's remains are discovered. Logan is a cop in town, and the pair butt heads. But deeper than the need to know what happened to his brother, Drew finds he needs Logan at his side. Both men have their secrets, though. As the town reveals its darker side, Drew and Logan have to decide whether the other is worth the heartache. So, book 2 and Lancaster Falls is giving up its secrets. Darker, deadly and so much MORE than book one, I LOVED this! Drew ran, after Casey disappeared and did not return. He said some things, his mum said some things and they fell out, and Drew ran away to the army. Now, with Casey's body being found, Drew returns to face not only his own demons, but Casey's too. Logan is a distraction, one he will willing use to attempt to shut out his problems. Logan will, in turn, use Drew but to a lesser extent. Their first coming together is angry, its a battle, and its glazed over in a way that I really and honestly LOVED! I mean, the whole scene is a couple of pages, but it packs a powerful punch. It sets the way for these two, in a way I really enjoyed watching develop, and in a way I really didn't quite see coming. Something set me off about certain people, and turns out, I was right, but now I'm left with some questions about how things will become clear as to what happened, not only to Casey, but the others. Again, nothing is laid out for you, and I find myself putting bits together all wrong and now, I want book three! I NEED book three and I have to wait til June. I need to know what happened to everyone, and what that epilogue means, cos let me tell ya, I have no freaking clue how this will play out and I bloody LOVE that I don't! 5 more amazing stars! **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. You know what? I really REALLY enjoyed this book! You'll laugh at me though, cos its first person, present tense AND multi point of view! If you follow my reviews, you'll know that this, for ME, is the worst way for a book to be written and I have dumped many a book when realising it is written this way. I am, however, so very glad I did NIT dump this one! So, I went to look to see what else I have read by Ms Dale, and lookit! This is the first book by this author name and I was extremely impressed! I love the family legend of how each and every one of them would know who their other half was instantly, much like you get with the mates thing in shifter books, but there are no shifters in this book. A witch is mentioned, when Owen is telling Tristan about the legend, and the family legend itself borderes on paranormal, but thats all. I loved that who was causing problems for Tristan wasn't obvious, and there were a lot of red herrings thrown about! I loved Stella, Tristan's daughter, and how Owen took to her immediately, with the help of his dog, Huck and that Owen had that MINE moment for Stella as well as Tristan. It's deeply emotional in places, hilarious in others. Dark and very deadly in places, and super sexy in others. Owen's family are a lot of fun, but Tristan's are . . not so much. I loved the hints that pop up to maybe future books in this series, and I hope I picked those clues up correctly. Be fun, I think, but I sense some of them might be way WAY more emotional than Tristan's! Can't quite stretch to 5 stars, but a good solid, GREAT . . 4 star read! **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

I had the enormous honour to beta read this book. Laura opens her dream business, a book/coffee shop. A book she doesn't remember ordering pulls her attention and draws her into a wonderful story of love. But Laura doesn't expect to ever find the kind of love she reads in the book. Then, she meets Simon and Laura begins to wonder, what is real and what is not. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful tale of a a book shop owner falling in love, not only in the pages of this mysterious book, but in real life too. when the connection between the book and Laura's friends becomes clear, a LOT of things begin to make more sense. I'm not saying they didn't before then, but it's like a light bulb moment, and the penny drops and all the little hints and clues come together and you can see the bigger picture. Its on the sweet side, with just some kissing, but I liked that (which Ms Morgan found kinda funny, considering what I usually like to read) The book does NOT need the explicitness, because it is sweet, and cute and all kinds of warm and fuzzies that makes you glow inside after reading it! The love between Laura and Simon grows, steadily thoughout the book, and I liked that it wasn't rushed. There were powerful feelings, from the very begininng, from Laura and between her and Simon, but it takes time for those feelings to become clear for her. Only Laura has a say though, and I think if he had, I would have enjoyed this just that little bit more. Still a delightful tale, of finding love wherever you find can. 4 stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. *insert sigh* *insert another sigh* I wanted to love, to even LIKE this book but I struggled, to be honest. Mostly, because of two things. Only Sasha has a say, and she grated on me, she really did. I can't say WHY, and I'm more annoyed that I cannot voice WHY she got my back up and got on my nerves, but she did. And because Caleb isn't given a voice, I very nearly dumped it, because she drove me nuts at points! AND First person/present tense. Even if caleb had been given a voice, with the book written this way, I would have enjoyed it a bit more, I think. You could see the "situation" developing at the hospital, with the other nurse, coming at ay like a train wreck, and you can't stop, but it is nice for everything to be laid out for you once in a while. There were SOME surprises though, so i enjoyed that. I'm sorry, a short review, but I really am struggling to make sense. I finished it, though, and I promised myself that I would give a book 3 stars if I finished it, even if I didn't really like so. Will I read other books in the series? Probably not, no. By this author? I'll give Ms Smith another try, certainly. 3 stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. I am struggling with my review for this one, and I have no idea if any of this will make sense you, since I'm struggling to make sense of the book. Positives: It's well written. I saw no spelling or editing errors. It plays well with the Sherlock Holmes and the characters all to do with him, the good and the bad. There is a huge supporting cast of well rounded and developed characters, that fit in, in all the right places. It's very different to my usual reads. I DID like the twist that I did not see coming, not in the slightest! And I finished it! Negatives (for me): Single person point of view, in the first person. And I have not a single clue about what was the point of the whole book! I kept on reading, since I thought *something* will make sense soon. Something will give me a sign what the whole point of this tale is. And I got nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero clue. There is an EXTREMELY tangled web within the book, and I tried to keep up, I really did, but I got lost somewhere around a key player's murder. I can see HOW everything came together, I just can't see WHY, you know? Maybe it was just a little TOO far out of my corfort zone, although, pre-kindle days, crime/thriller/police books were my main stay, so I don't know! Will I read anything else by this author? Probably not, no. Someone will be fully engrossed in the book and it will make total sense to them, but for me? Sorry. 3 stars, since what I read WAS well written, and I DID finish it. **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. And just like that, back up to 5 full stars AND it's single point of view! I LOVED this instalment of these hockey players, I really did. Kye returns home after retiring from professional hockey with two things on his agenda. Look after his grandad, Dunny. And get his man back, David. First one is fairly easily sorted but the second one? Not so much. David is, even after 20 years, angry with Kye. So angry for leaving him, but more so for not even coming home in all that time, not ONCE. David would have had a long distance relationship, but Kye was still in the closet and did not want to ruin his career. Leaving Davey all that time ago killed Kye, but now he is on a mission to get his man back. Will David as he likes to be called, want him, though? Kye is very vocal about many things, but the biggest thing he has a say about is his regret for leaving David and not coming home. He needs David to understand, even after all this time, he LOVES David, deep within his soul and he just needs a chance to prove that. There follows a delightful tale of a man on a mission, a woo-ing mission, to get his man back and Kye does it so beautifully! He can see David giving in, with the little twitches of a smile, the sparkle in his eye, the way he wants to go slow about kills Kye, but he knows he has to play David's game if he really has any sort of chance. Only Kye has a say, yes, I know, but his voice is strong, and fills in all the gaps that David NOT having a voice leaves. David manages to get his point across, though. I didn't find it as explicit as a couple of the others, but it's not missed. This is more about the LOVE between these two men, rather than that sex. Some difficult reading about the poachers and what David, as a wildlife conservation officer finds, but I think that probably is needed, to explain a lot of how David feels about his job and what he has to deal with on a day to day basis. Also, Dunny, Kye's grandfather, is ailing in body and mind, and that is also difficult reading, but extremely well written and absolutely needed. Arn pops up, and I loved the little digs to Kye about the other couples in this series, I really did! Made me chuckle, what Arn comes out with! Kye had no clue what he was talking about, though, and it shows that there really is no link between the series bar Arn and the colour theme. Who's next? No idea, but please, keep these guys coming! 5 full and shiny stars **same worded review will appear elsehwere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. This book has been edited and tightened up, following being released from the previous publisher. I enjoyed this, I really did! I will admit, I had an old copy that I started to read ages ago, but never finished it. Something IS different about this copy to that, but I have no idea what! It’s a warm and fuzzies, too stinking cute kinda book that just wiles away a couple hours, and you can forget about the laundry and the cleaning, and just fall into the Joy Universe! I must admit, at first, for some reason, I thought that the Joy Universe was an ADULT place to be, you know? And I couldn’t place dancers in that world, not for the life of me! But all becomes clear when Derek starts to do his thing, dealing with a murder on site and an attack of food poisoning that decimates his dance troop! Derek is a big ole teddy bear, that has a work smile I would be so proud of, but I loved that Trav can see right through that false smile, that work face Derek puts on. Loved that Trav could bring a real smile out of him, just by looking his way. I understood Trav’s. . .not hatred, more a strong dislike of the image Derek puts across. When explained why he has that reaction, it makes a lot more sense. The murder thing takes a twist, and I didn’t see it going that way. So I liked that. Some sexy on screen time, some not. Some deep emotional bits, some a much lighter feeling comes at you. Just enough of everything, to make it interesting. I liked this book, a LOT. But for one thing. First person, present tense AND both Derek and Trav have a say. Maybe that’s why I didn’t finish it before, but I’ve made a decision to give a book a couple of chapters, even if it IS written in my least favourite way, and I’m glad I did. Not a difficult or hard read, just what I needed at this point in time