Thursday, August 31, 2017

Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes

This short novella was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It was getting a WHOLE story in a rather short novella, it's not something that works out usually but somehow in this one it totally did. I LOVED both MCs (though we only get Brian's POV) and was excited to see how their love story unfold. 

Brian Christie is adopted by Varro Dacien's family making the two of them best friends. As they get older things change for Brian when he realizes he is falling for Varro and since he can't bear to admit his feeling to him when it's finally time to spread his winds and go to college he starts putting distance (physical and emotional) between him and Varro. He can barely see him let alone touch him in an innocent hug and so he rather stay away even when Varro's life gets more and more dangerous and Brian gets frustrated with the whole thing. Varro says he needs him but Brian needs so much more from him. 



Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Winter Ball (Winter Ball #1) [Skipper & Richie] by Amy Lane

I liked both Skipper and Richie and they surely deserved to find their HEA with each other, but somehow I wish this story would have been MORE than it actually was. The side characters (besides Clay) were very flat and predictable and the sex, IMO, took too much space in the book/romance. 

Skipper and Richie have been best friends for the past 6 years but they were mostly soccer buddies to be truthfully. For Skipper (our sole POV) he's actually the only real friend he has, though he does tighten his friendship with his work pal Clay throughout the book. He doesn't have a family so for him, the interaction of the team is the best he can have. He yearns for a true relationship but these never worked out before no matter how much he wanted them to work. 



Sunday, August 27, 2017

Racing for the Sun by Amy Lane

I really don't know how to start this review.. I wanted this book to be so much more than it turned out to be. I liked the two MCs in the beginning but as the book progressed I was sick of all the angst and how much Sonny was childish and immature but mostly that he was SO damaged I don't think he will EVER be "fine". He will always be a responsibility for Ace because he NEEDS to be taken care of. For me it's a HORRIBLE place for a relationship in which it almost feels like a parent-kid dynamic. 

Sonny and Ace mate at the military. Ace was Sonny's superior. Right from the start he got the feeling Sonny is the kind of guy someone should keep an eye on and that he did. They were kind of "friends" while in the service, and yet there was always the fact Ace was higher ranking. Somewhere along the way, Sonny admits to Ace his big dream of building race cars and makes Ace promise they'll share it with Ace riding the car Sonny builds. I'm not sure if neither of them meant it, talking on the desert in Afghanistan. It's not a place to dream.. it's a place not everyone survives. 


Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Red Fish, Dead Fish (Fish Out of Water #2) by Amy Lane

A second action packed novel of Ellery and Jackson - what a treat! Yeah it was full of angst and a guy (Jackson) who can't for the life (and almost death) of him stay out of trouble, harm's way or even sickness. Jackson is the kind of guy everyone falls for, it's just so easy, he is so sweet and caring. He is just a great guy, what's not to love? and yet, the one who steals my heart is Ellery, maybe because it's so difficult for him. He cares for Jackson so much, he wants him to be happy and well, and he is willing to do everything for him. He accept Jackson as he is, he doesn't try to change him, though he does his best to stir him into a less harmful life (works reasonably well, but somehow only in those small instances). 

Before I get to my summary I have a few things to say - First, if you haven't read the first one - "Fish out of Water" - do yourself a favor and read it. It's AWESOME. Action packed, full of angst with a stray cat who doesn't know how to be domesticated (and I'm not talking about Billy Bob the ACTUAL cat). It's funny, it's endearing, it's sad and very dangerous to too many of our favorite characters. It's also quite necessary if you want to understand half of what's happening in this one.. 



Saturday, August 12, 2017

Marriage Can Be Murder (Dr Benjamin Bones Mysteries, #1) by Emma Jameson

Took me long enough to read this book. It's not my "go-to" genre, so I guess it has a lot to do with this fact. I"m not "used" to reading Mysteries, especially not Historical ones. I enjoyed it. Both MC - Dr Ben Bones and Lady Juliet Linton were smart and entertaining. I really wished for something to happen between them but it only shows how many romance novels I've been reading, trying to "hook up" any couple I can find :) I gotta say the Mystery was much more complex than I thought would be. But I wish we had more clues along the way before the "big reveal".