MF - True North (Compass #1) by Aria Wyatt

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU 
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Lena

I’m a woman in exile.

Well . . . okay, maybe that’s a little extreme. My boss called it a temporary leave of absence, right before he offered me a promotion on my way out the door.

What does one do with two weeks to kill and big life decisions to make? If you’re me, you hop a plane to Alaska for a solitary retreat.

I wanted silence and tranquility. The time and space to think. I wasn’t prepared for what I got: THE Wes Emerson.

The Australian actor is too gorgeous—and too irresistible—for his own good. An infuriating mix of cocky and charismatic, he’s made it his mission to antagonize me.

But no matter how much I want to believe his flirting is genuine, I’m not stupid. Let’s be real, Wes is way out of my league, and I’ll be an afterthought as soon as this vacation is over.

Wes

It was supposed to be a guys’ trip.

Just me and my best mates at a remote lodge in Alaska’s Far North. They promised a breather from the stifling attention. Nature. Seclusion. Two weeks with no cameras, no autographs, and definitely no women.

Tell that to the snarky New York nurse who snagged the resort’s last vacancy.
Lena Hamilton is the wildcard I never expected to be dealt.

She’s got a dirty mind and a smart mouth. She doesn’t just rattle my cage, she bites back, pushing buttons I didn’t know I had. Her soft heart and fiery spirit make me ache for things I’ve sworn off for years. Something more. Something deeper.

Lena doesn’t believe I truly want her, but when we find ourselves at the mercy of the Alaskan wilderness, she has no choice but to trust me.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

True North is the first book in Aria Wyatt's Compass series. 

Wes and Lena meet on a wilderness Alaskan trip. Lena's just looking to get away, never expecting to find herself on a trip with the famous actor Wes and his friends. 

The two have nothing in common, as well as living on opposite sides of the world. The two flirt, and are full of push and pull for a long time.  

Both have some major baggage. It takes a while for Wes's issues to be revealed, but when they are, I feel deeply in love for this man who's drowning in guilt. And then there's Lena who's suffering from PTSD and definitely needs some healing. 

With plenty of twists and turns, Lena, Wes, and his friends end up trying to survive the elements. It's a crazy and long ride, with several heart stopping moments. The deal with injuries, hunger, thirst, dangerous animals, and more.

The writing is good and the storyline is full of adventure, romance, and heat. The main characters are fabulous and the secondary characters are all intriguing.  I love the friendship between the guys and all their banter.

True North is an enjoyable wilderness romance. I'm excited to see what Aria Wyatt has in store for this series next.

Rough Terrain (Out of Uniform #7) by Annabeth Albert

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Blurb

The camping trip from hell may be the first stop on the road to happily-ever-after.

Navy SEAL Renzo Bianchi has a soft spot for Canaan Finley, and not only because the man makes a mean smoothie. He’s the first guy to get Renzo’s motor revving in a long time. But when he agrees to Canaan’s insane charade—one all-access fake boyfriend, coming right up—he never expects more than a fling.

Creating a hot Italian SEAL boyfriend to save face seemed like a good idea…until his friends called Canaan’s bluff. Now he’s setting off into the woods with the very man who inspired his deception, and Canaan is not the outdoorsy type. The sparks are already flying when a flash flood separates them from their group, leaving Renzo and Canaan very much trapped…very much alone in the wilderness.

Working together to come up with a plan for survival is sexier than either of them expects. But back in the real world, being a couple is bringing its own set of hazards…

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Rough Terrain, the 7th book in Annabeth Albert's Out Of Uniform series, is everything I was hoping it would be. 

Renzo and Canaan's story is a whole lot of fun. It's full of action, some danger, and some steamy moments.

Renzo's a great character, a Navy Seal who's weighed down by expectations and guilt from his family. He's out as bi, but his options have long been limited. Canaan, an employee at the military smoothie café, cares for his grandfather, and is in school to be a nurse. And he's long had a crush on Renzo.

When the two men become fake boyfriends and go on a camping trip with Canaan's old bandmates, their relationship starts changing. Their adventure includes some eye opening moments for Canaan about his old friends, getting trapped, and some flirting. 

One of my favorite parts of their story is the complication with Renzo being extremely well endowed. I love this. There are serious moments, funny moments, and some amazing frotting. I know many tend to enjoy this type of problem in their books, and the way this one is handled won't disappoint.

Another wonderful part is Canaan's grandfather, as he adds a lot to the story. As for Renzo, well, his brother's story will have your tearing up. His brother and his hero worship of Renzo is heart-breaking. 

I am a huge fan of Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series and Rough Terrain is the perfect addition. The writing is fantastic, the men deep and loving, and the  plot's entertaining. 

Push & Pull (The Midwest Series Book 2) by Brigham Vaughn

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Blurb

Brent Cameron has been dreaming about a road trip around Lake Michigan for years. When his best friend, Nathan, ditches him to spend the summer with his boyfriend, Caleb, Brent is pissed. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he reluctantly agrees to take Caleb’s best friend, Lowell Prescott, instead.
Brent is a former hockey player and recently out of the closet. Lowell is an in-your-face gay guy who rebels against the limits people put on him. Tempers fly and sparks flare as they hit the road, which leads to a hot night they both regret in the morning. Despite the rocky start, Brent and Lowell slowly begin to realize they have a lot in common. As the miles disappear behind them so does their animosity. Casual hook-ups aren’t Brent’s thing, and Lowell doesn’t do relationships, so they agree to focus on their friendship.
By the time they make it to the shores of Lake Superior, their feelings have deepened past simple friendship, but neither of them have the guts to admit it. When the past intrudes, will it derail the trip and the possibility of a relationship?

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Push & Pull is the second book in Brigham Vaughn's Midwest Series. As I loved book one, Bully & Exit, I was super excited to get to read this one, and it held up to my expectations.

In this book, we are treated to a fun and exciting romance between Brent and Lowell. As complete opposites, they get off to a rough start together. But, as luck would have it, they end up taking a road trip together. 

Brent's spent his life as a closeted hockey player. Out now, he's still weary of spending time with the out and proud Lowell, who's graceful, likes makeup and is super rich. Personally, I love the over the top, dramatic, force of nature that is Lowell. 

I found myself enjoying every second of their trip together, liking the slow way in which they start talking about their pasts, and trying to put it behind them.

Their trip is full of flirting, teasing, and some major sexual tension. Unfortunately, they also face awkwardness, confusion, grief, and avoidance. 

I absolutely love Push & Pull. Brigham Vaughn does a fantastic job of taking such difference men and having them slowly fall in love. It is fun, entertaining, riveting and had me unable to put it down. It's a definite recommendation for me.

Lean on Me by Sierra Riley

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Blurb:

“It was always going to be you.”

“How can I be this lonely when I know so many people?”
Levi Meadows feels adrift in the modern world, where friendships are shallow and connections are fleeting. He has five hundred Facebook friends but feels utterly alone. Finally, he gets some good luck: his old best friend is moving back into town, and Levi takes him up on an offer to go hiking and get away from it all. He's looking forward to the trip, as long as the crush he had on Marcus back in the day stays buried.

“Let's get away from it all. Together.”
Recently dumped by his long-term girlfriend, Marcus Townsend is struggling to readjust to single life. He needs to get out into nature, to lick his wounds and recover. A two-day hike with his old college friend Levi is just what he needs. But when a horrible accident befalls them on the trail, Marcus finds himself depending on Levi for more than just friendship.

“You're going to be okay. I've got you. Just stay with me.”
Levi will do anything to get Marcus home safe. And Marcus had no idea just how much Levi cared. But once they get home, how are they ever going to deal with the feelings that surfaced on the trail? Was it a moment of weakness or a glimpse of something deeper?

Lean on Me is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

REVIEW:

My Rating: 4 Stars

I am a big fan Friends to Lovers romances. Thus, I was excited to read Lean on Me.

Levi and Marcus were roommates back in college. Since then they have lost touch. But, when Marcus is dumped by his girlfriend, he asks Levi to join him for some camping. Unfortunately, things go wrong during the trip and Marcus is injured. During the resulting ordeal, Marcus discovers his feelings for Levi have changed. 

Marcus has never considered kissing another man before, but there's just something about Levi now. Marcus knows everything with Levi is different because of their friendship.

Once they get out of the woods, things are still tough. Neither knows when they will even have time to talk about their kiss or to kiss again. Meanwhile, Marcus has to focus on getting well.

I enjoy the way in which their romance evolves.  It just feels so natural. And as good friends, their shared history just makes everything seem so right.

One of my favorite scenes is when Marcus starts to realize how easy it is to talk to Levi. He just never realized that he never had that with his girlfriend. He admits that with his girlfriend, he had to try to impress her. It has always been much easier for him to be vulnerable with Lexi and talk to him about anything.

Lean on Me is a sweet romance. It is one that keeps you interested the whole time.