Storm Bound (Cedarwood Beach #4) by Rhys Everly

 

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Handsome, nerdy… oh, and he’s also my boss!

When I took the job, I had no idea I’d be working with my dream man.

He’s obsessed with my favorite TV show.
He’s kind and gentle.
And he’s also submissive.

My perfect match, in every way.

But after one too many heartbreaks, I don’t cross the line between colleague and lover.

That is until the perfect storm hits the shores of my small town.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

Is he my happily-ever-after?

Or a heartbreak in the making?

Storm Bound is the fourth book in the Cedarwood Beach small town gay romance series and is completely standalone. It contains two geeks, a D/s dynamic, a hurricane, and Greek Yaya determined to get her grandson married.

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Storm Bound is the fourth book in the Cedarwood Beach series by Rhys Everly. 

This romance has a meeting that seems set in the stars. With a storm that pops up at an inconvenient time and an awkward boss/employee situation, there's plenty to enjoy about this story. 

I enjoy the way Charlie senses Adam's need to submit. I love the way he immediately steps in to help calm him. 

This tale includes a health issue that has caused a lot of insecurities over the years. I enjoy the writing style, but something about the storyline didn't have me loving this story. I was definitely distracted by some small details, and taken out of the story at times. 

Storm Bound is a good small town romance. There's lots to enjoy in this Rhys Everly read. I am glad I read it even if I didn't love it all.

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

 

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Eleven months had not been long enough to prepare Sophie Lawson for the sight of him . . .

After her mother was bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie became a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a book shop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

But now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth just got a new job, the family house is sold, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance to run an extreme sporting business in Florida.

Much to Sophie’s chagrin, seeing Aiden again resurrects familiar feelings—which she promptly tries to bury in the tumult of the day. As soon as the wedding crowd fades, Sophie turns her focus back to establishing her beloved bookstore.

But then an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove and with the hotels booked to capacity he asks Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. But can Sophie trust Aiden to stick around? And does daredevil Aiden have the courage to risk his heart?

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Bookshop by the Sea is a sweet second chance romance by Denise Hunter. 

Their reunion involves a family wedding, a hurricane, and an injury. Everything is adorable with the way they reconnect and quickly mean so much to one another. 

Sophie's opening her new bookstore, Aiden has a girlfriend, and there's some family issues as well. Sophie has lived a life full of sacrifice for her family. Seeing someone appreciate this is great.

There isn't too much to the relationship. No real angst. Just a nice second chance, as they learn to take chances. 

This is a tender small town romance with some great neighbors and plenty of small town charm. It totally warms the heart.

Bookshop by the Sea is a perfect feel-good read. This Denise Hunter is definitely a wonderful choice the next time you're in the mood for a good beach read. 

The Nature of the Game (Stick Side #2) by Amy Aislin

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Blurb

Six years ago, an ultimatum forced Dan Greyson to make a choice that cost him everything he loved most. One of those things? His boyfriend, hockey player Ashton Yager. Now that they’ve crossed paths again, Dan isn’t about to let the opportunity slip away. Ash’s reappearance in his life is just the catalyst Dan needs to escape the rut he’s fallen into…and win back Ash’s trust and love.

Ashton Yager, once burned and now a little bit shy, didn’t mean to publicly come out as bisexual. But now that he has, he’s got to deal with the consequences, including the fact that it might’ve cost him his NHL contract. With his job on the line, he needs to keep his head down, work hard, and play the best hockey of his life. Rekindling things with Dan? That’s not exactly keeping a low profile. It’s also never going to happen, not after Dan walked away once without an explanation.

When a hurricane forces Ash to seek shelter out-of-state, he and Dan find themselves in the same B&B, where old feelings resurface. But with everything Ash has on the line, does he dare play with fire again?

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

The Nature of the Game's a great second chance romance by Amy Aislin. It's a fantastic follow up to On the Ice. I am loving this superb series. 

Dan and Ashton get a second chance at love when they're reunited. I love these two guys together. There's a whole lot of emotion is this story, which drew me in immediately and kept me riveted throughout. 

Theirs is a story of hurt and fear, regrets and waisted time, guilt and 
of second chances. There are secrets and manipulation to be dealt with in this story of lost dreams, as they try to make things right and reclaim their lives.

The author wonderfully uses flashbacks to allow us to see their former relationship, giving us great insight into they connection they had, as well as what went wrong. The author excels in her ability to capture the mindset of a young adult, and the tough decisions they're sometimes forced to make. 

Dan's storyline is heartbreaking. He's such a great young men, who had to give up his dreams. This part is so damn sad and emotional. Now it's time for Dan to take his life back after living the life he was forced to live. My favorite line has to be advice given to Dan. "Get out of your comfort zone and live a little, kiddo." 

I enjoy the hurricane aspect of the story, where they end up riding out the storm together. As well, I love seeing Mitch and Alex, the way they connect with Dan and Ashton, and the way they all interact. It's amazingly delightful.

The Nature of the Game has so much to offer. A fun hockey romance, combined with a second chance romance, and with great writing. Amy Aisling is wonderful in this dual pov romance. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Lynn Lorenz - New Orleans Second Lines

In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Lynn Lorenz's New Orlands Second Lines!

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BLURB

Matt and Lane grew up together, best friends, sharing almost all their secrets. But on the last day of college, those secrets spilled in one night of passion and tore them apart, sending Matt to the West Coast and Lane home to New Orleans.

Now, Hurricane Katrina is set to destroy New Orleans. This might be the worst time to try for a second chance, but nothing can keep Matt from Lane. The man he let get away.

For Lane, no hurricane can pry him from the city, especially without Sebastian. The older man has been a dear friend and his landlord since Lane returned from college. Sebastian refuses to flee, preferring to stay in his Creole cottage in the French Quarter and ride out the storm.

Sebastian’s life becomes intertwined with Lane’s, as Matt finds out when he’s drawn into capturing Sebastian’s memoirs of being gay in New Orleans. The elder gentleman’s stories are full of surprises and lessons for the young men.

The most important ones Sebastian teaches them—and himself—are that second chances don’t come along often, and you’re never too old to fall in love.

First Edition published as Pinky Swear, Pioneers, and C'est La Vie by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2010.

REVIEW

My Rating -  5 Stars!

New Orleans Second Lines is my first time reading Lynn Lorenz. I am thrilled that I  decided to check out this 2018 GRL author.

This story is a dual romance, starting with Matt and Lane, and then focusing on Sebastian's love life.

We meet Matt and Lane as kids and follow them through the years. Their story sucked me in immediately. It made me cry, smile, cheer, and scream, as they both loved each other but couldn't tell one another. 

Later we meet Sebastian and experience some of Hurricane Katrina as he and Matt stay behind in New Orleans to fight out the storm. This part is so damn tough to read, as it is just brings us back to the awful things we saw in  the news about this historic and catastrophic storm. 

Lynn's writing is fantastic as she makes us experience New Orleans, it's character and charm, as well as the devastation through these character's eyes. It is extremely atmospheric and remarkable written, as she definitely was able to write this beautiful and famous city as a character in itself.

Later on, we get to follow Sebastian's journey to  finding a second chance at love. After losing his ex years ago to AIDS, he hasn't even considered looking for someone or having sex, in years. This part of the book is also well written, as we are able to feel everything Sebastian is feeling. And, his journey towards love again is beautiful!

And, as if I wasn't already feeling all the emotions, the relationship between Matt and Sebastian is phenomenal. Sebastian is like a grandfather to Sebastian and treats him nicer than most even treat any of their family. 

After reading New Orleans Second Line, I will definitely need to look into more of Lynn Lorenz's books, and this one is just lovely!

Lynn Lorenz

I’m from New Orleans, that’s N’awlins for those of you who speak the language. I grew up in the Riverbend, or Carrollton, for the old timers, but was a Quarter rat from the age of 11, taking 3 buses to go to art class on Burgundy Street at the Cabrini Doll Museum and NORD center. I attended University of New Orleans and have a BA in Fine Art. My mother worked at Tulane University, six blocks from our house and when we were kids my brother and I parked cars in our driveway for the Saints games at Tulane Stadium. We could get six cars down the drive, two on the front lawn, and two on the street and we only charged $2 a car. We made enough to buy a coupla roast beef po’boys at Comeaux’s on Hickory St. and a snowball over at Williams Snow Ball Stand. We lived 1/2 a block from a cemetery, but doesn’t everyone in N’awlins? We used to watch jazz funerals from our front porch.

Now, my family lives in Katy, Texas. I have a “real” job, a truly supportive and understanding husband, two incredible kids, and a slightly neurotic dog. We used to have a guinea pig, but the dog killed it. Did I say slightly?

My son is 15 and has Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Crohn’s Disease, and is a constant lesson in patience, acceptance and managing expectations. He’s super smart, loves video games, fencing, movies, building with legos, and hanging around the house. Like me, he believes that it’s all about him. Sometimes, I wonder if I don’t have Asperger’s, too. Oh, and he’s very handsome.

My daughter, 13, is so creative it’s scary- she loves to paint, draw manga and anima, build dioramas with any box she can get her hands on, create worlds with legos and then make movies with them, sculpt people, animals and objects with those little twist ties from the grocery store, does pottery, and wants to be a lifeguard. And she’s smart, too. And
beautiful, inside and out.

I write for a few hours in the evenings and on weekends as much as I can, without neglecting my family. (That laughter you hear is my husband) I attend a critique group, and do whatever the kids are into at the time.