The Foreman and the Drifter (Farthingdale Ranch #1) by Jackie North

 

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“If only Leland would forget forget that Jamie was a drifter. If only he’d give their hearts a chance.”

With Farthingdale Ranch at risk, Leland Tate, ranch manager, has to get tough and make sure everyone on the ranch follows the rules he’s laid out. That means no handouts, no fraternizing, and no drifters.

But what happens when a young drifter comes looking for a job? What happens when that drifter makes Leland want to break all the rules?

A gay, m/m cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, first time, rescue, sunshine/grumpy, boss/employee, emotional scars, and opposites attract. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.


Buy The Foreman and the Drifter to fall deeply and forever today with the first book in the new Farthingdale Ranch Series!

My Rating - 5 Stars!

The Foreman and the Drifter is a captivating cowboy romance by Jacki North. The first book in the Farthingdale Ranch, I love every moment of this story. I was pulled in from the start, and these men and their story consumed me throughout. 

Immediately, Jamie is a lovable character. His plight is laid out on the first pages, fully pulling the reader into rooting for him to find a home and job. 

His first meeting with Leland is messy, but a little later on, Leland's pull to his new employee is strong. He can't stop wanting to help and protect him, despite it not being his job. And damn, someone needs to. 

And oh, the chemistry. The longing. The need. And the angst, as Leland has a rule to not sleep with an employee. His self imposed rule that goes against everything he wants from Jamie creates a forbidden romance element.

Oh...all the feels. They jump off the pages throughout. 

Hurt. Pain. Sorrow. Regret.

Basically, I love cowboy romances and this one is a delight. Both men help each other to heal, as well as to grow. And it's wonderful. 

As an added bonus to this enjoyable tale, there's none of the typical homophobia that often exists in ranch romances. What a nice surprise. 

The Foreman and the Drifter is well worth a read to anyone in the mood for a cowboy romance. This looks to the start of a great series by Jacki North. There's a mystery that will be leading into the next book and I can't wait to read more about this ranch and it's people. I love it all so far!

Socks for an Otter by Posy Roberts

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Blurb

He fell from his ivory tower and landed in the gutter…

But Sebastian would rather be homeless and hungry than clueless.

On his way to the food pantry, a guy on his cell phone runs into him and triggers his prickly side. As a sign of goodwill, Louis offers to cook for him. But all Sebastian sees is the privilege he used to have.

This isn’t a fairytale. Louis isn’t Prince Charming. And Sebastian can make it on his own.

But it’s been days since he’s had a hot meal. And a blizzard is coming.

Will Sebastian’s pride be his appetizer?

__________
Socks for an Otter is a heartwarming riches-to-rags MM romance brewed with hurt/comfort, comedy, a second chance at love, age gap, millionaires, and men from different worlds who will give you all the feels.

He fell from his ivory tower and landed in the gutter.

But Sebastian would rather be homeless and hungry than clueless.

On his way to the food pantry, a guy on his cell phone runs into him and triggers his prickly side. As a sign of goodwill, Louis offers to cook for him. But all Sebastian sees is the privilege he used to have.

This isn’t a fairytale. Louis isn’t Prince Charming. And Sebastian can make it on his own.

But it’s been days since he’s had a hot meal. And a blizzard is coming.

Will Sebastian’s pride be his appetizer?

---

Socks for an Otter is a heartwarming riches-to-rags MM romance brewed with hurt, comfort, comedy, a second chance at love, age gap, and men from different worlds who will give you all the feels.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Posy Roberts' Socks For an Otter is a great May to December romance full of hope and healing. 

Louis, man who's suffered tremendous loss, is drowning in his grief. Bash meanwhile is a homeless man who takes a dislike to Louis based on his being rich. 

What follows is a beautiful story of love and romance, as these two men get to know one another, and fall in love. The character growth in both men is stupendous and they both have much to offer each other.

The author masterfully sheds a light on the important issue of homelessness. The reader is able to understand Bash's struggles, both to survive on the streets, as well as the difficulties to find a job while homeless. This is written with knowledge and purpose, as well as compassion and care.

The author also illustrates the problems with privledge. As Bash was born with privledge, he sees the problems that result in such a status and way of life. This part is tremendously explored. 

The writing is great, with a wonderful flow, and great dialogue. 

My favorite quote is "...sharing the burdens of our pasts. I'll carry yours and you'll carry mine. And that way we are never alone." This is just beautiful and brought tears to my eyes.


Overall, Socks for an Otter covers a heavy subject, but Posy Roberts manages to make it an easy read; one full of hope.

MF - Exquisitely Broken (A Sin City Tale #1) by M. Jay Granberry

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Blurb

What happens in Vegas…?

Sinclair James wasn’t from my world.
She didn’t have my pedigree or family money.
She was everything I never wanted,
Everything I now realize I needed.
I loved her for six years, her soul, her body, her music.

Until I threw it all away.

One decision changed everything.
One decision destroyed what we had.

She slipped from my life as quietly as she had stolen my heart
But now she’s back.

Sinclair is still mine, she just doesn’t know it yet.
This time I’m not letting her go.

So, what happens in Vegas…?

A second chance to repair what was broken.

What happens in Vegas…

Sinclair James wasn’t from my world.
She didn’t have my pedigree or family money.
She was everything I never wanted,
Everything I now realize I needed.
I loved her for six years, her soul, her body, her music.

Until I threw it all away.

One decision changed everything.
One decision destroyed what we had.

She slipped from my life as quietly as she had stolen my heart
But now she’s back.

Sinclair is mine, she just doesn’t know it yet.
This time I’m not letting her go.

So, what happens in Vegas…?

A second chance to repair what was broken.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Exquisitely Broken is a fantastic second chance romance. A debut novel by M Jay Granberry, I am extremely impressed. 

Sin and Jacob. Oh my! They get a second chance when Sin's band signs a deal with Jacob's casino in Las Vegas. When Sin runs into him, she is angry to say the least.

The author uses some great flashbacks to help the reader understand the past, both how they met and how they broke up. As well, the reason behind the extreme emotions are well established. 

These are two people with extremely different upbringings; one a product of his rich family privilege, the other grew up poor and in foster care. Their story is one of resentment, guilt, regret, and anger; so much anger. They have to deal with doubts, fears, and many obstacles.

I love the writing style, which kept me engaged and invested throughout. The storyline is well developed, and the pace is nice and fast. It's an emotional read, with a whole lot of angst. As well, the atmosphere of Vegas is well described. I could totally picture everything in my mind.

The one thing that got to me the most was Jake. I completely understand why Sin left him. I would have too. It was hard for me to understand why she'd forgive him and give him a second chance. At some point I stopped caring and found myself rooting for them, as they are clearly still in love with each other. And, eventually, he fights so hard that I found myself forgiving him. Why? Because he owned what he did. 

"I own what I did. I won’t insult either one of us by pretending my actions were anything other than foul."

Exquisitely Broken is a story of broken hearts, and the long and tough road to reconciliation. I love this complex book. And now onto book two. I can't wait to read Adam's story in Exquisitely Hidden!

DAMON (Single Dads Club Book 1) by Candice Blake

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Blurb

DAMON: As a forty-five-year-old single father, I never thought I’d ever have feelings for another man.
When my business partner invited me to a support group for single dads, I was hesitant to go because I didn’t think I needed any help raising my boy. Little did I know, I’d meet someone named Jesse, who’d change my life forever.

Jesse's a handsome twenty-one-year-old college student with a baby around the same age as my son. Since I'm so much older than Jesse, I feel the need to protect him. As we spend more time together, I begin to question my sexuality. What starts off as a friendship quickly develops into something much deeper. Yet, I find myself holding back because of our age gap and my recent divorce.

Will I ever get past these hurdles to finally fall in love with Jesse?

JESSE: Why am I falling for a straight guy who's old enough to be my father?
I live with my controlling father who tells me I’m not good enough and I can't be loved. When it’s been repeated so many times, I can’t help but believe all those things about myself.

When I meet Damon, a handsome and rugged CEO, I wonder if I’m drawn to him because he makes me feel safe...or if there's something more. Damon's everything I’m not; he's rich, successful, and much more experienced than me. Despite how different we are, the chemistry between us is undeniable.

I need Damon more than I’d like to admit—so will I ever overcome all these negative thoughts about myself to be able to fall in love with Damon?

Warning: DAMON contains explicit sexual content not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.
This series follows members of a single dads support group on their journey to find love. Each novel can be read as a standalone or as part of the series. 

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Damon is the first book in the Single Dads Club series by Candice Blake. I immediately fell in love with the tone, and the writing is soothing and smooth.

Jesse and Damon meet at the Single Dads support group. Jesse is a younger man, still in college, but he starts up a good friendship with Damon, who's more than twice his age. Once a friendship evolves, the feelings start to intensify. Soon Damon's questioning his first time interest in a man. Ends up that Jesse is doing the same.

Their story is a lot of fun, having me fall in love with both men early on.  Jesse and Damon just work perfectly together and it's sweet how well their babies get along also.

They are two men who have never been with a guy before, which leads to some super hot and sexy first times and exploration. Swoon. Their easy love of rimming, and public sex just adds to the spice. Did I mention rimming? Yeah, there's lots of rimming!

In addition to all the fun, they struggle with an alcoholic father, money issues, the differences in their bank accounts, and all that comes with falling in love and coming out. It's all well developed and will leave you fully invested in what happens.

Damon is a riveting double GFY romance, mixed with a May to December trope, as opposites attract. Candice Blake entertains with this story of vast economic differences and a young man who needs some help. God, I love Damon and Jesse! You will too.

Deviate (Love in the City #1) by Mia Monroe

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Blurb

A Love in the City Novel Falling for him was not part of the plan. 

It was the perfect plan. I would marry one of my closest friends and reap the financial rewards. He needed a savior right when I showed up on my white horse. We'd been friends for years, so now we'd be glorified roommates. No one had to know two straight guys decided to tie the knot. We agreed nothing would change. We'd just go on with our normal lives.

That was the plan until I started to notice more about him than just his laid back vibe. I started to look forward to coming home. I lived to talk books, art, and love. Suddenly, we were both feeling things that didn't make any sense. We didn't date men. We had to make a decision - act on the attraction or try to pretend it wasn't there.

One thing about perfect plans - sometimes you have to deviate.


Love in the City is a collection of standalone MM romances focused on the lives of men in and around New York City. It is intended for mature readers.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Deviate is a delicious friends to lovers romance by Mia Monroe. 

When Jason wants to find a wife for monetary reasons, he ends up getting married to his best friend, Quinn, instead. Quinn benefits from having Jason help him with his money problems, and Jason gets a tax break. Simple, right?

When they become roommates, everything starts to change as the two realize how well they work together. What follows is a super hot and steamy romance as they start to open themselves to new experiences and admit their feelings.

Their relationship involves a whole lot of want, need, and desire. Once they do give into their new sexual feelings, their chemistry if off the charts.

Jason and Quinn complement one another perfectly, and the author excels in the development of their relationship. I love Mia Monroe's writing style. Despite being in present tense, there isn't a moment that I don't love, not an word that seems unnecessary. Everything flows wonderfully, and the storyline is extremely intriguing.

Deviate is a must read for anyone looking for a friends to lovers romance. This story of sexual awakening is sweet and just the perfect way to spend an afternoon. I, for one, couldn't put it down.