Just Ash by Sol Santana

 

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Ashley "Ash" Bishop has always known who he is: a guy who loves soccer, has a crush on his friend Michelle, and is fascinated by the gruesome history of his hometown―Salem, Massachusetts. He's also always known that he's intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. But it's never felt like a big deal until his junior year of high school, when Ash gets his first period in front of the entire boys' soccer team. Now his friends and teachers see him differently, and his own mother thinks he should "try being a girl."

As tensions mount with his parents and Ash feels more and more like an outcast, he can't help feeling a deeper kinship with his ancestor Bridget Bishop, who was executed for witchcraft. She didn't conform to her community's expectations either; she was different, and her neighbors felt threatened by her. And she paid the ultimate price. Ash is haunted by her last recorded words: You will keep silent.

Ash realizes that he needs to find a way to stand up for who he really is, or the cost of his silence might destroy his life, too.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Just Ash is a wonderful young adult story about an intersex teen. This Sol Santana had me gripped from the start. 

Good god, Poor Ash. His body causes so much pain and heartache for him, just because of people being so damn judgmental. 

Omg, this book. There's so much going on for Ash, as puberty is changing his body. With his female parts starting to develop further, his family is pushing him to be a girl, both mentally and physically. 

Add in issues with his friend who he likes romantically, a whole lot of homophobia and racism, and the hits just keep coming. 

And it's all as emotional and intense as you'd expect.

I appreciate the way the author approaches this difficult subject matter. Everything is written with care and compassion. I enjoy the layers, mystery, and intrigue throughout. 

Just Ash is the perfect choice next time you're in the mood for a serious tale exploring the life of an intersex teen. 

Pines and Violets (Colors of Love #7) by V.L. Locey

 

Cover Design: Designs By Sloan

Colors of Love Series

Lost In Indigo - All Buy Links

Touch Of A Yellow Sun - All Buy Links

The Good Green Earth - All Buy Links

Slow Dances Under An Orange Moon - All Buy Links

A Brush Of Blue - All Buy Links

Songs of a Red Currant Wine - All Buy Links

Amazon Link    

Goodreads Link

He never thought he’d find love again, but one summer changes his entire life.

Greg Mattar always had a clear path in life. The son of wealthy professionals, he and his sister wanted for nothing growing up in Montreal. His skills playing hockey led him to be picked first in the draft and a successful career as one of the premier defensemen in the league. He married his college sweetheart and within a year, they’d been blessed with twin girls. Then the unthinkable happened, and Greg’s life was turned inside out.

After losing his wife to cancer, he’s left alone to raise his daughters and at the same time balance his career. After a rough two years of mourning coupled with a dismal season, Greg and his girls travel to a small vacation community deep in the Catskills. There he meets Aiden Burke, a local artisan with a past who enchants not only Greg’s daughters but Greg as well. During a vacation filled with laughter, acceptance, and morning goose parades, the two men fall for each other, which begins a journey down a winding road of revelations and romance. 

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My Rating - 5 Stars!

Pines and Violets is the seventh book in VL Locey's Colors of Love series. Each book is easily read as a standalone. 

Greg's a black hockey player who's spending some time in the woods with his daughters. Still grieving the loss of his wife, he's surprised to find himself attracted to the strange guy with the goats. 

Their story is cute and sweet, with everything evolving naturally between the men. And I adore the kids and their contribution to the story. They are cute and funny, and totally loveable. 

I appreciate that Greg never struggles with his sexuality. Instead, this is the story of him falling in love, coming out, and dealing with some obstacles that are in his way. 

Their story is full of first times and sexual experimentation. It's a story with racism and homophobia, both of which had my heart hurting for Greg. 

Theirs is a story of redemption, acceptance, and forgiveness. It's a story of finding one's place in the world again. And I love it all!

Pines and Violets is the perfect feel-good escape. This VL Locey is nice and low-angst, with plenty to keep you charmed throughout. 

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USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.

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PRE-ORDER REVIEW - Just Ash by Sol Santana

 

 

COMING October 5, 2021!

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Amazon Link

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Ashley "Ash" Bishop has always known who he is: a guy who loves soccer, has a crush on his friend Michelle, and is fascinated by the gruesome history of his hometown―Salem, Massachusetts. He's also always known that he's intersex, born with both male and female genitalia. But it's never felt like a big deal until his junior year of high school, when Ash gets his first period in front of the entire boys' soccer team. Now his friends and teachers see him differently, and his own mother thinks he should "try being a girl."

As tensions mount with his parents and Ash feels more and more like an outcast, he can't help feeling a deeper kinship with his ancestor Bridget Bishop, who was executed for witchcraft. She didn't conform to her community's expectations either; she was different, and her neighbors felt threatened by her. And she paid the ultimate price. Ash is haunted by her last recorded words: You will keep silent.

Ash realizes that he needs to find a way to stand up for who he really is, or the cost of his silence might destroy his life, too.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Just Ash is a wonderful young adult story about an intersex teen. This Sol Santana had me gripped from the start. 

Good god, Poor Ash. His body causes so much pain and heartache for him, just because of people being so damn judgmental. 

Omg, this book. There's so much going on for Ash, as puberty is changing his body. With his female parts starting to develop further, his family is pushing him to be a girl, both mentally and physically. 

Add in issues with his friend who he likes romantically, a whole lot of homophobia and racism, and the hits just keep coming. 

And it's all as emotional and intense as you'd expect.

I appreciate the way the author approaches this difficult subject matter. Everything is written with care and compassion. I enjoy the layers, mystery, and intrigue throughout. 

Just Ash is the perfect choice next time you're in the mood for a serious tale exploring the life of an intersex teen. 

Gideon's Wish by Bryan T. Clark

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He might be Mr. Right, but their timing is all kinds of wrong…
Gideon Miller is done letting his heart do the thinking for him. Been there, done that, still has the emotional scars to prove it. Besides, he’s leaving Los Angeles soon. There’d be no point in starting up a new romance now. But when he meets the off-the-charts sexy, ex-military man next door, Gideon starts to question everything…

Isaiah Williams needs a fresh start. With his time in the Navy—and a painful, toxic relationship—behind him, he’s ready to start a new life. Now all he has to do is figure out how to keep his matchmaking mother out of his business…and how to not fall for his sweet, nerdy, and entirely too attractive neighbor…

They’re complete opposites with nothing but trust issues in common. Their timing? Terrible. And yet…none of that matters when they’re together. Will love be enough to get Gideon and Isaiah to happily ever after? Or are they destined to remain star-crossed?

“Gideon’s Wish, a standalone, steamy, lightly angsty, M/M contemporary romance, features a loveable, openly gay handyman and the not-so-openly gay alpha male of his dreams. HEA guaranteed. Download today and get ready to fall in love with your next favorite read.”

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Gideon's Wish is a deep and intriguing romance by Bryan T Clark. 

The author spares no expense with tackling some heavy issues. Religion. Race. HIV. And more.

This tale is full of religion issues, with a family who's religious "when convenient". 

It's heavy with racial issues, with a family who believes they all need to date a person of color. 

The HIV issue is also an ever looming issue, including the fear of telling a someone you have HIV. The author also explores the the fear of being sexual again, despite one's positive status. 

Despite all the complicated family issues, there's one family member I love. Isaiah's mother is wonderful. 

Gideon's Wish is a terrifically sweet romance. This Bryan T Clark read is a tale of choosing happiness; of choosing your own path in life. It's a nice read and definitely worth checking out the next time you are looking to read a romance of someone with an HIV status, or an interracial romance. 

Love Lost No More: A Contemporary Romance by Rachel Marissa

 

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When a terrible event leads Richard Valentine back to his hometown, his one-time high school friend checks in on him, rekindling feelings that had confused them just a short time before they embarked on collegiate pursuits. Eventually marrying Sarabi, happiness was theirs. Pregnancy made it even more exciting and triplets an unexpected adventure.

But life rarely sticks to the script. The future they’d planned together was shattered by Sarabi’s death shortly after bringing their two sons and daughter into the world. A single dad raising the trio, Richard had little time or energy to do much more than provide for his children. At eight years old, the kids are getting more curious about life and about their mother.

Richard responds by telling them bedtime stories that reveal much more than he bargained for. From what Sarabi was like to if Richard would ever marry again, the bittersweet memories he relives to answer their queries refresh his pain, remind him of joyous times, and free him from the unease he’d had about talking too much about their mother. Join Richard’s family as they discover while love lost hurts, love also teaches and heals.

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Love Lost No More is a sweet and tender romance by Rachel Marissa. 

I enjoy the way it's written in a How I Met Your Mother type style, with Richard telling his kids how he feel in love with their mother.

 

Their story follows their high school years, as their feelings become real and they struggle with society's expectations. Aka - racism, as Richard is white and Sarabi is black. Their tale includes other boyfriends/girlfriends and waiting to get on the same page.

Richard's father wants Richard to date a white girl. His dad is also just a jerk to him in general. 

As for the present, the kids are cute, and lend some tender moments to the tale. Overall, it's a bittersweet read, as we know from the start that Sarabi has died. The end is precious though.

The writing is great, the storyline is good, and it's an easy read.

Love Lost No More is one of those sweet stories I am glad I read. I don't love it, but Rachel Marissa definitely left me compelled throughout. 

Awkward Love (Stumbling into Love #2) by Riley Hart

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Jameson
Being a twenty-two-year-old virgin was not on my list of life goals. I don't know how it happened. Well...I never date, dedicate all my time to college, and I'm awkward with a capital A around hot guys--okay, so I know exactly how it happened. When my best friends come up with a plan to make the most of this summer before grad school, I'm all for it. That's how I end up at a charity bachelor auction, bidding on a date I hope will help me toss this V-card out the window.

What could possibly go wrong?

Will
Life is good. I love my new job as PA to the owner of a major production company. Being a prize in a charity auction and scoring the highest bid? Icing on the cake. Now I get to be the date of the most adorable, rambling, bow-tie-wearing grad student I've ever seen. Seriously, I can't be within ten feet of this guy without a smile on my face. When he slips that he's looking for a summer fling to experiment with, I'm game. Jameson is so different from anyone I've hooked up with before, so completely himself, I'm immediately smitten.

Oh, and did I mention we find out he's my boss's son?

Between keeping our fling-turned-relationship a secret from his dad and another little familial bombshell that gets dropped in our laps, I'm quickly learning that love is a whole lot more complicated than I thought. 

My Rating - 5  Stars!

Riley Hart's Awkward Love is a riveting romance. The second book in the Stumbling into Love series, it's easily read as a standalone. And, oh god, I love it all!

This book is classic Riley Hart. The characters have complex backgrounds, with all the layers exposed over time. 

Good god, I love Jameson. His nerd side is fantastically displayed, bow ties and all. Damn, the cover model is perfect to represent him. He is as different as can be from his family and it has left him with some serious baggage. 

And then there's Will. I love the way he meets Jameson and how self assured he is, both in and out of bed. 

These two complement one another beautifully. The connection between the two is strong, and each man excels in bringing out the best in the other. 

Their story has some important secondary characters, who contribute greatly to the family dynamics and issues. There are racial issues, as they are an interracial couple. Some of the statements about this had me in tears. There's the conflict that Will works for Jameson's father.  

Overall, Awkward Love is a heartfelt tale. This Riley Hart book consumed me throughout, leaving me in tears, both happy and sad. Basically, a reader can't go wrong with this book. 

Vodka & Handcuffs (Mary's Boys #2) by Brandon Witt

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link - old link

Vahin Arora, Hamburger Mary’s sexy bartender, plays the flirtatious role so well even his closest friends—his chosen family at Mary’s—don’t realize Vahin hasn’t had a hookup in months. Then Tall, Dark, and Handsome steps through the door, and Vahin’s libido races back to life.

Being a black cop on the Denver police force is no easy job—Marlon Barton can’t imagine adding being gay to the equation. And while Marlon loves his work as an officer, his life has taken a turn for the hellish because of his new partner, the nephew of a senator.

Fleeing his partner’s company one night, Marlon stumbles into Mary’s for the first time… and wakes up with a hangover in the bartender’s bed. The one-night stand heats up into a budding romance, but not without stress as Marlon’s partner’s actions threaten Vahin’s livelihood and Marlon’s future on the force. Can Vahin and Marlon face the challenges and hold on to the love, friendship, and family they’ve found?

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Vodka & Handcuffs, the second book in the Mary's Boys series by Brandon Witt, is fantastic! 

Wow, this one hit me hard. The racism and homophobia are front and center, and extremely upsetting. Given the current state of the world, the timing for this one couldn't be more appropriate. Seriously, this one has a racist cop. 'Nuf said.

I enjoy Vahin and Marlon as a couple. They way they meet, the way they come together, all of it is enjoyable. 

I really enjoy this story. The writing style is great, the characters are both well developed, and the storyline is not only riveting, but also extremely poignant.

Vodka & Handcuffs is a stellar read. Brandon Witt packs a ton of emotion into this short book and I felt it all. This book just hit me with the importance of this storyline. 

Stupid Love (Stumbling into Love #1) by Riley Hart

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link 

Elijah
Out of all the apartments in Atlanta, I ended up with the worst neighbor. Shaw Hastings is a headache. He's so full of himself it makes me crazy. Our official language is snarky banter--which I don't enjoy, I swear. I've got eyes for my bestie Danny, anyway. I need to figure out if he feels the same, so I email an advice column written by a serial dater, who's just as annoying as Shaw. Now, I'm asking myself why am I thinking less about Danny and having a blast virtually flirting with Anonymous?

Shaw
I don't know why I like my adorable neighbor, Elijah Coleman. We've got nothing in common, yet somehow he's both boring and kinda fun. He reminds me of this guy who emailed my advice column, so it shouldn't be surprising that--oops--they're the same person. Imagine me then offering to help Elijah get Danny in real life just because it means spending time with him. We go from angry neighbors, to frenemies taking dancing lessons together, to a flirtatious friendship where I enjoy making him happy.

No matter how much we fight it, Elijah and I are stumbling toward the L word. It's messy and scary, but then he smiles, strikes a beautiful dance pose, or kisses me, and suddenly it's not so bad. He's ruining me, and I sort of like it. Stupid love. Unfortunately, with my track record of running scared, I just might wreck the only real relationship I've ever had.

Stupid Love is a low angst, frenemies to lovers story, with an anonymous advice column, flirty emails, banter and other fun shenanigans. There's no love triangle or cheating in this book.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Riley Hart's Stupid Love, the first book in the Stumbling into Love series, is a beautiful book. Even better though, it's a riveting page turner from the start. 

First of all, the cover is stunning, definitely grabbing my attention upon first look. Upon reading the story, you'll find the cover model perfectly represents Elijah, a twink who teaches pilates. 

A classic enemies to lovers tale, this one is between neighbors Elijah and Shaw. These two are such an interesting couple from the start. Elijah is a man looking for love, having long been pinning over his best friend. He takes an instant disliking to his neighbor Shaw, as he seems to be looking for no repeats. 

This is a great combination of slow burn and an online relationship.  Shaw is an online love column advice guru. Seriously, he's a love guru who gives heart-felt advice, all while being cynical of real love. So fun!

When he and Elijah start talking via his column, they don't know each other's real life identities. If you enjoy stories like this, you'll love this book. 

Their story includes homophobia and racism, as Elijah is biracial.

The highlight of this tale is the difference between the men and their individual journeys. Elijah and Shaw want vastly different things out of life. Shaw has been burnt in the past and doesn't want to open his heart up again, all while Elijah just keeps longing for real love. Their story is emotional and will grab your heart, as these men deal with their developing feelings. 

And then the author just adds to the fun with Eli's bendiness!

As far as quotes are concerned, I think we can all relate to this one by Shaw. "...I made myself believe those feelings of fear were gone. If you don't acknowledge something, it's not there, right?" 

As usual, the author gifts the reader with lovable characters and creates a fantastic journey for them. Told in alternating first person pov, the reader easily follows these men and their feelings throughout. 

One important theme the author addresses is the difference between thinking you're in love with someone, versus real love. She handles this well, with major character revelations. 

Stupid Love is a beautiful slow burn neighbor romance. I love every second of this sweet and touching Riley Hart gem. I can't wait to see what Riley has in store for the rest of this series!