Review: Safe in my Arms - Sara Shepard - July 2021 As soon as I saw that this author had released a new book, I knew I wanted to read it and I would enjoy it as I love everything by Sara Shepard ever since as in my late teens to early 20s, I discovered her Pretty Little Liars series. Safe in my Arms is set in the small town of Raisin Bay which is an elite community based around a preschool called Silver Swans. It's the first day of the new preschool year and we meet three mothers Andrea, Lauren, and Ronnie. All three of them connect at the breakfast and have children beginning at the preschool. Each of the mums also has secrets to hide. The book then jumps to each of the mothers’ receiving notes in their children's backpack, saying they aren't wanted here. All signs point to the principal Piper Jovan and so the girls go to investigate. During this investigation time, the women discover Piper on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood.  Soon, the three of them will be pul...

Red Cambria Hebert (House of Misfits #5) Publication date: March 18th 2022 Genres: MM romance, Romantic suspense, contemporary romance, modern fairytale (Red Riding Hood) Once upon a time… An orphaned boy runs away, knowing he is better off in solitude than in the company of those with whom he does not belong. However, Little Red is not meant to be alone, his crimson halo a calling card to those far and wide. And so off he goes… into the woods to attract the eye of a wicked wolf. Better to see you with. Better to hear you with. Better to taste you with. Astoundingly, the woods are not a frightening place, and Little Red flourishes among the weeds and thorns until he isn’t so little anymore. And the wicked wolf he’s gone to catch? Well, this forest has more than one, and perversely, their snapping teeth and sharp claws make him feel at home. Years after walking into the woods, Red is expected to walk back out, carrying with him the head of the most dangerous pre...

Audiobook Club Jessica Frances Publication date: February 25th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Being a police officer in a small town doesn’t often offer up many surprises. Working the night shift means I rarely see or do much of anything that doesn’t involve a speeding vehicle, or a drunken rant. And, while quiet nights are better than deadly ones, it still takes some getting used to after living in a big city for years. So, I’m rather shocked when I pull over a driver and find the dirtiest audiobook playing from the car speakers. And, paint me intrigued when the hot driver struggles to get the enticing words to stop broadcasting to the entire street. The embarrassing encounter has us both lowering our guard, and I find myself a new friend, one who suggests we start our own audiobook club. Soon, we become more than just friends as we listen and fall into stories and new worlds together and, naturally, the sexy scenes we’re listening to become a blueprin...

StrangeLove T.L. Bradford Publication date: April 18th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Archer The year began great for me. Became the starting quarterback for an NFL team – check. Secured a multi-million-dollar contract – check. Moved to LA and lived the glamorous life – check. What could possibly cause me any issues? Oh yeah, one more thing. I’m gay. I was outed a couple of years ago to my former team and my family, but it hasn’t been made public knowledge yet. Well, that is, until now. I’ll be known as the first LGBTQ+ active player in the league’s history. And if I stick to the conditions of my contract, it won’t be a problem. The thing is, I’m not really a guy known for playing by the rules. Most people think of my personality as the three B’s: bold, brash, and blunt. My mouth has gotten me into more predicaments than I can count. Even my best friends have told me I’m stubborn as a mule and have the delicacy of a bull in a china shop. This presen...

Check Yes, No, or Maybe Stormie Skyes Publication date: January 12th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Crappy job. Yes. Take back an annoying ex. Definitely no. Hit on the sexy new firm partner looking him over…maybe? For Aaron Cambrian, life is lived by checklists. No matter how promising, everything – jobs, potential partners, cars, drinks, food, etc – needed to meet all his criteria or he walks away. Everything changes one night at the cocktail bar when his best friend challenges Aaron to abandon his list and ask the first hot guy who catches his interest if he can buy him a drink. Thanks to his old nemesis alcohol, Aaron takes the dare! The next thing he knows, he finds himself in the condo of an absolute stranger! It was supposed to be one drink. One accidental kiss… Good thing he’d never see the guy again. Wrong! When the sexy new partner at Kimball & Marks law firm turns out to be the hot stranger, Aaron is faced with a life-changing decision: keep th...

Christmas Wish List N.R. Walker (Hartbridge Christmas Series, #2) Publication date: November 25th 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance In need of work and a change of scenery, Aussie ex-pat Jayden Turner agrees to a short-term chef position at a Bed and Breakfast over the Christmas holidays. After all, how hard could it be in a small town in the mountains of Montana? What he finds is a grand old house in a beautiful town, and his new boss is gorgeous, gay, and single. After his divorce, Carter “Cass” Campion bought his great-aunt’s rundown country manor in his home town, and he’s determined to get it ready for the busy holiday period. Recently out as gay, he’s been focused solely on his business and hasn’t had time for a man. Not that many gay men come through Hartbridge . . . As his new clients arrive, and being away from his two kids, celebrating Christmas is the last thing on Cass’s mind, but his new chef has other ideas. And if there’s one thing on his Chri...

A Christmas to Fight For Jessica Frances Publication date: November 12th 2021 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Holiday, LGBTQ+, Romance As the last of my kind, I’ve long lived in the shadows. But, with the death of my father, I have a dying wish to fulfill, and I can no longer keep quiet. I can no longer stand back and watch as the Santa Claus Organization takes everything from us. So, I launch an attack that was doomed from the start. I am but one krampus up against the cruelest organization in the world. I knew it was a long shot. I knew I would likely die. Then something surprising happens. The most recent Santa Claus comes into my life, and I don’t know what to make of him. He wasn’t what I was expecting. He’s supposed to be a puppet. A heartless, despicable Santa. But he’s not. He’s … a good person? Do I have things wrong? Have I had them wrong all along? Or am I falling for the biggest con in the world? Either way, change is coming for North Pole, and this is sure to be the de...

Blackbird Mia Kerick (If I Fell, #2) Publication date: November 1st 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Sequel to Hide Your Love Away (If I Fell Series, book 2) Timmy and Cole’s angsty love story continues… Last year, in Timmy Hale’s junior year at Edgewater University, he set his romantic sights on Colton “Cole” Ledger—a burly and sometimes over-protective dormitory maintenance man. Cole soon had it bad for sleek and snarky Timmy too, and—despite a bumpy road (a frenzied stalker and an uncooperative son)—before year’s end they’d found love. Now, in Timmy’s senior year, the couple has left the dormitory behind. Cole is back to running his own custom construction company, and they’ve turned an antique Victorian home into a love nest. For a while, life is good. But insta-love comes at a cost, and for Timmy and Cole it’s steep. Cole’s doubts haunt him: he’s almost certain he’s too old for Timmy, and that he’s pushing him into a life he’ll eventually resent, keep...