Tag: Romance MM (Page 2 of 2)

BOOK REVIEW: Counterpoint (In Vino Veritas #2) by J.E. Birk

BOOK REVIEW: Counterpoint (In Vino Veritas #2) by J.E. BirkCounterpoint (In Vino Veritas #2)
by J.E. Birk
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

One playboy. One perfectionist. So many secrets.

I’m considered the biggest playboy in Burlington, Vermont. The party boy. The guy who lives in the moment and makes decisions with no thought for the future. But people don’t know my past. They don’t know why I make the choices I do. Even my best friend doesn’t know the truth about me. Actually, there are a lot of things he doesn’t know…like the fact that I had a one night stand with his brother last year.

Did I mean to hook up with Aaron? Um, no. Mistakes were made, okay? But unlike most of my mistakes, this one has lasting consequences. Aaron works at the law firm where circumstances are forcing me to be their errand boy. Now we see each other every day. Aaron’s such a nervous wreck he keeps tripping over the copy machine. I’m surprised he hasn’t ended up in traction yet.

He and I are opposites in almost every way. He’s got a GPA higher than Mount Mansfield, and I’m barely going to graduate college. He grocery shops with a spreadsheet, and I’ve got YOLO tattooed on my body. But Aaron sees things in me that no one else does, and I see things in him he doesn’t see in himself. Before I know it, we’re sharing late-night office picnics, evenings out at the bar, and long, hot afternoons on my boat. I’m having the best summer of my life, but there’s no way this can end well. My bff will kill me if he ever finds out how thoroughly I’ve corrupted his brother…

Counterpoint is an opposites-attract forbidden romance featuring an incense-filled law firm, meddling friends, and angst and humor in (mostly) equal parts. It stars Jeremy Everett and Aaron Morin, who first appeared in the Vino and Veritas story Booklover, but Counterpoint is a standalone novel.

Review

The best part about all of these books within The World of True North is that you see characters from other books and it feels like you’re coming home to old friends. This book can essentially be called a companion novel to Booklover from the Vino & Veritas series because Aaron, one of our MCs in this book is Jamie’s brother from Booklover and Jeremy, the other love interest, is his best friend. SADLY (yes I know I am ashamed) that was one from V & V I haven’t gotten to yet but you better believe I will be soon after this!

One of the things I really enjoyed about Counterpoint was that it put me in my Moo U feels. Now, I’m not sure if people really do call the University of Vermont, Moo U but either way I feel nostalgic about it when I come back and read a mention of it and that to me is hilarious. I have never even been Vermont but somehow all of these books have me feeling like I HAVE lived there and that I have this network of family and friends there to visit/ come home to when I’m missing them.

Aaron and Jeremy in particular were two that I wanted to wrap up and hug multiple times throughout this book. After a soul crushingly bad review at the last corporate law firm he interned at, Aaron was doubting his ability to practice law once he graduated from Harvard which had him even more upset as he had only recently patched up a falling out he had with his family over leaving for law school in the first place. Jeremy is a playboy or, if we want to get fun and stay on brand, modern day rake who was ALWAYS up for a good time as far as anyone could tell. What we end up finding out is that he’s dealing with a LOT of family things (mainly a father who developed early onset Alzheimer’s and heavy tension with his mom in result of that) that he keeps hidden from everyone.

Everyone except Aaron. I’m a big fan of the dynamic in romances where one love interest is only able to confide in the other love interest, even way before they get together, because that person makes them feel completely comfortable. Aaron and Jeremy’s personalities might be night and day in comparison but as the saying goes, “opposites attract.” Throughout the book when Aaron is struggling with work and worrying about what people think of them/ letting them down he thinks “what would Jeremy do in this situation?” and that helps him more than one time let go of his anxiety and settle in to the confident, smart, and capable person that he is. Jeremy on the other hand learns from Aaron what it’s like to open up and let people try to help. How much that helps to lighten the very heavy load. The two have their faults but as all of their friends notice, they’re better together. Overall another winner in my book!

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: Stronghold (Vino & Veritas #14) by Ana Ashley

BOOK REVIEW: Stronghold (Vino & Veritas #14) by Ana AshleyStronghold (Vino & Veritas #14)
by Ana Ashley
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A second chance at love? Or a second chance to ruin everything?

When Skyler spots the new bartender at Vino and Veritas, his body responds before the guy even turns around. But when he does, it takes only a heartbeat for recognition to set in and for sparks to fly. Judson’s been gone for ten years, but he’s the man Skyler never forgot. Or forgave.

The last place Judson wants to be is back home in Burlington, living with family. Not so long ago he was a world-class chef with the lifestyle to prove it. Now he’s serving drinks and flying under the radar until he can get the hell out again. But when his childhood best friend reenters his life, looking finer than any entree at a five-star restaurant, he wonders if it’s time to update his menu of life choices.

Working through past wounds with Skyler won’t be easy, though, especially with family obligations--and the occasional dairy cow--interfering. When their loyalty is tested, will their newly built stronghold be sturdy enough to withstand the storm?

Stronghold is a sweet and sexy Vino & Veritas romance with some creative use of maple syrup.

Review

Okayyyyy everything about this was perfection. To this day I argue with myself about what I love best: friends to lovers or enemies to lovers. I think I just need to quit trying to decide and accept the fact that I love both equally but can be in the mood for either/or at different times. This one was a bit of a friends to lovers/second chance situation. Due to a misunderstanding their senior year (isn’t there ALWAYS ONE?!?) these former best friends hadn’t seen each other in ten years. Judson literally fled across the world to France where he attended culinary school while Skyler stayed home to help out his family after his dad almost gambled away their entire farm while also getting into the maple syrup business.

Fast forward to now–Judson is back due to a bad situation in France and is just trying to pick up the pieces of his life–again. The two run into each other and it’s obvious that whatever soul-deep connection they used to have, never went away. My favorite part about this book was that it didn’t take long for them to finally open up about what happened the night before Judson left. Sky had been left broken and confused when he left but quickly realized what it was that Jud had overheard him say. They quickly straightened that out and were able to build an actual romantic relationship from there. The fact that Sky was able to FINALLY, after all these years, tell Jud how he truly felt was so satisfying.

I cannot tell you how many romances were spoiled for me because these miscommunications are handled poorly because one half of the couple storms off before hearing the other side’s perfectly reasonable explanation or love declaration. OOOOOH it frustrates me to no end. This one however, has none of that. These two TALK and COMMUNICATE and also eat maple syrup off one another which doesn’t hurt anything, either LOLLLLLLLL. Loved, loved, loved.

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review!♥

BOOK REVIEW: Headstrong (Vino & Veritas #3) by Eden Finley

BOOK REVIEW: Headstrong (Vino & Veritas #3) by Eden FinleyHeadstrong (Vino & Veritas #3)
by Eden Finley
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A straight guy gives gay hookup tips to a virgin. What could go wrong?

When I first met Whit, I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. He’s a hockey player, and I hate everything to do with the sport that once broke my heart.

But I can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. He’s newly out and desperate to meet someone, but his eagerness seems to scare potential hook-ups away.

Agreeing to be his wingman should’ve been simple. Watching him flirt with other guys made things complicated.

Whit challenges me in every aspect of my life, from my hatred of hockey to the new questions I’m asking myself. Like why a straight man suddenly can’t stop thinking about kissing another guy.

I think the answer lies somewhere on Whit’s lips...

Review

I’m going to let you in on something that I think is hilarious, lol. I am lucky enough to be part of Sarina Bowen’s ARC team and as such, was super lucky enough to snag a few of these World of True North books early. When I was going through this series, I saw the phrase “hockey player” and was like DAMN I need this. Then, as I was reading Heartscape I got to wondering, “Hmmm I wonder if any of these books will feature Rainn…I know he said he was straight when we first met him bartending in Roommate but I guess you never know.” LOL what do you know! The straight guy in the tagline for this book in in fact, Rainn.

Along with Rainn, his book features Whit, a hockey player at Moo U who has recently come out but has yet to have any sort of relationship/hookup with anyone. In attempts to remedy that, he decides to spend some time at the local bar that is popular and welcoming to the queer community and bumps into Rainn, quite literally. Basically they two are off to a shitty start, lol. Whit is the type of person who constantly has word vomit and can’t ever stop and Rainn is….the complete opposite lol. The two wind up striking up an unlikely friendship because Rainn feels for Whit after seeing him strike out a few times at the bar and Whit is convinced he’s going to make Rainn fall in love with hockey again.

Two things you have to know: #1 Rainn had been a great hockey player from Moo U with a bright future until a career ending injury snatched away his dreams. #2 Whit has a huge crush on Rainn.

Even though there were times that Whit’s personality kind of annoyed me?? Like some of the flippant word vomit I talked about earlier just made me think that he’s the type of person people either love or hate, lol. Overall I did love their relationship. The fact that Rainn just slowly started to realize that he couldn’t deny this chemistry the two of them shared. They just grew into a friendship that morphed into so much more and I loved that.

While there is a small bit of “drama” between the two towards the end, it’s completely realistic stuff. Especially with the type of emotional baggage Rainn has been carrying around since his injury. The way they both took the time to work on their own stuff for a short second to come back together stronger and more sure than ever made my heart happy. Another win for The World of True North!

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!♥

BOOK REVIEW: Heartscape (Vino & Veritas #2) by Garrett Leigh

BOOK REVIEW: Heartscape (Vino & Veritas #2) by Garrett LeighHeartscape (Vino & Veritas #2)
by Garrett Leigh
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

From award-winning author Garrett Leigh comes a gorgeous new romance in the True North world! Think: great food, burly men and good times. Beards are optional but encouraged.

I’m not the obvious choice to run Burlington’s coolest wine bar—quiet, brooding, clueless about tannin content, and always one wrong turn away from another downward spiral.

But no one seems to mind that I'm a wreck. Besides me. I just focus on getting through each shift until the night a beautiful stranger appears, looking as lost and damaged as I feel.

When a mutual friend calls in a favor, the sexy newcomer winds up crashing on my couch. I don't know if it's his melodic Cornish accent, or his ocean blue eyes, or the rock-hard body with the mysterious scars, but I get the feeling whatever happened to him runs far deeper than those wounds.

Having Jax in my home makes my chest warm. Makes me shiver. Makes me want more. But I've got a pile of baggage and I don't want to be a burden on anyone let alone a man who seems to have enough demons of his own.

Our chemistry is off the charts. His arms feel like home. The last thing I want is to screw this up. Is it wrong to hope we can heal each other? Or will one of us die trying?

HEARTSCAPE is a heartfelt MM friends-to-lovers romance in the True North world, with a brooding bartender, a rugged outdoorsman, sweet angst and lots of Shipley cider. Triggers: contains mentions of depression, suicidal ideation and PTSD recovery.

Review

My favorite thing in immersing myself into this World of True North project so far has been that every book is so uniquely different. So many new authors, new writing, new characters–all wrapped up in a world I already know and love. Sometimes when you find yourself reading romance after romance, they start to blend together. I forget which names belong to which books and the tropes begin to loose that freshness they once had.

Something about this book was different. I don’t know if it was because I haven’t read a romance more on the angsty side in a while but Heartscape resonated deep within my bones. Tanner, manager of Vino and Veritas, and Jax, Cornish wildlife photographer both have their fair share of inner demons. Both have had terrible things happen to them at different points in their lives and bear those invisible scars the best they can. When a mutual friend and freak accident find them crossing paths, the two are immediately drawn to one another.

Leigh did an excellent job with drawing out both of their histories so that we only got little snippets here and there as Tanner and Jax became more and more comfortable around one another; more willing to open up. She also does an amazing job depicting all of VERY raw internal thoughts and feelings of both men. The different aspects of both of their mental heath issues are NOT taken lightly and I know I personally could tell she did her research.

Overall, while there weren’t many parts of this book that were “easy,” I felt that the way in which Tanner and Jax fell into a relationship was. It was quite obviously they were made for each other and even now, just thinking about how obvious their love for each other was just makes my heart so happy *cries* lol. Such a great book.

It’s Jax. It’s me. It’s the heartscape we’ll leave behind when we’re gone.

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!♥

BOOK REVIEW: Hook (Neverland #2) by Gina L. Maxwell

BOOK REVIEW: Hook (Neverland #2) by Gina L. Maxwell Hook (Neverland #2)
by Gina L. Maxwell
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

THEY CALL ME HOOK</b

I'm Captain of the Pirates; a villain by design and a loner by nature.

I don't need anyone. More than that, I don't want anyone. Especially Officer John Darling who insists on seeing the good in everything, including me. If there was ever any good inside of me, it was snuffed out long ago.

I've avoided him for years, but now I need his help to save my brother's life and take down Fred Croc, the monster from my childhood and my current employer.

Now Darling is undercover in my crew, living in my loft and forever working out shirtless. Taking Croc's operation down from the inside is dangerous as hell, but Darling's probing gaze and the natural way he defers to my dominant side might just be the end of me.

But I've lived in the dark for too long, and no amount of light can save me. Not even one as bright as Johnathan Darling.

HE CALLS ME DARLING

I'm a Task Force Officer with the FBI; a protector of the innocent and a man in love with a villain.

Before I was even old enough to understand it, I had a crush on the broody teen called Captain Hook, following him around like a puppy and hoping he'd show me the slightest bit of attention.

He never did, though, not for years. Not until I became his only viable option for getting his crew member back and throwing Croc behind bars. Now he can't ignore me, and he can't hide the desire burning in his eyes when I sink to my knees, eager to serve my Captain however he needs.

But secrets are hard to keep in close quarters, and when I discover the darkness lurking in his past, eradicating the evil in Neverland is no longer my only mission. Come hell or high water, I'll make Hook see that he's never been the villain of this story...he's the hero.

*Trigger Warning for readers sensitive to characters with sexual assault in their pasts. Please read the Author's Note in the beginning of the book for more details.

Review:

Hook was an emotional book that was filled with hope, healing and redemption.  But pain also filled the pages and it was etched so deep that my heart hurt reading this story.  Right from the prologue we were brought into Hook’s world and we got to see how dark and desolate it was.  Life could be so harsh and brutal.  But with John Darling in the picture, love and peace of mind tried their hardest to continually add light to Hook’s life.  So if you love opposites attracts and stories that will pull at your heart, then definitely add this one to your tbr.

“Damn your hero complex all to hell,” I mutter to myself on the way back to my room. “The Pirate doesn’t want to be saved, and you don’t belong on the dark side.”

We met Hook in Pan, and I just knew his story would slay my heart open.  You definitely don’t have to read the previous book to follow along with this one, but you’ll connect and understand the characters on a much deeper level if you do.  So Hook and his crew of pirates dealt drugs for Croc.  Hook was dealt a shit hand and was trying his best to help others, even though it dragged him into doing illegal activities.  And then there was John Darling, Wendy’s brother. He was a cop and the complete opposite of Hook.  Since they were kids, there was always something between them.  And now that they were older, it turned into something that was scorching hot.

He is my Captain. And for as long as he’ll have me, I am his.

John Darling was such a smart, caring, gentle hearted man.  He was so honest and the reasons why he became a cop blew my mind.  John was all heart and patience and I loved that no matter how high Hook’s walls were, he kept trying.  He saw the good in Hook and John slowly gave him pieces of his own heart.  John cared so deeply for him that it made my heart soar.  We alternated between John and Hook and I loved that we got to see what each of them thought about the other.  It added so much depth and understanding to their story.

Finally, he reaches me. As he stands between my spread legs, I focus on keeping my breaths even, determined not to show him how much his nearness affects me. I am a rock. An island. I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone. – Hook

The tension between John and Hook had me begging for them to be together. And when they did *fans face*, it was extremely hot and addictive. Moments between them were sensual, but there was also heart in it all.  So I kept hoping that each time they touched, that it helped knock down Hook’s walls. Because emotionally, John was there for Hook.  And we also got to see how physically he did everything he could to make his Captain happy.  They had such a beautiful, slow burn relationship.

Hatred— for Croc, for myself, for a system that failed us as kids and set all this in motion— rips through me from the bottom of my black soul until I let out a deafening roar and tear the visitor’s phone off the partition wall to whip it across the room.

Just like John, I loved Hook.  He had already captured and broken my heart in Pan.  In his story, those broken pieces got shattered even further and scattered all over the floor.  Don’t worry, they got pieced back together in the most beautiful of ways.  But still, I had a very hard time with Hook’s story.  His past was too much for me to handle.  I struggle with rape, especially when it comes to kids. I knew about his past, because of what we saw in Pan, so I thought I could handle it.  I was wrong.  I sobbed for Hook.  Even if it didn’t go into details, you still understood exactly what happened and the darkness was too much for me.  Thankfully one of the chapters had an alternative way to read it, on her website, and I did that.  But still, this story was too hard for my heart.

All I see is him in front of me, all I hear are his steady breaths, all I feel is his strong yet gentle touch. It’s both the most calming and unnerving thing I’ve ever experienced.
It’s where I belong.
I’ve never wanted and dreaded something so much in all my life. – Hook

So if you aren’t triggered like me, definitely pick this one up.  Yes you’re going to have to suspend your belief from time to time, just like in Pan.  But Hook was such a beautiful story about hope, love and persevering.  I was rooting for Hook and John from the very beginning.  Not only for them to be together, but their individual journeys too.  There was also all of the side characters we got to love and hate.  And then this book ended with an epilogue that dreams are made of.  So if you pick this one up, I hope you love it way more than me, this book deserves all the love!

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