When The Law Needs Help by Jackie Keswick (Dwight and Conrad Case Files #1)

TITLE: ⟫ When The Law Needs Help

AUTHOR: ⟫ Jackie Keswick

SERIES: ⟫ Dwight and Conrad Case Files #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Can love, loyalty, and family step in when the law needs help?

Join Jack Horwood and Gareth Flynn as they tackle murder, secrets, and moral dilemmas in a world where the law isn't always enough - while finding comfort in each other and their home-made family.

The first volume of Dwight & Conrad Case-files stories includes:

Mouse Hunt: When a friend's death and old secrets collide, Jack has no choice but to step up and help.

A Very Bagpuss Christmas: Can adopting a cat really cause so much heartache that Jack considers escaping to Tokyo? Can Gareth fix what's going wrong?

Grand Union Hunt: Gareth lives to help people. But should he obey the law or follow his conscience?

When the Law Needs Help is a collection of three stories set in and featuring the characters from the Power of Zero world.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a very interesting set of short stories, set in the Power of Zero universe. It was really excellent to be back with Jack and Gareth, to fall back into their world and be swallowed up by the fascinating life they lead.

Jack has always been such a vulnerable character to me, and I worried about him being away from Gareth, Daniel and Nico whilst dealing with his grief from the death of one of the few people in his life that he has been able to rely on. I loved all of the small details that help immerse you in the world – you could almost feel like you were the home they had built for themselves, watching as they used their skills to help people who might otherwise not have a voice.

Before reading, I wondered if I should try to do a quick recap on the previous books, but the details came flooding back as soon as I began reading. Not that re-reading the previous books would have been onerous – I had almost forgotten Jackie Keswick’s ability to throw you in at the deep end whilst ensuring that you could keep up with what was going on – a deft hand is used to keep you interested in the spy/drug dealing/murderous goings on whilst concentrating on the things that matter – the relationships being revealed on page.

This is not a traditional MM romance – Gareth and Jack are an established couple with a rich history – but it was enjoyable to see them working and growing together, with the compromises and promises that they have made to make their relationship work, and the way that they are still learning about each other. I’m quite looking forward to reading more of the Dwight and Conrad Case-files – if you are looking for an immersing, absorbing read with great characters and interesting stories, you can’t go wrong with this series.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Clueless Puckboy by Eden Finley and Saxon James (Puckboys #5)

TITLE: ⟫ Clueless Puckboy (Puckboys #5)

AUTHOR: ⟫ Eden Finley & Saxon James

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Quinn

Straining my groin is bad enough. It puts my hockey career, my future, but even worse, my dignity on the line. Having to get massages in that area from Vance Landon, one of the team trainers, is mortifying. It’s impossible to hide my feelings toward him. If my constant blushing and bumbling doesn’t give it away, my body does. It’s getting to the point where I wonder if hockey is even worth the embarrassment.

Trying to avoid him only makes him seek me out more. He’s determined to rehab my injury, but all I want is for him to leave me alone. Or fall for me. One or the other.

Vance

Ayri Quinn isn’t your typical jock … except for the fact he refuses to admit when he’s injured. I’ve seen more than enough professional sportsmen lose the career they love due to injury, and I’m not having it happen again. Especially not when the guy in question happens to be the sweetest, most awkward, innocent jock I’ve ever met.

When a night out leads to Quinn re-injuring himself, I create a care plan that keeps me hands on, literally. Unfortunately, working with him in close proximity brings all those feelings I’ve been trying to ignore to the surface. I just need to get him better so he can be back on the ice and out of my bed. Ah, my massage bed. Because if this goes on any longer, I might mean my actual bed. Ayri Quinn is impossible to resist.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a lovely, low-angst, amusing read in the style we’ve come to expect from the authors.

Poor Quinn – I felt for him, especially with the heckling he received for his facial hair and just in general. Add to that his complete and utter inability to use his words when around Vance and he made me laugh far too much. Vance not realising the reason for Quinn’s ‘man reactions’ whenever he worked on him also made me laugh, especially when it became obvious that absolutely everyone else knew what was going on.

I enjoyed this story – I liked the way it played out with everyone being adult about things, no ridiculous misunderstandings and people using their words. Amusing, sexy and fresh, this was a lovely read and an excellent addition to the Puckboy series.

The Fishermen by C.P. Harris (Infidelity #2)

TITLE: ⟫ The Fishermen

AUTHOR: ⟫ C.P. Harris

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ At the age of twenty-five, Leland Meadows has his whole life mapped out in front of him, with four rules to live by:

No new friends.

No dreams or aspirations.

No repeat hookups.

And definitely no committed relationships.

Leland’s looking for safety, not heartbreak and disappointment. Then one day he receives an offer he can’t turn down. Rent is due, and the catering company his best friend’s sister works for is suddenly one server short for the biggest event of the year. Leland accepts the job—but those rules he’s been so careful to follow? They don’t stand a chance against Franklin Kincaid.

At forty-five, the lie Franklin Kincaid has been living his entire life catches up with him.

His job no longer fulfils him—if it ever had.

His marriage is in crisis.

His heart yearns for something he can’t identify—or maybe he’s just too terrified to admit it.

And his children are clueless about all of it.

On a cold and lonely night, Franklin’s search for courage leads him to a rooftop in down-town Seattle, where he finds Leland Meadows instead.

Neither of them would ever be the same again…

***The Fishermen is a best friend’s dad MM romance and Book 2 in the Infidelity series. Each book features a new couple, can be read as a stand-alone, and ends with a HEA. Themes include age-gap, possessiveness, hurt/comfort, and second chances. Both MCs are consenting adults. Please use the Amazon “Look Inside” feature for a full list of content warnings.

REVIEW: ⟫ No one does messy relationships like C.P. Harris and boy, was this story full of messy relationships.

Having read the first book in the Infidelity series and grabbed hints about Leland and Franklin, I was confused by the start of this book. Had I misinterpreted what was going on? Were they not the people I was thinking they were? This misdirect was masterful – the story wouldn’t have had anywhere near the impact that it did if it wasn’t for (a) reading the first book and (b) the stellar writing.

Leland refuses to connect to anyone. Well, he allows himself one person but that’s it – his trust won’t extend further. So finding himself getting to know Franklin, telling him things that he hasn’t revealed ever before and falling into a ‘summer’ together was never on his radar.

Franklin is at a crossroads where his perfect looking life is beginning to crumble – along with the person that he presented to the world and kinda thought he was. How do you stay married to someone, live your life, when everything inside you is screaming for just a bit of freedom? He feels like a failure as a husband and a father and has no idea where to go from there. Taking Leland’s hand and ‘looking down’ is the beginning of a journey that he would in no way ever have been able to prepare for, or expect.

Oh man, this story took us down some dark paths and even though I fell down this rabbit hole willingly, I still wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen. Leland and Franky were so destructive, so blinded by their past and present that you could see the damage they were going to cause each other and yet you followed along with them. It was like watching a car crash between your fingers, feeling pain for the people involved in it, wanting to hug them, cry with them – coming out of this story felt like awakening from a different universe and the book hangover is real.

C.P. Harris is quite possibly the only person who could have me reading about infidelity and cheering on the adulterers – now THAT is talent. Told in three main parts, this book provides background to Jasper and Cole’s life growing up and just how much Franklin did to try to protect them from anything and everything. And because it’s an older protagonist, there is a lifetime of mistakes and experiences that Franklin regretted and wished he could change. All of this went into his relationship with Leland because Leland was absolutely the only person that Franky could be himself with. Not even just warts and all – Leland knew the good, the bad and the ugly about Franky but loved him anyway. Loved him fiercely and without reservation in a way that could only lead to hurt because neither of them were ready.

I worry that this review is just incoherent ramblings as I try to encourage people to read this story without ruining any of it. C.P. Harris is one of my auto-buys and hasn’t let me down once. Even when I’m shaking my head at the circumstances her characters get themselves into, I’m flipping pages desperate to see how things turn out. It really is brilliant writing to capture human nature whilst inspiring hope for the future – the world may be dark, people may let us down, cause us pain and damage, and yet hope remains. That is special.

I can’t leave this review without talking about the sex scenes. They were – well, almost feral and base and primitive. I don’t think I’ve ever read the kink that Franklin displays and was kinda shocked at how into it he was, but dang, it was hot af and suited his well-hidden caveman perfectly.

I need to go and read something light and fluffy to recover from this hangover, but I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I have an idea who might feature in it (and am SO here for it) but in the meantime, I heartily recommend this book. Just make sure you have tissues, time and an open mind before you start!

I received an ARC from the author.

The Face Man by Amy Lane (A Long Con Adventure)

TITLE: ⟫ The Face Man (Long Con Adventures)

AUTHOR: ⟫ Amy Lane

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Torrance Grayson has forged a solid independent journalism career with help from his friend and mentor, Felix Salinger, and he's relished being the face of the Salinger crew, exposing the corruption of the powerful while keeping his friends safe in their anonymity. But being face to face with the worst in the world takes its toll, and when Tor has a moment of weakness, it's the Salingers who come to bail him out.

During his recovery, Tor makes friends with the household's confident, charismatic young chef, Marco. Their quiet conversations make Marco more and more reluctant to confront Tor on the grave mistake the man is about to make in his current exposé—a mistake that can harm Marco's loud, boisterous family irrecoverably.

Tor is more than willing to listen—and to correct any mistakes. He's seen graphic proof that he's not infallible, and he'll go to any lengths to avert tragedy. But as Tor works toward the truth of what's happening with Marco's family, Marco begins to develop deep suspicions about the people they both work for. Torrance Grayson is in deep with the Salingers, and Marco isn't sure he should know any more than necessary about people who seem to be great bosses but shady citizens.

In order to help Marco, Tor needs to trust him—and that means to trust him with the truth of the Salinger Crew, as well as with his heart. But in a world of capers and crime-fighting, trust, it appears, is worth more than gold and jewels. Tor can expose crime and injustice with impunity, but can he expose his heart to Marco, a man who desperately wants in?

REVIEW: ⟫ Okay, I defy anyone to read this and not want to give Tor a humongous hug, followed by some of Marco’s delicious food because he needs to know that we love all of him and not just how gorgeous he is!

I was fascinated by this read because it references the previous book and we get to see the aftermath – our fabulous team are a little bruised and battered, showing their humanity and just how broken they are, whilst also demonstrating incredibly well how they have each other’s backs and understand the demons that drive each of them.

I loved the introduction of Marco’s cousins; Tor’s cameraman Phil was a quiet favourite of mine; Josh is beginning to recover fully which has me squeeing with delight because that means he and Liam can move past ‘potential’ to full on LOVE; Grace continues to break my heart and give me hope – the whole team is here and in full effect and this was a fantastic ride.

Marco and Tor were beautiful together and I adored the way that Marco took control of Tor, let him know that he was loved and wasn’t too proud to go to any of the others for help in figuring out his man. The sex scenes between them were alternately hot, steaming and just so damned touching – phew! This book – the con, the parties, the descriptions of the grift along with the family and lover dynamics was exactly what I needed. Just absolutely perfect – if you know Amy and have read any of the rest of the Long Con Adventures, then you know what to expect.

Literally read this in one day (I will apologise to my cats for the disruption to normal attention levels) and I plan to grab all of the Long Con Adventures and read them ALL in one go (when my TBR goes down). No surprise that this was a five for me!

I received an ARC from the author.

Arranged by Fate by Jacey Davis

TITLE: ⟫ Arranged by Fate

AUTHOR: ⟫ Jacey Davis

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Alpha Orion Strongfire: The last thing I wanted was to marry one of the Inwood omegas. Or anyone really. But the choice had been taken from me. This arranged marriage was the only thing that stood between my family and complete ruin after my father’s scandals nearly caused irreparable damage to my family’s reputation and our business empire. I could care less about the business, but I refused to allow my mother and siblings to be vulnerable and without protection, so I guess I was getting married.

I may not have wanted an omega to care for, but one brush of my lips against Lyric’s and all of that changed. He was mine and I would burn down the world before letting him go.

Omega Lyric Inwood: I was not looking forward to being under the control of Orion Strongfire. The Strongfire alphas had a reputation, and it wasn’t a good one. But omegas had no power and this union was the only way I could protect my family.

I never believed in fated mates, but just moments after meeting Orion, it was impossible to deny the connection. For better or worse, it seemed fate destined me to belong to Orion.

This was originally featured in the anthology, Tying the Knot. It has been expanded into a full-length novel with over 30k additional content added. Arranged By Fate is book one in an alternate reality non-shifter MM omegaverse series all based around arranged marriages and marriages of convenience.

Arranged by Fate is a high-heat, insta-lust omegaverse romance. While each book in this series ends in an HEA for the main characters, with no cliffhanger, there is an overarching plot that will continue throughout. It is an alternate reality omegaverse with adult themes and explicit content. It is not meant for those under 18. While MPreg is possible it does not occur in this book. This is a world where omegas have very little rights and are essentially owned by their alpha guardian or mate. There is also a biological kink element where alphas are biologically inclined towards dominance while omegas are inclined to submission.

CW: domestic discipline, power exchange, kink elements such as spanking, mentions of child abuse and spousal abuse (not between main characters), some on page violence, SA (not between main characters). Please read the content warning at the beginning of the book for a full list of triggers and kinks.

REVIEW: ⟫ There were many elements of this story that worked for me – the premise of an arranged marriage where neither party was completely willing, the fated mate idea, an omega being able to calm their alpha down – lots of things for me to sink my teeth into.

The characters of Orion and Lyric were interesting together – they were both intelligent, caring men who were more than willing to accept what fate had thrown at them. They cared deeply about each other, were determined to make the best of things for themselves and their family members, and worked together extremely well.

The sex was – hmm, it’s hard to describe my reaction to the sex. I liked the scenes but there was something missing. They should have been burn the page up hot, but for some reason they just didn’t resonate with me. I enjoyed the different kinks including spanking and dominance, but somehow the scenes still came across as perfunctory. I don’t even know why and kinda assumed it was me rather than the story.

The sub-plot involving Orion’s father was interesting enough but some of it didn’t make sense. His father was the one pushing for the arranged marriage, so his actions afterwards didn’t make sense to me and I wasn’t quite satisfied with the explanation given. Overall, I’m not sure how I felt about this book – the ideas ticked a lot of boxes but the execution didn’t quite do it for me but YMMV.

I received an ARC from GRR.