Review: Omega Teacher's Baby (Men of Meadowfall #2) by Anna Wineheart

Divorced and shamed for his infertility, Professor Dale Kinney has spent the past ten years proving his worth: by building a solid research lab in his field. With his tenure two years away, everything's finally going right... except he also has a secret.

Dale has a crush on his student—Greg Hastings. Sweet, straight-A alpha, and also the college president's son. Greg has been asking Dale out for coffee since semester began. And it's been taking all of Dale's self-control to turn him down.

Four years ago, Greg lost his best friend in a fire. At eighteen, he'd had ambitious plans: build a home, drive fast cars, live his life. At twenty-two, he's lost his courage to believe. How can he be there for an omega when he couldn't save his best friend? How can he promise anyone a future? The only things keeping him afloat—college basketball, and the cute, awkward professor in his classes, who sneaks glances at Greg when he thinks Greg isn't looking.

When Greg stumbles on Professor Kinney in heat, the spark between them explodes into an inferno. And despite countless failed attempts at pregnancy... Dale conceives. Dale refuses to abort the child. Greg refuses to abandon this omega. With the pregnancy an increasingly difficult secret to keep, will their slow-burning love cauterize their wounds, or burn them down?

I came here for the ABO plot and got a decent enough story. *shrug*

It's my first time reading Anna Wineheart so I went in blind. The premise is what snagged me: older divorced omega professor with infertility issues goes into heat and his 20 year younger alpha student knocks him up?

Bring it on.

The premise was nice and not complicated.

I did have concerns through out the very easy story (repetition, instalove and not enough character depth), but I finished it fairly quickly. There is a lot of smutty times (KNOTTING and slick enthusiasts would be satisfied) but it kinda overshadowed the simple plot. And was still curious enough to try more from the series. I liked both main characters and the likable side characters.

My issue with the book, it's 100K of a lot of repetition of issues  ("I'm too old" "You're my student""I don't want to plan my future") and not enough delving into the characters. For example, Dale has been triggered by his ex and their callous family saying horrible things about him when he was married 15+ years ago. He finally is pregnant after being told he couldn't by a doctor. Why in the hell would he go to a doctor especially after googling he would be considered high risk? He waits over 2 months to go.

Or it's past 75% and Greg and Dale (who declared their love for one another) are still learning the basics about each other?

So for the 100K, we get a slow first 8 weeks of pregnancy up until 70% and then we time jump with some unexpected plot devices (a surprising life or deat one) that suddenly opens the pair's eyes.

So despite the extra 50K or so that could have been shaved off because at the crux of it all it's a simple insta-love story, I zipped through this. The writing is easy to read, the plot isn't too crazy and if you're interested in just reading ABO fluff and smut, this definitely delivers. I like that the fluffed up bits weren't too sugary.

Greg's baggage while wasn't as effective as internal conflict as it wasn't written to showcase his inner struggles as well. We're told it but if it was shown in different scenes, it could have made for a better story. Same goes for Dale and his struggle with being an omega in alpha dominated field and also dealing with his 20 + struggle with being divorced.

So, I think I liked this. I'll be reading more from this series when I'm in a mood for easy on the brain ABO romance. And if you're in the mood something like this, check it out.

Review: Cask Strength (Agents Irish and Whiskey #2) by Layla Reyne

Professionally, the FBI team of Aidan "Irish" Talley and Jameson "Whiskey" Walker is as good as it gets, closing cases faster than any team at the Bureau. Personally, it’s a different story. Aidan’s feelings for Jamie scare the hell out of him: he won’t risk losing another love no matter how heart-tripping the intimacy between them. And loss is a grim reality with the terrorist Renaud still on their trail, leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.

Going undercover on a new case gets them out of town and off the killer's radar. They're assigned to investigate an identity theft ring involving a college basketball team in Jamie's home state, where Jamie's past makes him perfect for the role of coach. But returning to the court brings more than old memories.

As secrets and shocking betrayals abound, none may be more dangerous than the one Jamie’s been keeping: a secret about the death of Aidan’s husband that could blow his partner's world apart and destroy forever the fragile bonds of trust and love building between them.

We start five months after Single Malt ended, with our FBI agents moving casually into a romantic relationship and firmly into their professional partnership. On Jamie’s end, he is all in no matter what he promised to Aidan about keeping it casual between them because Jamie has been so gone for Aidan long before anything physical happened between them. He knows Aidan was a man whore before his marriage to Gabe and half listened to Aidan’s points on not being serious – blah blah blah - but Jamie is his own man and he’ll do what he wants as long as he keeps it to himself. There are a few other things he is keeping to himself as well, like knowing the connection between Gabe, Tom and Renaud and not telling Aidan about it nor that Mel has him digging deeper into the accident and all that it involves.

There’s no substitute for the real thing.

I have to say that when I first learned about the men Aidan was seeing on the side I saw red and not just the natural color of Aidan’s hair. I was pissed off but then I turned the page and got Aidan’s POV and settled down. Self-preservation is the solace of one's own mind and though you don’t agree, you can’t pass judgment because it’s each person’s own validity. Aidan is so terrified to lose Jamie that he tries to keep him at arm's-length by “dating” copycats of Jamie and swearing there is no feelings between them. It’s a dick move but when Jamie calls him out on it, we do get some delicious UST that unfortunately leads to more dick moves and then Mel giving them a case back in Jamie’s home town with them undercover and an Au Naturale Aidan as Ian… *swoon* Call him what you want, Agent Irish is edible as his natural ginger self.

My brain is a jumbled mess right now as I try to process everything we have learned. Not only about the accident that killed Gabe and Tom but about all this crap in Charlotte with basketball and people wanting a piece of both Jamie and Aidan that they will stop at nothing to get it. The undercover case was nothing less than fascinating and full of informational detail that doesn’t weigh the reader down. It was easy to follow, the betting etc. and fueled every aspect of the story line. As with the first book, this is full of cinematic action and swoon worthy moments along with intense passionate games of er, um pool? Yeah, we will call it games of pool and how scorching the game of billiards can be, or at least just the use of the table.

Basketball. The Court. The Game.

It was great to see Jamie in his roots with basketball even though it was undercover. We get a lot of him as the FBI Agent and hacker, but I loved seeing how much his first love meant to him in real time. We know why he left the game and that he has thrived in his life as an FBI Agent but he lived and breathed basketball for so long that is also suffocated his inability to be out with his sexual orientation. Of course, being home brings up drama that is unavoidable but did it ever make for some intense moments between Jamie and Aidan that had me melting. I mean, jealousy can be a good thing when its labors bring about a change.

Again I have to bring in the title of this book. I love that the author is sticking to the whiskey themed titles and that Cask Strength, points at the production in whiskey straight from the barrel and its maturity. Ha! Maturity. I think in this case we can either talk about Aidan being older but older doesn’t always mean better or for that matter Jamie if we talk about whiskey maturing and losing some of its potency, known as the angel’s share. We learn a lot about Jamie when we go home with him undercover as himself to catch the insiders betting on basketball and stealing identifies. Aidan is of the assumption that his younger lover is so damn pure because Aidan thinks he is so damn tainted and yet learns that his own Whiskey at cask strength has a burn that overpowers the subtlety of his own flavors. Hmm… Aidan, be careful that scent you like to inhale so much from Jamie’s neck doesn’t burn your nose hairs. Kay?

Another person in his inner circle who’d betrayed him. Another person at risk.

Goodness. As Jamie, Danny and Mel work the case behind Aidan’s back more secrets come out of the closet like a needed yard sale of a hoarder. It was crazy how many ties to Aidan all of this has and how Jamie will tell him. The manner of which Aidan goes about working the case, how he goes about lying to his lover, his partner and the man he loves leads us to an heart stopping conclusion and cliffhanger to the story. Seriously, I yelled at the end and contemplated how long my resolve would take to break before I ran to request the last book because OMG! That end was amazing.

So, declarations have been exchanged and promises have been made but when Jamie comes clean with Aidan with the whole story about Gabe etc., he may need his own stock of cask strength liquor to drown out the memory of what could have been. OR, will this new love between partners and lovers be strong enough to not be diluted. Only two fingers of the finest Barrel Proof will tell for sure.

Don't miss the Cask Strength blog tour HERE!

Audiobook Review: A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C.

Sometimes to find love, you must first learn forgiveness.

A dozen years, 2,000 miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.

But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.


Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
Narrator: Robert M. Clark

Okay, now I can see the appeal of this author.

As my second Cardeno C, it went a lot better than expected.

Maybe I needed to listen rather than read? This narrator Robert M. Clark did a really great job.

Or maybe it was the stalking and possessiveness a la crazytrain territory?

Don't judge. ;P

I have a weakness for those types in romance. (Do not condone it in real life)

And this was all subtle crazytrain: Level 4 or 5 from a certain basketball player hero. Nothing outrageous compared to threatening to kill their beloved if they ever left them. Just stalking and a little B & E (breaking and entering).

Present day Rafi is a real estate lawyer, with great friends and a good life. It was better than twelve years ago in high school, where he was bullied by basketball player Isaac Jones. He's over that...until he gets a blast from the past on an outing with friends from his childhood tormentor. Isaac is still as good looking as in high school, currently a NBA player, rich and shouldn't even be in Rafi's town, since Isaac plays 2000 miles away.

Isaac acts as if he and Rafi are friends and slowly yet firmly inserts himself into Rafi's life.

The tall, dark and handsome NBA player is straight to public. But his pursuit of Rafi says otherwise. Be damned of Rafi's feelings since he was bullied for years due to the other man.

Highly improbable. Isaac just shows up after 12 years and stalks Rafi for months and just assumes they'll be forever together?

Definitely illogical. Rafi was hurt. He is still hurt. Those feelings are deeply etched into his psyche. His bully breaks into his house, woos him into submission and doesn't fully explain himself...but he trusts him?

This is madness.

It's crazy.

And yet...it worked.

Rafi is the narrator of the story. Robert M. Clark did justice to his snark and the overall tone. The story doesn't make excuses for his feelings. Isaac is just crazy in love. It takes a while (we're talking days) but Rafi sees the Isaac Jones crazy light and loves being 'dominated' by the man.

Thank goodness this was short, I'm unsure how I'd feel with a novel of this. Normally, this kind of stuff in paranormal works for me. But I've read this author's paranormal and it didn't click.

A Shot of Forgiveness? I ate it up. Or I should say I was captivated enough to finish this audiobook in one sitting.

The sex was hot - these two couldn't get enough of each other once the boxers were pulled down. I guess that touch of cray did wonders for the libido. I guess B & E works like a box chocolates in Cardeno C's romancelandia. Whatever...it worked for these two.

Would read this and listen to this again.

I kind of wish Isaac was a little more accountable with his B & E, and stalking. His motivation doesn't justify his actions. No hint of remorse, it was just supposed to be accepted. Rafi protested a little but once the D entered the picture...so did the protests.

Other than that, I was entertained.

Check out on Goodreads!