Review: The Color of Summer by Anna Martin

Tattoo artist Max Marshall races into his hometown of Sweetwater, West Virginia—and is promptly pulled over for speeding. Max’s luck isn’t all bad, though, because he recognizes the deputy, Tyler Reed, Max’s childhood best friend’s older brother.

Reconnecting with Tyler helps Max settle back in, and it also leads to attraction. But when he tries to explore that connection at the grand opening of his tattoo studio—by kissing Tyler—awkwardness ensues. Max wants more, but has he misread Tyler’s signals?

As a single father raising a six-year-old daughter, Tyler doesn’t have much time to date. He’s ignored his attraction to men for years, but he can’t stop thinking about the kiss he shared with Max. If he can handle the complications of dating in a small town and the possible consequences to his career, this romance could blossom with all the colors of summer.

Anna Martin stories are always so easy to read regardless of the subject matter. She’s the kind of author where the words just flow so I forget I’m actually reading as the story just moves and before I know it I’ve read 200 pages. The Color of Summer is the same and while Max and Tyler’s story could have been angst filled it wasn’t and I was happy for that, the ease of everything matched with the characters personalities well.

The lack of conflict will make this story less memorable than others in the long run though. Tyler had a lot to reconcile with his sexuality, but he rolled with it pretty easily, almost too easily, but as I said, that seemed to fit with his personality, so he would have had to have been constructed differently to add angst and I really liked him as he was. He had an ‘everyman’ quality to him that was refreshing to read for a change. He was a nice guy from a nice family with a nice little girl and there’s nothing wrong with that and it’s probably more true to real life than a lot of characters.

Max is edgier than Tyler with his full sleeve tattoos and the opening of his tattoo shop in the small town he grew up in. He always wanted to open his own shop, and his catalyst for opening it in his hometown now is so that he can be close to his mom after she suffered a stroke. He may seem a little cooler than your average small town cat, but he’s also a good boy who loves his small family.

The best parts of the book were the conversations between Max and Tyler as they got to know one another (again) after not seeing one another for years. Tyler is Shaun’s older brother and Shaun is Max’s best friend since childhood. So the two had a relationship as much as that setup would allow so the chemistry of their new relationship could realistically be accelerated a bit and that worked well. They had history but also the newness that is so fun to read.

I had a tough time wrapping my head around Max and Shaun’s friendship. I was told they were besties but Shaun didn’t have much page time so I didn’t really know him and I definitely didn’t have a feel for the two of them together. So, when Max and Shaun had a confrontation in the kitchen about Max dating Tyler, Shaun’s reaction seemed really terrible and then over. I felt like I was watching from the periphery though without the subtext of their relationship to be able to understand what happened. It really could have been no big deal, but without the extra info, it seemed way more over the top than necessary. But maybe it wasn't, I just don't know.

The buildup was really well done. The feel of the story to me was that I was going to read a “quietly” romantic story. I love those. They are more subtle and believable to me and when it comes time for the feelings I can buy into them pretty easily. The last third of the book felt rushed though. A lot happened and there was some external drama that threw wrenches at the characters heads and served as an unnecessary impetus for things that would have happened eventually anyway. It was kind of a lot to introduce and then wrap up in a short-ish amount of pages. I would have been fine with more focus on the family dynamics as Max and Tyler really started to commit to one another and lost their final hangups. There was too much big stuff crammed into the epilogue that should have had more pages dedicated as what transpired were life changing decisions and declarations.

It was really nice to read a story with families that loved and supported one another and minimal drama. Communication is a lovely thing to read and Max and Tyler were very good at it so while I may not remember the subtle specifics long term, I will remember how the story made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Review: Coming Back Home (Harrington Hills #3) by Megan Linden

He thought his mate would never come back. He was wrong.

Jack Harrington told everyone who asked that he’d gotten over Connor a long time ago. And while he still hasn’t managed to convince himself, he moves on with his life. He doesn’t have a choice. Connor is gone for good.

Or is he?

Connor Warden didn’t plan to ever come back to Harrington Hills, but with an infant in tow, that is exactly what he does. His daughter needs a pack and he is going to give it to her.

When Jack and Connor’s lives literally collide again, will they be able to go back to what had been and find their connection once more? Or is the divide between them too deep to ever fully get over?

If the second-chance theme is your jam, then this is your book. There are so many things and so many moments I loved in this story and I liked that the author took the story back to its shifter roots. The first book, Leading Me Home was friends-to-lovers, it was also pretty family/pack centric. The dynamics of the MC’s and the family were core to the story. Building a Home, the second in the series, was all about MC’s with an age difference with a side of hurt/comfort, but it moved away from the pack a bit and the story could have been about just two contemporary dudes and not having anything to do with shifters. It was a good story, I enjoyed the MC’s muchly, but I did miss the shifter world the author created. It’s a unique family setup compared to typical shifter stories, the alpha and beta are a committed lesbian couple and we just don’t see enough female alphas depicted as far as I’m concerned, so I was pretty happy Mom A and Mom B are more present in Coming Back Home. 

And it makes sense, one of the MC’s, Jack Harrington, is their son and it doesn’t matter if your mom is an alpha to a wolf pack or carpooling a soccer team, she’s still a mama bear at heart. But, big props to Mom A as she protected her son as his mom and Conner as his alpha; I obviously have a lot of respect for her character :D. Jack and Conner were split apart after teen love and angst had taken hold when Conner left Harrington Hills. And this is part of what I love about Coming Back Home, the realistic flavor of the relationship between Jack and Conner. It’s also part of what kept me from rating the story higher than I did.

Jack and Conner had such a close and comforting relationship as young men, but to believe they would get their HEA while still in high school is a bit ridiculous. So, the split was heartbreaking, but it made their cautious reunion more real and the HEA as adults believable. What was missing was the backstory. It’s referred to in bits and by the end I knew all the facts, but I wanted all the nuances that made these two grow from idealistic boys to grown men with responsibilities and families. I would have loved to read their growth and what drove their decisions. I mean, I know what drove them because I was told, but I did want more.

But, what story I did get from Jack and Conner, and their present world was so good. They danced carefully around one another, but I knew both their thoughts, so I could read with confidence where they were coming from and they never tortured one another, or more importantly, me, with miscommunication or unnecessary angst. I think because their adult relationship was so well done was why I wanted the first phase of their relationship so badly.

The cautious optimism grew between Jack and Conner, it made an HEA between them inevitable and it was a warm fuzzy road along the way once they opened up to one another. The last thing I would want is a conversation between Mom A and Conner, I’m hoping that gets revisited in the next book because Conner is in need of some parental support.

Coming Back Home is a lovely comfort read with a second chance theme that totally worked for the adult side of Jack and Conner. I do hope they make an appearance in the next in the series, as I do have complete confidence in forever for Jack and Conner, I want to see some love for Conner in the Harrington family, that would complete my happy for them.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Review: David, Renewed by Diana Copland

When interior designer David Snyder buys a beautiful century-old house in eastern Washington, he is reeling with heartbreak and looking for somewhere to put down roots. Unfortunately his new home comes with a laundry list of problems: electrical, plumbing, heating… things David knows nothing about. When his mother offers him the business card of a local handyman, David pictures an overweight, balding man in his fifties. But Jackson Henry couldn’t be further from that stereotype.

Dark-haired, muscular, and handsome, Jackson left a large construction firm in Seattle to take care of his sick mother. However, his hometown still has an active “good old boy” network, and finding employment in construction is almost impossible for an openly gay man. Determined to persevere, Jackson takes odd jobs as a handyman. He’s exactly what David needs—in more ways than one.

David isn’t ready for his attraction to Jackson, not considering the way his last relationship ended. But as the two men get to know each other, it becomes clear that the heart often knows best, and it rewards those willing to listen.

I loved this character driven story and it wasn’t just the MC’s driving the bus. The entire cast had a real purpose with unique personalities and they all added to the pacing of David’s renewal.

David has left his boyfriend of five years after the Cheating Bastard got caught with his dick down a twinks throat and David comes to the realization that the Cheating Bastard was always a bastard on some level and his self-confidence has taken a hit. He impulsively buys a beautiful Craftsman home in the neighborhood he grew up in and quickly realizes his beautiful home is a money pit. His mom (who is awesome, as is his sister) gives him the card of a local handyman, Jackson Henry.

David is expecting an older, overweight guy sporting a plumber’s crack and instead he is pleasantly surprised and flustered to be confronted with an Adonis in a toolbelt and flannel. The whole getting-to-know-you portion of the book was so yummy. Most everyone loves this part of a relationship and David, Renewed does not disappoint. It was flirty and charming and still read very real. During this part the author also introduced the cast of characters that make me wish with all my nuggets that this turns into a series. I need Michael and Vic’s story. That has to be a thing. And Manny? Manny needs his story told too.

There is some drama thanks to Cheating Bastard, but it wasn’t over the top and it moved the story along as these things do. It didn’t feel forced at all which was good because as I said earlier, great pacing. It did bring David and Jackson together probably a little bit more quickly, but that was a good thing. The story was going there anyway, so it flowed right along. I also liked that the two of them declared their extreme like for each other while there was still plenty of story to be had so I got to get invested in their relationship as well as their courtship.

Jackson is completely swoon worthy and naturally charming while David is so very relatable and genuine, I couldn’t help but want them together. It wasn’t a sugar fest though, there was enough snark, dirty talk and stress to keep the book grounded with the two MC’s as well as the supporting cast. The scene is set for a series and it wouldn’t be one of those where half the “small” town just happens to be gay and they hop from one couple to the next. This ending is unique and calls on the skills of the group and would make complete sense as a series.

Annnnnd, I can’t wait, so I need Ms. Copland to heed the Call of the Unicorn and give Peach what she needs in more stories for the wonderful guys.


For more information and to get your copy of David, Renewed, head over to Dreamspinner Press.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

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Audiobook Review: At Piper's Point by Ethan Day, Narrated by Michael Lesley

Ten years and many boyfriends later, Cassidy Winters finally returns to the ancestral home of his grandmother, Sadie Hart, despite the best efforts of his father to prevent it. Cassidy's plans of a quiet, seaside ceremony to wish a final farewell to Sadie quickly unravel as interruptions run roughshod beginning with Neil who walks out of the ocean and straight into Cassidy’s bed. The dominoes topple one by one when the little dog he rescues from the hounds of hell brings him to Ben, the hunky vet who rescues Cassidy right back. News of his arrival spreads faster than Cassidy’s legs, bringing his boyhood friend and first love Nate Sommers to his doorstep – leaving Cassidy spiraling into a multi-layered love snafu. As if the island wasn’t getting crowded enough for Cassidy’s good taste and bad decisions, best friends Ollie and Spencer arrive in time to witness the uninvited return of Cassidy’s most recent ex, Teddy, who’s refusing to stay dumped.

Fists fly and all hell breaks loose amid mojitos and martinis as Cassidy finds himself planning a huge party to celebrate Sadie's life. Accusations are aimed as arguments and libidos boil over, but even through the chaos Cassidy knows exactly what he wants. While he's certainly willing, he isn’t sure if he's ready or able for love and life... At Pipers Point.

This was a fun and sexy romp of a story and having Michael Lesley read it to me made it even better.

There is a LOT going on in Piper’s Point for a small quaint seaside town and the one person at the center of the shenanigans is Cassidy. Everyone has the friend who is a drama magnet, and that is Cassidy. And I don’t necessarily mean it’s angsty bad dramatic drama, but there is always something (or someone) going on. Heading back to Piper’s Point to handle his beloved aunt’s estate doesn’t change that in the slightest and I think heading to the sanctuary that is the Point actually enhances the crazy making. That’s just what happens when you put a big personality into a small space. As well, one of the great things about the story is that there are already some big (and quirky) personalities there, so Cassidy’s homecoming fit right in.

Differentiating between characters is something Michael Lesley excels at so he’s the perfect person to narrate this one. There are a lot of characters and there is a lot of banter so the audio could have really turned into a shitshow without someone who has mad vocal skills driving the boat. As it was I had no trouble following the rapid fire conversations, get-togethers and heart-to-heart confessions that make up At Piper’s Point.

More than anything At Piper’s Point is a coming home story and I loved the emotions that Cassidy went through in coming back to the only place that ever felt like home. His reconnection with Nate was perfectly bittersweet and I wish there had been more focus there. I loved all of Cassidy’s friends/ex-boyfriends/fuck buddies, but it did get a little distracting at times. I wanted further inside Nate’s head sooner because I enjoyed listening to them working through their history, their time apart and then their coming back together.

This story would make a great movie since it has a little bit of every emotion worked in, but since that is unfortunately unlikely, the audiobook is going to be your next best bet. Michael Lesley did an excellent job keeping the characters on point throughout making what could have been a tough book to follow into audio into a really fun and satisfying listen.

**a copy of this audiobook was provided for an honest review**