Review: The Garden (Lavender Shores #2) by Rosalind Abel

Beautiful Gilbert Bryant designs jewelry for the rich and famous, and he made his escape from his gossipy little hometown of Lavender Shores. However, with so many friends and family, he keeps getting pulled back. When he attends his best friend’s engagement party, Gilbert can’t help but sample one of the new men in town. It’s just some innocent—or not so innocent—fun. Nothing that will even cross his mind once he gets back to his everyday life.
Walden Thompson dreamed about living in Lavender Shores since he visited as a child. He finally gets his chance, and he embraces the opportunity to start over, to become someone new. He leaves both hurts and dangerous habits in the past, where they belong. When Gilbert crosses his path, Walden gives in to his baser instincts. He can indulge in the carnal pleasures this once and still be okay.
Their few hours together haunt Gilbert, the two-hundred-mile buffer from home no longer shutting out the past or the sexy man he left behind. Walden is just beginning to recover from the smoldering encounter with Gilbert when they are thrust together once more. This time, neither of them can walk away, no matter how hard they try. But when their pasts crash into each other as surely as the magnetism that pulls them together, walking away may be the only option.

This series has fast become one of my most anticipated reads and The Garden did not disappoint!  I loved this just as much as I did The Palisade but for wholly different reasons.  Where the first book was full of swoon-worthy romance and tropey goodness, Gilbert and Walden's book had a more serious tone.  That's not to say I didn't laugh during this book because I LOL'ed quite a bit, especially with Walden.

One of the things I love most about this series and this author is that the characters and the story are never what I expected.  I will think a character is going to be one way but then they take off in a completely different direction.  It's fantastic!  Take, for instance, Walden.  A big, tall hunk of corn-fed man meat with an ass for days (dat ass!) and I'm expecting Toppy McTopperson, III with a big ole' chip on his shoulder.  What I got instead was a shy, sweet, awkward middle school science teacher with a big heart and an even bigger desire to have his field thoroughly plowed.

Walden is some kind of special.  He's incredibly awkward and oh so adorable.  Completely pocket-worthy.

Her brother? She was going to introduce me to her bother? A Bryant, obviously. Holy shit, what if she introduced me to Gilbert? How was I supposed to play that off? Obviously I wouldn’t look at her and be like Oh, we know each other. He used my ass so hard I was still feeling him this morning.  

Or worse, what if Gilbert wasn’t her brother, but a cousin or something and she introduced me to whomever her brother actually was. Then Gilbert walks up, and it looks like I’m trying fuck my way through the entire Bryant family?

You get in my pocket right now, Walden!  Do you hear me, Mister?  RTF Now!

And Gilbert... I thought I had him pegged from the first book but he surprised me even more. I thought he was a playboy who didn't take life very seriously and would be a bit immature.  Nope!  Not this Gilbert.  Yeah, he was rough around the edges and talked a good game but underneath was sensitivity and the kind of maturity that gets my motor running and will guarantee a successful read for me.  This is a man who conquers his demons the right way, through therapy, and isn't afraid to admit when he's afraid.

That wasn’t how being a man worked. How being an adult worked. You fixed yourself. You didn’t wait for love to do it for you. You fixed yourself, and then you earned love.

*dreamy sigh* 

I'm so incredibly in love with this series I can hardly stand it.  The way the author portrays these characters has me swooning.  The communication!  Lawd, the communication in this book is outstanding!  Communication is so damned sexy.  Gilbert and Walden actually talk to each other, about what they're thinking, about how they're feeling and it. Is. Fabulous!  There are zero Big Misunderstandings here.  Yes, they have secrets, but - and here's the kicker - they share them with each other.  I know, right?!?!?

You know what else is sexy?  Dirty talk.  Holy hotness of the mouth, this had some serious dirty talk in it!  I thought I was going to burst into flame during some of the scenes, especially that first scene.  Like, whoa.  Gilbert, man... he's got some serious talent there.  He could teach a class on it, like 'Dirty Talk 101' or something.  Hoo boy!

I want everyone to read this book.  I want everyone to read this series.  I want everyone to fangirl along with me.  I loved this so damned much!

 

Review: Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club #3) by J.A. Rock

Look, I’ll never stop missing Hal, but this Subs Club my friends started to review suck-ass doms isn’t gonna bring him back or give him justice. For me, it’s just another chance to hang out with my friends, even if they think I’m too dumb to understand the important work we’re supposedly doing.

But maybe I’m not as dumb as they think—at least I know when I’ve got a good thing going. Which is why I just moved in with my dom. Ryan’s awesome possum. He’s really short, never makes me feel stupid, and is up for anything. One word: costumes. Two more words: women’s underwear. We’re all about the lace, no leather.

Except when we do pony play. We first tried it as a joke, but turns out I’m ballin’ at it. Now PetPlayFest is coming up, and I wanna take down the Subs Club’s archrival, Cinnamon the ponygirl, in the horse show.

My friends think I’m spending too much time with Ryan and ignoring my obligations to the group. But since when is friendship an obligation? Ryan’s my first serious relationship, and I want to take it . . . seriously. At some point I need to think about my future, not my past.

—Kamen

I know it’s the “job” of a reviewer to be objective when reviewing but I’m having a hard time remaining objective when it comes to this book. I think it’s the worst kept secret on the interwebs that I’ve been squeeing about this one for months. My level of excitement has increased with each installment mainly because KAMEN!!!!!!!!!!!

“…Your profile sounds like little orphan Annie grew up and married the sun and they had a child made entirely of the unblemished souls of infant animals.”

As soon as I read that description in The Subs Club I knew. I knew the way you know about a good melon. Then J.A. sprinkled some magic dust and gave him a MANTIES fetish! And he plays guitar, loves wings and Jolly Ranchers, makes up words, loves baseball and is kind of cocky about his ability to CRUSH anything sports related. So… basically perfect. And, strangely, could be me. But not in, like, an incestussistic way because that's just weird.

J.A. is doing an incredible job in this series capturing the voice of each of these characters and Kamen's voice whispered sweet nothings to me even before I worked out his fetish. Without doubt I wish like hell Kamen was a real person. If I click my heels three times will it make it so? 

*frantically clicks heels*

He’s no wordsmith nor will he ever be a Mensa member, but he is bizarrely creative and has a heart the size of Texas; EVERYONE loves him. As much as Dave pistol whips The Subs Club into shape with his control freakishness it’s my belief Kamen is the glue that holds them together. All the big life events, catastrophes and meltdowns that have happened with the guys they always go to Kamen for help which speaks volumes about his character and what kind of friend he is. 

Kamen met Ryan in the previous book, Pain Slut, so this is an established relationship. They have just moved in together after 4 mos of dating, an event that has been the source of many a snarky remark from friends and family. Kamen is troubled by the sassiness since he can’t comprehend why you wouldn’t move in with and declare your love for someone if you know it to be true. Who cares how long it's been? He leads with his heart and there isn’t an ounce of artifice about him. But his relationship with Ryan is a HUGE problem for his friends because they miss him. And why wouldn’t you? This is a totally realistic conflict if you ask me.

"…You’ve always been the one who makes everyone feel better. About everything. If you’re not around, like, what’s even the point?”

He and Ryan do have a little hiccup which they work out quickly and go on being amazematastic. They are the fun couple. Ryan is significantly smaller than Kamen, a thing that Kamen adores but also doesn’t miss an opportunity to poke fun at him. They are still trying out different kinks have mishap after mishap. All of which are hysterical. But PetPlayFest will go down in history as one of the funniest things I’ve ever read and it wasn’t just Rymen’s antics either. Everyone hates Cinnamon because she’s a bitch and a half that deserves to be knocked off her high horse. Er, I mean, her high pony? 

I’ve thought long and hard about what else has made me laugh this hard before and the only thing I could come up with was Katt Williams’ The Pimp Chronicles. No book has EVER made me laugh this hard. Every time I turned around they were doing something else that had me in stitches. I highlighted and bookmarked like I was studying for an exam! And in the middle of all my gasping, choking and eye wiping there’d be a moment like this:

…if he believed I could do something, I could do it.

Or this…

So I just sang it because it made me feel good, and because I wanted Hal to know fast cars didn’t mean tragedy and for Ryan to know that he and I were gonna keep exploring and that we didn’t have to end up with a life that made perfect sense-just one we’d built together.

So, yeah, they’re pretty much perfect for each other and I loved their story SO MUCH! I was kind of disappointed for a minute that it wasn’t sexier since MANTIES and PONIES (helloooo! /shocker) but then I just thought that’s stupid because this story made me so happy on so many different levels that to take points off for not being erotic would be a huge disservice to this unicorn of a book. A book like this doesn’t come along that often. Kamen alone deserves 5 hearts as does Ryan and the fact that it made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe deserves at least 20 hearts, so 30 Hearts it is! 

Definitely my favorite of the series and one that I’ll re-read. 

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Audiobook Review: Something Like Spring (Something Like #4) by Jay Bell

Nothing in this world is permanent. Friends, lovers, even family, can all disappear in the blink of an eye. Without these anchors, it’s all too easy to find oneself drifting.

Jason Grant doesn’t have much, aside from a beat-up old guitar and knack for getting kicked out of foster homes. His latest placement is set to be just another in a long line of failures. Then he meets Caesar Hubbard, a handsome guy who lives down the hall. For the first time in his life, Jason wants to stay, which means learning to be part of a family, and not letting his feelings—or his actions—ruin his first real chance of falling in love.

Something Like Spring introduces a new character to the Seasons story, one with a troubled past and an equally turbulent future. Jason must traverse a winding road fraught with emotional conflicts and tough decisions… a road that might just lead to a certain couple in Austin.

Whether you're a fan of this series or new to the Something Like books, they really should be experienced in audio. Kevin R. Free creates an experience when he reads Jay Bell's words. He brings the characters and the story to life. I've loved them even more after listening to the audio.

I've already reviewed the print version of Spring when it was first released, so I'll try not to rehash the entire story again (even though I really want to because I could talk about it for daaaayyyys).

Honestly, I can't pick a favorite character from this series, but Jason is right at the top. Competing with Jace... although I really love Tim. And Nathaniel. Gah! See? Impossible to choose. But really, Jason holds a special place in my heart. I think it's mostly due to how much his life changes throughout his story. He sets out to make changes in his life and the circumstances he's been dealt, and he does. He turns his seriously crappy situation around and finds a family, a home, and love. Of course, not without some heartbreak.

The story starts out with Jason being sent to, yet another, foster home. But this home is different than the others. He wants to stay this time. This time he meets a boy that changed everything for him. Goodness, could Caesar be anymore charming? The dude drove me crazy! I hate that I love the guy. I tried to like him a little less this time, but with Kevin R. Free narrating... nah. Wasn't gonna happen. I couldn't help but root for Caesar and I really hope we get his story someday.

But I'm happy with how everything turned out, because William. Sweet and adorable William.

I think this is where Jason's character really shines. He'd had a rough life so far. Nothing had come easily for him. Now, he sees someone he wants and, fuck it all, he's going to get the guy. I loved his commitment to William. They really were perfect together and Jason knew this right away. He just had to make William see it, too. His methods weren't the most honest, but his scheming only made Jason even more endearing.

There were some seriously great Ben and Tim moments, too. They were a huge part of Jason's story and it was awesome to see their life post-HEA. Tim was especially wonderful. He had some major character growth and he has a special place in my heart. Right next to Jason. And Jace. And Nathaniel. These guys take up a lot of space.

Spring was so damn good. Kevin R. Free does an amazing job narrating. A couple of his voices bother me a bit, but he's got to be running out with so many characters to keep track of. I love that his voices for each character stay consistent throughout the series. I couldn't put it down and I kept making up excuses to keep listening. Like doing the dishes and laundry and cleaning the bathroom. That's how good it was! I wanted to scrub the toilet just to keep listening.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads.