Review: Spark to the Heart (Hearts of Parkerburg #4) by Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil

As a misguided youth, Rosy loved being that kid in Parkerburg—you know the one that everybody swears will end up in jail or comatose—until one summer day on the back roads of town when two lives came to a screeching halt.

Thirteen years later, Rosy owns the local pub on Maple Street and makes a good show of how he's recovered from tragedy. He even convinces himself…until he meets the new man in town and realizes just how okay he isn't. With the demons of his fatal past still stalking him, Rosy has no idea how to switch from simply existing to actually living.

Angus “Jet” Manheim—famous for his smooth, sexy voice and notorious for his hard partying ways—sped through most of his adult life on stage and in the recording studio. Sober and retired to the quaint New England town of Parkerburg, Jet’s ready to slow his soundtrack…until his compelling neighbor—a grumbling, muscular mountain of a man with an odd name—ups the tempo.

Frequently absentminded, Jet finds Rosy an easy object of focus, a solid center around which Jet hopes to build a future. But retirement isn’t easy. The entertainment industry doesn’t stop knocking just because you hang a do not disturb sign.

When Rosy’s and Jet’s pasts try to harmonize with their present, they might have to decide whether the chorus is worth repeating.

I enjoy coming back to visit Parkerburg whenever a new book is released in this small town series. I was looking forward to Rosy’s story because I’m a sucker for a grumpy bear with a heart of gold and I was all set for the opposites-attract thing I knew was coming in Spark to the Heart.

The story started out great, I loved where things were going with Rosy and Jet. It was sweet as the two danced around the flirtation, did a little dating and gave into their hornier base instincts. I knew there would be some angst coming, so the set up for some hurt/comfort was working for me. And it was working for me up until Rosy went from being “new boyfriend” Rosy, to “really bitter and angry” Rosy. And I understood it, I did, to a point, but his anger and reactions made me uncomfortable and turned me off to him pretty hard.

Rosy's a fixture in Parkerburg, he gives people second chances, I’m told repeatedly what a good guy he is and I totally believed it in the beginning, but when the guilt and anger come along I just couldn’t with him. He treated Jet like crap, he got violent with people who didn’t deserve it more than once and while I get he’s hurting, as a guy in position of some authority over employees and who holds respect with the townsfolk, putting your hands on someone or shoving innocent bystanders (even accidentally) while you’re in a huff is a no-go for me. When he did go to speak with Jet, from Jet’s (and my) perspective it turned into just an outlet for angry boning and I wanted more for Jet. Jet wanted more for Jet and props to him for putting the brakes on Rosy’s nonsense.

I think my problem was that it was too early in the relationship for this much trouble. I didn’t have a firm foundation in my head for these two yet. If I were Jet’s pal I would have told him to tell Rosy to hit the bricks and not waste his time and I shouldn’t be thinking that, I want to root for my MC’s even if I do want to throttle them now and again.

But Jet though, Jet was awesome. I love his hippy-dippy attitude that is surprisingly centered considering the life he’s led. I wanted to hang with him and Brian in Jet’s shop. I wanted him to be happy and be taken care of and it frustrated me that I couldn’t get behind Rosy more with an HEA for him and Jet for a while.

It’s Parkerburg though, and HEA’s are a given thankfully, so Rosy did manage to pull his head out of his ass eventually and realize he was in true danger of losing his happy if he didn’t make things right with Jet. I was happy for them, I was mostly happy for Jet though, because it was what he wanted. I wanted more groveling though. I needed more balance between dumbass-Rosy and good-boyfriend-Rosy.

I’ll be ready for more Parkerburg when it comes and what I really hope to read is some epilogue-y like love for Rosy and Jet. I really like Jet’s character and I want to spend more time with him. I want to like Rosy and see him evolve into the guy he’s supposed to be. I want to read some Parkerburg love for the next couple with more balance between the issues and the HEA.

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

Categories: MM romance, contemporary, series

44,000 words

Publisher: Appleton Publishing Avenue

Cover Artist: Author Services

Exclusive excerpt:

Jet chuckled. “Yes, well… Sunday?”

“Oh, we’re still on for Sunday. I just stopped by for…” For what? What did Rosy expect to happen by impulsively dive-bombing his new neighbor? “A taste.” Oh! Good answer. He grabbed Jet and spun them behind the narrow width counter, using it as a pseudo-shield from the storefront windows. “Do you mind? Can I have a taste?”

Without waiting for an answer, Rosy pressed their lips together. The hell with it; if Jet didn’t want a tongue in his mouth, he could push Rosy the fuck away.

Didn’t happen. Jet wrapped his arms around Rosy’s neck and encouraged a deeper exploration.

But Rosy wanted more than this limited sampling of mouths. Breaking their kiss, he repeated his question, “Can I have a taste?”

“Yes…taste me.”

Sales Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGL6ZZ2

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/702729

iBooks: http://ow.ly/qwGn3098yIa

Kobo: http://ow.ly/RfPJ3098yJG

Authors

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crawlinbedwithlee/

Lee Brazil

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.

Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.

Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?

Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.

If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.brazil

Blog: http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://ow.ly/swgT3098yzs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leebrazil

Havan Fellows

I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.

Okay no, seriously…I'm a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own.

Just like every other red-blooded human—I get a little bouncy when I get mail (any kind too…email, comments, private messages…you wanna do it, do it with me *winks*). So feel free to drop me a line—whether it's on my blog, twitter, PInterest, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it's easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/havan.fellows

Blog: http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://ow.ly/4Dq13098yxF

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HavanFellows

Review: Fire of the Heart (Hearts of Parkerburg #3) by Havan Fellows & Lee Brazil

Craig Gilchrist is the oldest of five siblings, the captain of the Parkerburg Fire Department, and all around buddy his friends run to when they have a problem. Unfortunately, he’s keeping a secret not only from the whole town, but his family as well. Living in the shadows works for him until one fateful night when a hot stranger walks across a smoky barroom, forcing Craig to make a move that could rock the foundation of his existence…and fill the void in his heart he doesn’t realize he has.

Melrose escaped the end of a bad relationship to start over in Parkerburg. With the support of his cousin and a job waiting tables at a great restaurant, he thinks his life is finally going pretty smoothly. That’s when his path crosses that of Craig Gilchrist, local fire captain. The big, beefy firefighter is definitely not his type. So why does he suddenly star in all of Melrose’s fantasies? 

With Melrose at his side, Craig finally has the motivation to step out of the shadows and let Parkerburg see the real him…until trouble arises and the truth comes to light that perhaps he doesn’t know the real Melrose.

Lies and fears play havoc with their newly acquired relationship. Luckily, once ignited, the hearts of Parkerburg don’t burn out so easily.

The Hearts of Parkerburg stories can be read as standalones, each with a HEA…but trust me, you'll want to read about all the sweet happenings in this quaint little town.

Christmas in His Heart - Dermot & Xander's story
Heart on the Run - Chaz & Sprocket's story
Fire of the Heart – Craig & Melrose’s story

I’ve been following the Hearts of Parkerburg series from the beginning and it’s always such a warm, fuzzy place to visit. I would definitely recommend reading them in order as I don’t think they would translate well as stand-alones. It’s a small town and everyone is in everyone’s business so you get to know that characters pretty well and they make appearances throughout and it helps to have the context of all the relationships.

There were some potentially heavy themes present in Fire of the Heart and it really didn’t hit me until the story was over that, given the potential for the heavy, it wasn’t really there. I think if you go into Parkerburg knowing you are going to get the Hallmark version of small town life and love you can enjoy the books for the sweet little escape they are, but don’t expect a lot of depth or resolution on the ‘bad stuff’.

This story focuses on the town’s fire chief Craig Gilchrist and the new-to-town waiter/hopefully soon-to-be college student John Melrose, Just Melrose to everyone. Melrose has moved to Parkerburg to start a new life after finally breaking free from an abusive relationship. The ex makes an appearance and his encounter with Melrose because he wants to bring Melrose back ‘home’ leads to a white lie that snowballs out of proportion and turns into the ‘lie’ that follows Melrose throughout the story.

Craig is working on breaking out of the closet he’s been in his whole life and he’s going through a lot of inner turmoil as he worries about the backlash he assumes will be coming his way. But, at the same time, he’s falling pretty hard for Melrose and I have to say, the moments in the beginning when he was in Melrose’s presence were pretty darn cute. The nerves and awkward bumblings were pretty charming.

Craig comes out in pretty blunt ways to his friends and family, which fit his personality well, but once he made the declarations and the friend or family member accepted him with no issues, that was the end of the conversation. There were no deep discussions, no real angst and no conflict. Which, is awesome, but not super realistic. Put the Hallmark spin on it though, and s’all good.

In that same vein, Melrose was with his ex for seven years and coming from an abusive relationship of any length would leave the person who left with some kind of issues they’d have to come to terms with. Melrose didn’t seem to have them though and I chalk that up to the Hallmark Effect as well. 

Once the ‘lie’ was exposed, I appreciated the authors handling of it. It got a similar treatment as the more serious issues and if it had been made into a big deal, I would have been super irritated, but it wasn’t, it was acknowledged, fluffed along and resolved with some sharing, forgiving and smooching. It was a perfect resolution to an imperfect situation.

For some sweet escapism, visit Parkerburg. Know that you aren’t going to get a canyon’s worth of depth, but you are going to get some unique characters and swoony moments that make for a great weekend read.

For more information on Parkerburg series and Fire of the Heart, check it out on Goodreads.

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

Review: Heart on the Run (Heart of Parkerburg #2) by Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil

Charles Darwin Millsworth, Chaz to one and all since infancy, has no wish to live up to the grandeur of his name. Fortunately, his Southern belle mama isn’t at all inclined to push her son into a career that won’t make him happy. She thinks he needs to loosen up and enjoy life. After all, that’s the whole point of being independently wealthy, isn’t it?

 Chaz can see her point, but his father died in his forties as did his father before him. As far as Chaz is concerned, he has limited time on this earth to make his dreams come true. And he refuses to leave anyone weeping over a wasted life.

Sprocket Moretti is a simple guy. He loves his job, enjoys college, lives in his beloved childhood home—why worry about the little things when the big stuff looks so good. Unfortunately, one of the little things he tries not to stress over is a broken friendship with a very hot and bewildering sous chef. They were pals, hung out and had fun. But one night they stepped over that invisible line, and the next morning Chaz kicked Sprocket out of his bed and his life.

 Now, no matter how much Sprocket tries to charm Chaz, the guy has no desire to return to their pre-sex playful bantering ways. And if Sprocket stays true to his motto, this little thing—Chaz—should be written off and never worried about again.

 If Sprocket had known one night of reality-altering orgasms would endanger their easygoing friendship… How do you finish that sentence when all your mind wants is its friend back and all your body wants is another taste?

I’m a big old sucker for the Merry Jizzmas stories and I loved the first Parkersburg story that came out last year, Christmas in His Heart. Heart on the Run is set in the same small charming town of Parkersburg and the characters from Christmas in His Heart make a return in this one. But, the authors do a good job of giving you just enough info about them without being too much to make it confusing so you can read this one as a standalone.

I love the town of Parkersburg and it’s the kind of place you want to spend a weekend wandering around just soaking up all the charm and friendliness. All the characters are so devoted to making Parkersburg THE go to place for the small town experience and that’s one of my favorite aspects of this series. Any time a story can have a set of likable characters with a similar goal of wholesome goodness at Christmastime, I’m happy.

Sprocket was one of those not-so-bad boys that sticks with me. I want to hang out with him and soak up his humor and all around goodness all wrapped up in a tattooed package. My only problem was with Chaz and considering he was the other MC, that was a bummer. He was completely likable, but he was also completely frustrating for me.

Chaz has this fear that he has a short lifespan. He’s lost immediate family members at young ages and he’s convinced he has the same fate. So, rather than leave someone heartbroken with his not-so-certain death he shuts himself off and lives a quiet albeit lonely life. Now, keep in mind, he is perfectly healthy so it’s not like he’s in death’s crosshairs. Chaz and Sprocket were casual friends until they had one “cross the line” moment that killed their friendship. Of course, the sex was ball boggling good and the only reason things changed was because Chaz ran. So, Chaz ran, Sprocket doesn’t do relationships historically so now they are both frustrated and lonely. And that’s how they stayed for the bulk of the story.

The story begins after the “night” so there isn’t a lot of insight into what their friendship was like before. It kind of made it hard for me to wrap my brain around them as friends. I didn’t really get why Sprocket didn’t know about Chaz’s family before if they were such good buddies. Or, why Chaz just didn’t tell Sprocket how he felt. So, it wasn’t like there was the “big misunderstanding” to fuel the story there was just no understanding. I don’t want unnecessary angst to be the reason two people don’t get together, it frustrates me.

At the same time, Sprocket was stubborn and not willing to put his heart out there for no real reason he could see. And I couldn’t really blame him. There was more communication and connection to me between Sprocket and his BFF, Mason, than there was between Sprocket and Chaz. I think I just didn’t get enough of them being honest together to buy into them together completely. But, then the Epilogue and Chaz’s plan for redemption were completely charming and I ate that up like the bestest of Christmas cookies. I needed more of THAT to balance the distance between them throughout the rest of the story. Even if Sprocket was still putting the brakes on their complete HEA, I was still much more optimistic.

You know who I really loved though was Mason. I hope he’s front and center in the next story. He cracked me up with his snarkily charming attitude. I could totally see why he and Sprocket were best friends. I could also see why Chaz had his jealous moments and boundary issues with Mason. Sprocket really should have respected that more. Shame on you Sprocket for that one, I was disappointed in him right then. Anywho, Mason was really kind of a dick to Chaz and I didn’t blame him one bit. He’s protective of his friend and all anyone really knew of Chaz at that time was that he was ditching Sprocket for no real reason. Regardless, I really want someone to come along and get his undivided attention. That would make for a really fun read.

For more information on Heart on the Run check it out on Goodreads.

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

Review: Christmas in His Heart by Haven Fellows and Lee Brazil

Christmastime brings joy to hearts everywhere. Between snow angels, festive clothing, holiday decorations, and of course, all the beautiful lights, it’s hard not to partake in the season.

Unless you no longer have Christmas in your heart.

Dermot Alasdair has never shared the horrific memories that keep him from celebrating the happiest time of the year, nor does he ever plan to. He’s fine being alone and shut off from everyone; he has his restaurant and that’s all he needs. He believes that, too…until the craft store next door from his eatery hires a perpetually smiling annoyance. Really, it isn’t normal for someone to be that happy all the time.

Xander Leahman didn’t know what he was getting into when he accepted an invitation to visit his best friend and help her interview people for the newly created position of manager at Craft Time. When a surly man bumps into him and then walks away with an enticing sway to his hips, Xander decides the position—and Dermot—are perfect for him. Now all he can think of is finding ways to get Dermot out of his clothes. Well that, and how to open this grinch’s heart to the Christmas season and, hopefully, love.

Who wants Christmas to be over? Not this Unicorn! I read the Jingle Jizz all year long and I loved this story about a surly (and kinda broken) Chef and an overgrown Elf-man who is completely charming and who I feel completely in love with. Yes, you Xander, you cheekly little minx.

Christmas in His Heart is written in a dual POV style and while I know that isn’t always everyone’s thing, or easy to pull off, it totally worked here for me and I’m so glad it was written this way. Xander’s brain is too amazing not to be a part of and Dermot would have come across as a totally unsympathetic ass hat if I hadn’t been able to get a gander at his inner musings and turmoil.

Ok, let’s talk about Xander some more. He’s charming as all hell and confident without being cocky. I couldn’t help but be drawn to him and his positive and really funny nature. His thoughts seem to head in the “stream of consciousness” direction that can be either too much and annoying or adorable. This was adorable. He’s completely smitten with the chef from the neighborhood and he’s made it his mission to make the grumpy man smile just for him. He starts by bringing Dermot coffee in a ridiculous Christmas mug. This is at 5% and from whence I fall for Xander;

Oh brother, did he suddenly feel like an obsessed teenager again – he’s touching my mug. He couldn’t help it though, ever since he came to Parkerburg the tall, dark, and gorgeous restaurant owner had caught his eye. What Xander wouldn’t do to be the reason behind a full-blown thousand watt smile on that man’s face.

D’awwwww. Remember those moments? When your crush touched or held some insignificant object of yours and suddenly it mattered way more than it should? And all he wants to do is make Dermot smile. How stinkin’ sweet is that? Basically it was two of my favorite things in one paragraph. A simple little moment and one character’s desire to just make another happy. There is nothing sexier on a man than a real smile, so this totally worked for me.

But Dermot has tragedy in his past and it weighs on him heavily. I appreciated how the authors gave enough hints and snippets so that you knew what happened without it turning into an overdramatic mystery. The event was horrible enough, so extra drama wasn’t necessary and it wouldn’t have gone with Dermot’s personality. So, there was some angst but it wasn’t overdone and getting to see into Dermot’s head made his thought processes clear and understandable.

Dermot isn’t a real chatty guy but as the two got to know each other I could see why Xander was so attracted to Dermot and how the two of them complemented one another perfectly. It did take a little time to get to the chatting as the sexual tension was a little too overwhelming to ignore for something as banal as conversation, but I did get their connection. As much as Xander wants to make Dermot smile, Dermot wants to feed Xander. “Food is love” to him and watching Xander enjoy one of his creations is food porn for Dermot and it was really sweet to read this stoic professional get all gooey watching his new love swoon over his culinary skills.

Then, the incident happens and just as these two guys are coming together, they fall apart. They’ve come to an understanding about Dermot’s aversion to Christmas and even though Xander doesn’t know all the details he’s cool with it. He isn’t going to let one day of the year get in the way of an HEA. But, they still haven’t had the all-important confessional conversation yet so misunderstandings and overreactions happened.

The action and conversations during were a little choppy for me and while I knew what was happening the comments by Shawna (Xander’s BFF) seemed a little out of place for the moment and I get why they needed to be somewhere, it just didn’t seem like the time given what was going on. I kind of expected Dermot to be a little more freaked at that moment so it read a little odd to me.

Thankfully Xander and Dermot acted like grown-ups and owned their own fuck ups. I was glad the break up didn’t drag on too long and while Dermot’s revelation was a smidge rushed I was ok with it since I liked these two together so much. The epilogue was perfect and I was happy to read that Xander finally shared his kitchen fantasy with Dermot and Dermot was happy to oblige, within reason of course, health codes exist for a reason after all. I would highly recommend adding this one to your Merry Jizzmas reading list and keep the holiday spirit all year long!

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

For More Info on Christmas in His Heart, check it out on Goodreads!