Guest Review: Finding Finlay (MC Securities #2) by Ruby Moone

Aaron Baker has a problem. His online clothing company is under attack. Whilst MC Securities tackle the breaches in security, he asks for an agent to pose as his fake boyfriend. He doesn’t bargain for getting a snarky, ex-marine with sad, blue eyes and submissive tendencies.

Dumped by his boyfriend, Finlay Masters concludes that the best, and safest, place for him is to return to the closet. Kicked out by his parents as a kid for being gay, closeted in the army for fifteen years, body wrecked by an explosion that cost him his job, he isn’t the best bet for any kind of relationship. Even a fake one.

As the investigation mounts, Aaron wants more, but Finn has no faith in love, never dared need anyone. Aaron talks of how lucky he is to find him, but Finn knows if he is to have a chance at a relationship at all, he needs to find himself.

Reviewer: Shee Reader

First, I need to gush. Fake boyfriend is one of my all time favourite story ploys! It’s right up there with “they have to stay the night, and there’s only one bed” in terms of me getting giddy to read it.

I was so looking forward to this one, and Finn did not disappoint. He’s exactly as grumpy, snarky and hard to reach as you want an ex-marine in a romance book to be!

Aaron is a lovely character too, but it did take me a little bit longer to warm to him. After a few chapters though, I was fully invested in these guys and just wanted Finn to give in to Aaron’s charms already. The story was well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I hadn’t read the first book in the series and it had no negative impact on my enjoyment of this story. There was strength and depth in the characters and I loved how the relationship developed and I was truly rooting for the guys.

Recommended!

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Tag Team Review: A Chance at Love by Silvia Violet

Can a confident younger man help Darren learn to let go?

On the flight back home to San Diego, Chance Emerson meets an intriguing older man. They flirt, and Chance hopes for more, but the man never calls. Months later, they meet again at a charity auction. Chance decides this time he isn’t walking away.

Darren Walsh can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous grad student who almost had him joining the mile-high club. When Chance suggests they hook up, Darren says the only thing he can—yes. 

From their first moments together, Chance and Darren know there’s more between them than lust, but their differences in age and income make a real relationship challenging. They decide to keep things secret, yet as they learn more about each other, Darren realizes he wants something real and open. To have that, he’ll need to convince Chance that he has a place in Darren’s world, and Darren will have to take some risks of his own.

Collective Heart Love Score!

Shee Reader - 5 Hearts

Oh my gosh, where do I start? I just loved this book!

Chance is living his best life, then he meets a stuffy but hot guy on the plane home to San Diego, and realised he wants this guy too. Darren finds Chance annoying and do very attractive but fights the attraction. On arrival, Chance gives Darren his number, but despite wanting to call, Darren doesn’t. When he meets Chance again at one of his foundation’s charity events, he can’t resist a second time.

This story is charming, sweet, sexy and real. The writing is terrific with believable, well rounded characters, smart dialogue and even an annoying best friend. There’s food, an adorable dog, a lonely older man and a young, spirited PhD student. This book has everything.

I loved that even though there was drama and angst, the characters mostly tried to talk things through, but after a little separation, Darren cals Chance when he needs a friend, and Chance comes running. The ending is perfectly sweet and satisfying and includes a giant Toblerone from the airport gift shop. There is nothing not to love about this book!

Highly recommended!

Ann - 4 1/4 Hearts

Well, wasn’t this just a delicious little nugget of May/December dirty talk wrapped up in mounds of perfectly sweet fluff.

I love May/December stories when the characters make sense together and complement one another beyond what I expect and A Chance at Love did that quite well. The meet - cute was in fact, quite cute and I believed the attraction between Chance and Darren. I also liked how Darren didn’t call right away and that chance brought them together again. It read realistically for where Darren was in his life and added some necessary tension to the story without resorting to too much angst. Not that some angst didn’t come later though . . .

Both guys were on the same page from the beginning with where the relationship was going, or not going. Thankfully the reader is on on their thoughts and knowing that they were both falling hard was such a treat. I loved that both characters spoke their minds and were openly affectionate and shared their feelings with one another when they were alone. When they were out together as “friends” they weren’t fooling anyone with their moony eyes at each other.

These two have chemistry that is off ALL the charts. All. The. Charts. Their complementary needs are so good and everytime they were together they’d learn a new little something and push another new button. They totally got off on one another and Chance opened so many doors for Darren. Darren’s most hidden fantasies are laid bare by Chance and Chance is a master at the dirty talk, which I am a big, Big, BIG fan of. When dirty talk is done right it can take a love story to another level for me, it can take a sweet relationship to extra spicy and give it a level of depth that can otherwise be lacking. This is me justifying my love of Chance and his deliciously filthy mouth.

The angst I mentioned before was reasonable and kind of necessary. Everything couldn’t be too perfect considering they did have some misgivings about the difference in their ages, but the issues that had weren’t only about age but about socioeconomics. That last bit was all external, but it was something they’d have to deal with and that would take a strong foundation in a relationship that they just hadn’t had time to build up yet. But, they had too many things going for them to not give it a go and the ending was perfect for them. I was worried the ending would be rushed considering I was getting up there in percentage count on the old Kindle and resolution still needed to be had, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all worked out.

It’s also set in my hometown, America’s Finest City, thankyouverymuch, and that’s always fun. The author did a great job of representing San Diego.

The romance and steam in this story guarantees is a spot on my re-read shelf.

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

Tag Team Review: The Christmas Fling (Christmas Town #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Sometimes it takes a village to fall in love.

Eccentric, reclusive, socially awkward project designer Evan Myles doesn’t date. Paying for sex with professionals is so much more efficient and suits his needs well enough. But when he’s on assignment in rural Logan, Minnesota, for the Christmas Town project and a handsome stranger at the bar catches his attention, Evan decides it’s time to break his rule. It doesn’t matter that he’s never so much as flirted before. It can’t be that hard, can it?

Davidson Incorporated lead architect Terry Reid hasn’t been hit on so clumsily in his life. Terry’s the first to admit he’s a neurotic Prince Charming, and he’s kissed his share of male and female frogs, but he’s never met anyone quite like Evan Myles. Evan calls Terry by the wrong name, mistakes Terry for a simple construction worker, and picks apart his work as an architect. Despite this rough start, Terry is lured by the brilliance of Evan’s ideas, his quirky personality, and once they’re alone in Evan’s cabin, the man’s mad skills in bed. Yet Terry knows it takes more than a single night of passion to make a relationship work, and after so many failures, he’s just not ready to try again.

Evan and Terry’s path is strewn with stones neither of them can dislodge. Fortunately, they’re not alone on the road to romance. They’re in Christmas Town, home to matchmakers, meddlers, and more “fairy godfathers” than they could possibly know what to do with.

Most importantly, in Logan, Minnesota, happy ever after is guaranteed.

Adam - 2 Hearts

‘The Christmas Fling’ is a spinoff from Cullinan’s Minnesota Christmas series. The previous series provides context for the ‘Christmas Town’ plot, and existing characters do appear in secondary roles, but I think this book could work fine as a standalone.

The premise of this book requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief. The entire story rests on Evan’s inability to recognize Terry as Kevin. Granted, “Kevin” had a full beard and was skinnier when a drunken Evan met him on a dark night, but it’s a bit of a stretch. The explanation is that Evan’s just not that great with faces.

But I didn’t mind the somewhat flimsy premise. It was a different twist on the one-night stand trope, and I was just excited to get back to the land of never-ending Christmas and gay men galore - Logan, Minnesota.

Plus, that one-night stand definitely brought the heat. Terry - or “Kevin” - gets off on humiliation and submission, though he doesn’t play often. Evan, with his slightly awkward but very upfront manner, makes Terry feel safe enough to indulge in a night of kinky passion.

But Terry struggles with accepting his kink, and with social anxiety, so he runs in the middle of the night. When Terry meets Evan again a few weeks later, it’s as a well-groomed architect, not as the scruffy construction worker Evan had assumed he was.

Their first meeting doesn’t go well. Evan has no clue who Terry is, and Terry’s a bit hurt by that, even if he’d been dreading meeting Evan again. But even so, Terry decides to not let Evan in on the truth about “Kevin”.

I could understand where Terry was coming from at first. Anxiety disorders can force people into poor decisions. Also, it was clear that Terry really did care for Evan, regardless of how he handled the situation.

Evan is easier to understand and connect to. His pining for Kevin was sweet, as was his slow realization that he really liked Terry, once Terry wasn’t so stand-offish.

Both men have their hang-ups and struggle with social cues, but they click well together. I thought the slow build-up of their relationship was sweet - from strangers, to coworkers, to tentative friends, and then more.

What I really didn’t enjoy was how the whole issue of Kevin/Terry just dragged on and on. Though I could empathize with Terry’s inability to tell Evan that he was Kevin, the whole thing just went on way too long for me to be comfortable with it.

The constant repetitiveness of Terry’s inner monologues, and his actions in order to hide his identity, just got tiresome, and detracted from what was otherwise a cute romance.

Though I was glad to see the two get their happy ending, I was no longer invested in their story by that point.


Ann - 2.5 Hearts

I love Logan, MN and its inhabitants with all my Christmas heart so I was very excited to get my hands on The Christmas Fling. I’ve missed this author’s prose and have always fallen into her stories easily and have a hard time putting them down.

The Christmas Fling begins with a sorta kinda mistaken identity premise which leads to some incredibly filthy and delicious play between Evan and Terry (who wasn’t Terry at the time to Evan) and the premise was set. But, then it kind of was derailed. I had some fundamental issues that I had a hard time reconciling in the end.

Both MC’s are very complex characters and I appreciate the author taking on both of these guys and making them mesh. That was no small feat, I can tell you that. I had too many problems with the dynamics between the MC’s and their friends to let them go and it did affect my attitude while I was reading.

Evan does not recognize Terry after their one night and while Terry felt the connection, he is also afraid to connect. So, they work together and pretty much everyone knows but Evan and Terry is so tightly wound about the whole thing he can’t function or bring himself to come clean to Evan. This deception by omission went on way too long. And while it wasn’t meant to be, it felt cruel to do that to Evan as it’s not like he didn’t recognize Terry because he’s such a player, he literally can’t and the whole thing felt incredibly unfair.

Terry has his own mental health struggles and I couldn’t help but feel for him as well. He obviously needed help and was in no way able to get to that at the time, but his “handlers” weren’t nearly as helpful as I expected them to be. I’m giving you the side eye right now Levi. You allegedly have experience with what Terry struggles with and you never really talk to him about it??? WTF??? The only suggestion Levi had was to talk to his therapist bro (which was always hidden under the guise of dating him) or he gave Terry crap for being a fuck up with his personal life. It was all in jest and if he was a casual friend, I wouldn’t be able to blame him, but, sorry this is slightly spoilerish, but not really, it turns out he has personal experience and I just thought back to their previous interactions and got pissed. Dude, Levi, my friend, you did not do well by Terry.

I wanted Evan and Terry to get together and I so enjoyed reading the time they spent together as they “got to know” one another. Unfortunately, the whole misunderstanding hung over them and that was a bummer. It was a good thing these two were also brilliant at their careers with ideal dream jobs and handlers who took care of regular everyday life for them. Good for them, but very much a fairy tale for most, especially those struggling with mental health or social issues. Most people don’t have the luxury to make themselves a bed nest and not go out for days or just disappear when things get to be too much. Most people don’t have that kind of financial security. Those aren’t options and the fact that two characters had those safety nets kind of cheapened the reality of those struggles.

I absolutely loved being back in Logan and I will most definitely be reading the next in the series. I hope to get more of Evan and Terry together because the ending was wonderful if a little abrupt considering everything that built to that moment, but damn it was sweet and I would really like to revisit these guys once they settle into themselves and one another.

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

Review: Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

Will a virgin captive surrender to this pirate’s sinful touch?

Nathaniel Bainbridge is used to hiding, whether it’s concealing his struggles with reading or his forbidden desire for men. Under the thumb of his controlling father, the governor of Primrose Isle, he’s sailing to the fledging colony, where he’ll surrender to a respectable marriage for his family’s financial gain. Then pirates strike and he’s kidnapped for ransom by the Sea Hawk, a legendary villain of the New World.

Bitter and jaded, Hawk harbors futile dreams of leaving the sea for a quiet life, but men like him don’t deserve peace. He has a score to settle with Nathaniel’s father—the very man whose treachery forced him into piracy—and he’s sure Nathaniel is just as contemptible.

Yet as days pass in close quarters, Nathaniel’s feisty spirit and alluring innocence beguile and bewitch. Although Hawk knows he must keep his distance, the desire to teach Nathaniel the pleasure men can share grows uncontrollable. It’s not as though Hawk would ever feel anything for him besides lust…

Nathaniel realizes the fearsome Sea Hawk’s reputation is largely invented, and he sees the lonely man beneath the myth, willingly surrendering to his captor body and soul. As a pirate’s prisoner, he is finally free to be his true self. The crew has been promised the ransom Nathaniel will bring, yet as danger mounts and the time nears to give him up, Hawk’s biggest battle could be with his own heart.

This May-December gay romance from Keira Andrews features classic tropes including: a tough alpha pirate too afraid to love, a plucky virgin captive half his age, enemies to lovers, first-time sexual discovery, and of course a happy ending.

To love could only be madness. 

Pirates. Give me a pirate romance any day.

I feel like 2017 is one for pirate romance spoiling, well for me, that's for sure. So many good MM pirate romances are out there! Keira Andrews' Kidnapped by the Pirate definitely can join the ranks of an entertaining and swoon-worthy tale. (I'm a bit of a pirate connoisseur if you couldn't tell.)

This book has a lot of buzz qualities. The hype is backed by the quality of this novel. If you're new to pirate romances, I think this is a wonderful start. I forgot how much this author excels at writing enemies to lovers tropes.

In Kidnapped by the Pirate, it delivers the blurb and more:

• age difference - Nathaniel (aka Plum) is 18 to Captain Hawk's 41
• enemies to lovers - both men were mere puppets on the villain's stage. It starts as kidnapper/captive but it blossoms to much more.
• first time sexual discovery - once you get over the cherry popping in your head, think of all the fun an experienced lover can bring.

If you prefer a historically accurate tale, stop here.

If you enjoy tropes and don't mind having to stretch reality here and there, come aboard matey! Don't mind my squee.

In this tropey tale, Nathaniel's sole purpose in his life according to his shitty father is to be an heir. Motherless with a reading disability (dyslexic?), he's been told all his young life by his father that he's an imbecile. The one solace he has is being active and in the outdoors as much as he can. Forced into a betrothal to fatten his father's pockets, Nathaniel has to journey from England to his father's failing island Primrose Isle.

Nathaniel has a secret that would see him killed in 1710, he's gay. A fact he hides very well. And just his luck his dastardly father pissed off the wrong pirate, the legendary Sea Hawk. Captain Hawk can see his revenge finally come to fruition when he raids the merchant ship with Nathaniel on it. In order to save his sister from the wicked pirates, Nathaniel allows himself to be kidnapped peacefully.

Hawk puts Nathaniel in his quarters as his prison. And he tries to keep his eyes on the prize. Hell he even names him Plum to try and distance himself. The older, taller pirate has his eyes on the prize. Ransom the little brat in a month's time and if the governor fails to give him the money, he'll kill Plum...no problem.

Plum was supposed to be the prisoner, yet Hawk was ensnared, powerless to deny him anything, a fishing boat caught in a frigate's churning wake, swept up and only able to hold on.

Keeping a nubile, curious virgin in close quarters will wear down on a man. No matter how much Hawk acted like an ass.

I never tire of reading about a curmudgeon brought down by love. The more they resist, the more they protest, the harder they tend to fall. Hawk gave a good fight. But he was out stubborned by his Plum. Nathaniel slowly wears him down by being himself. Plus, being in close proximity day in and day out leads to caring about the other's well-being.

While the two started to open up to one another (*drum smash*), the mutual attraction only added to Hawk's downfall.

The urge to be the first to plunder that sweet, tight arse beat in Hawk like a war drum, and it was all he could do to keep himself in check.

You can only wave that juicy plum in front of a hungry person until their tempted to bite.

You know what is even better than that? When you add a heavy dose of possessiveness.

Thick, calloused fingers gently pushed the seed back inside where it dripped from Nathaniel's tender arse. "Only me," Hawk muttered, still leaning over him, lips by Nathaniel's ear.

*grunts*

The sex? Hot and plentiful. It's a sexual discovery win if that scratched your itch. Nathaniel is naturally submissive and eager to learn.

"Tell me. What is it you want, Plum?"
"Your cock. All of it."

Some highlights: domination, rimming, frottage, outdoor sex. Great variety and it didn't overtake the plot. I got kink teased. Just when I thought breath play was on the table, but it wasn't served. Maybe next time? ;) Overall, vanilla with a hint of spice.

The plot was fun. There wasn't as much swashbuckling action. Instead, we read how Nathaniel and Hawk grow to care and be each other's savior. Very romantic.

The villain, Walter Bainbridge is a loathsome man. He was giving me a certain Orange-Wanna-Be-Dictator vibes. *grimace* And while I wished his outcome would have been different (read: more violent and on page), it worked for the story.

Why not the full 5 stars? Being a pirate lover... I can't help but compare it to my top pirate reads. This was sweeter. There was action, but it was over fairly quickly. The central plot resolves around the kidnap and ransom, how it all ended was good. But I am lusty when it comes to revenge, I prefer on page justice. And when the final blow out happens? It was more a battle of wits and craftiness than swords.

There was a cracky fluff quality that I enjoy. It definitely delivers on the tropes and held my attention. The epilogue was pushing it for me in the sugar territory. I'm borderline on it being needed or not. (I like it darker with my pirates) However, if you're a reader who likes the HEA to sticky sweet and sweaty... you will not be disappointed! This is definitely added to my list of pirate top reads. The writing is strong and the main characters were charming.

Men were said to possess souls, and he only just discovered his and given it weight and shape.

Recommended to enemies to lovers fans who like tropes, hot sex from a pirate who likes to charge and an eager virgin who loves with his entire heart!

Review: Well-Tailored by Silvia Violet

Marc longs for a grand romance, but he doubts he’ll ever be that lucky. Then he meets Darius, an arrogant tailor who pushes all his buttons. When Darius offers him a job, Marc hesitates—he needs a direction for the future, not another man who doesn’t believe in relationships.

Darius lives by a few unbreakable rules: never sleep with employees, fashion should be simple, and romance is for fools. Marc, with his shimmer sweater collection, makes him want to break every single one.

They quickly give in to desire, but Darius wants to protect himself and Marc refuses to repeat past mistakes. It’s only when they let go of assumptions, that love has a chance to take hold.

This one actually started pretty poorly for me and I was considering not finishing the story. I’m glad I continued on because Darius and Marc definitely grew on me.

Darius is tailor-extraordinaire and is also the boss from hell, he runs his own business but can’t seem to keep an assistant for more than a month. Marc works for an escort service and loves his job but, he needs to find a job that can turn into a career, so he applies for Darius’ assistant position. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Darius is hot as fuck and brings out a submissive side in Marc that he wouldn’t mind entertaining for a while.

The whole meeting and instant attraction of these two did not work for me at all! The attraction felt sudden but slow at the same time, I was pretty bored for the first 30%. It was a constant, ‘should they shouldn’t they’ dance, but not a good one. However it got much better when they decided to become fuck buddies and I liked how their relationship progressed after that.

Darius was pretty awesome, such a grumpy bum hating on the world, I love that! And Darius sure did have an interesting vocabulary, it was hilarious!

“Motherfucking shitballs.”
“Goddamned cock robin bullshit.”
“Shut up, you fucking knobgoblin.”
“Harder, you shit-faced fuck muppet.”

Marc was a great mix of strong willed and submissive. Submissive isn't the right word... he just likes to be thrown around by Darius. But he can tell Darius when he’s being a dick, which is exactly what Darius needs.

This sex was hot! it was raw and passionate, rough and angry, which pretty much sums up this relationship. It took a long time for these two to get into the lovey dovey mode and it was rather nice when they got there. It was almost ruined by an argument at the end of the story which was just to make some drama and was totally unnecessary, but they moved on from that quickly.

This ended up being a pretty entertaining story and I recommend it for anyone who likes dominant, grumpy characters who need someone who isn't their doormat to fall in love with.

Tag Team Review: An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities #1) by K.J. Charles

A slow-burning romance and a chilling mystery bind two singular men in the suspenseful first book of a new Victorian series from K. J. Charles.

Lodging-house keeper Clem Talleyfer prefers a quiet life. He’s happy with his hobbies, his work—and especially with his lodger Rowley Green, who becomes a friend over their long fireside evenings together. If only neat, precise, irresistible Mr. Green were interested in more than friendship...

Rowley just wants to be left alone—at least until he meets Clem, with his odd, charming ways and his glorious eyes. Two quiet men, lodging in the same house, coming to an understanding... it could be perfect. Then the brutally murdered corpse of another lodger is dumped on their doorstep and their peaceful life is shattered.

Now Clem and Rowley find themselves caught up in a mystery, threatened on all sides by violent men, with a deadly London fog closing in on them. If they’re to see their way through, the pair must learn to share their secrets—and their hearts.

Averaged!

Chelsea - 5 Hearts

They were two such odd-shaped men, and they fit together so naturally, he and Clem...

Gah I so adored this book! No one in my eyes can replace Crane and Day, that's just a fact. But this series….. guys, this series is going to be one of my favourites! I can already tell!! This book was so much better than I was expecting. The blurb states this is a slow burn romance, but these two get together so early on and this book was all about them. The mystery was fun and exciting, but Clem and Rowley were centre stage, which is exactly what I want in my ‘mysteries’.

We have Clem, a lodging house manager who has Dyspraxia (not that they knew that in those times), and one of his tenants, Rowley Green, a taxidermist who works next door. Both men are drawn to the others quiet and kind nature, and they have formed a friendship over the past 8 months. As I said before, their relationship starts quite quickly and I was all gooey squishiness for these two men! They are totally adorable!!

Anyway as with most KJ Charles books something ghastly has to happen, and that occurs in the form of another of Clem’s tenants being tortured, murdered and dumped on his doorstep. I really liked this mystery. It was clever, quick and just scary enough to keep my heart pounding.

The side characters in this are pretty great. I’m excited to see some of their stories coming up! Clem’s brother is a rotten, arrogant swine and I hated him with the passion Rowley did!

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: “Yes Chelsea, I can see it's got a sweet romance and some scary bad guys, but is the sex hot?” Well if you weren’t thinking it, I certainly was. YES! Little Mr. Green has a tendency towards edging… and being used.

It was simply that, while he enjoyed a climax as much as the next man, they came and went. The exquisite agony of anticipation, of abnegation and self-denial and feeling his blood pounding in his stiff stand without relief, the bewildering, all-encompassing thrill of being Clem’s subject and his object and entirely at his pleasure . . . that could last for hours.

Clem certainly was happy with the arrangement.

“If we had all morning, do you know what I’d do?” Clem propped himself on an elbow and trailed his fingers between Rowley’s legs. “I’d have you do that again, toss yourself to almost there, and then I’d stop you, and— I don’t know, have a cup of tea? And keep doing it, maybe even till I came again, not letting you spend, but keeping you nearly there—”
“Jesus Christ.” Rowley’s voice didn’t sound like his own.

I won’t lie, I’ve read more panty-melting stuff, but this sex was hot, sensual and plentiful! And quantity is a pretty important aspect for me.

This story ends on a pretty good HEA for Rowley and Clem, but there is an overarching story-line across the three books, so there are some loose ends that will be tied up in the later novels.

I loved this book! Seriously! My first thought when I finished it was actually “Damn I won’t be able to buy this on paperback” (because Loveswept don’t do paperbacks). I loved it that much!!


SheReadsALot - 4 Hearts

K.J. Charles' newest Victorian romance series, Sins of the Cities, starts off on the right foot with An Unseen Attraction. A slow burn with an encompassing mystery and romance between two unassuming souls can be found in this novel.

"Rowley, there are lots of people who think I'm worth looking at. Not so many who think I'm worth listening to. Not like you."
A spasm of something passed across Rowley's face. "Then there are a lot of fools out there."

Swoon.

The words were, as usual, a joy to read from this author. And the shared moments between 28-year-old Clement Talleyfer - lodging house keeper and 35 year old, Rowley Green, a solitary preserver (taxidermist) made this book special.

Clement, or Clem, is of Indian descent and grew up an outsider for his entire life. Rowley has not had an easy childhood and bears the scars to prove it. The author has a fine hand on writing inclusive characters be it race or QUILTBAG, no one gets left out. And An Unseen Attraction is on par.

But what makes this book even more special was including a character with DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder or Dyspraxia). She wrote the character in such a way that respected the disorder and an affected person's feelings, rather than using his disorder as a characteristic and not following up. (I'm not a fan of books that write characters with intellectual disabilities and can't back it up with thorough research). Based on the obvious research alone put into this tale, it's rated all the hearts.

Clem runs the lodging house and crushes on his lodger of eight months, the small, quiet Mr. Green, who runs a preserve shop next door. Clem's not one to easily discern if Mr. Green would welcome his affections, so quiet friendship is what he relies on to keep in respectable contact within that time period. You know what they say about the quiet ones? Because quiet Mr. Green notices Clem just as much.

Told in dual POV, the two become closer while surround by interesting characters at the lodging house. Their shared attraction obvious. A mystery is literally dropped on the house doorsteps by way of a dead body. The pair bond even more, trying to figure out what is the cause of the violent acts. Both men have damaging pasts, with internal and external scars. Clem is gorgeous (great cover by the way - it's very close to how I picture Clem). But with DCD, most treat him like an imbecile. Rowley, knows he's not as handsome and he tends to downplay himself. Not to the point of annoyance but thankfully Clem sees him as a worthy partner and vice versa.

I loved both main characters. (Can you tell?) Flawed individuals who make each other stronger together and bring out the best in each other without losing a sense of self. They aren't overt characters, rather it's the quietness and the little things that they both do that grabs the attention.

And their compatibility exists both in and out of the bedroom!

"I like to be...undemanding in bed. To, well, have the other person make the decisions. there's something about someone doing what he wants to do with me..."

I-- *clears throat*

Yes, I'm very fine with that.

Edging and submissiveness...oh yes, these two were definitely hot together.

While the two check off so many boxes on my characters-I-enjoy list, the story isn't without minor flaws.

Why not full throttle and dump all the hearts at this book's feet? There are some open ended issues that I would love to be answered. There's an arc that has enough mystery to probably cover the entire series. (That epilogue is everything)

But...something about the 'villain(s) ending'-- something about it s sticking in my craw. Maybe it could be more of a me thing but I wanted justice. I wanted a big never ending battle royal as a climax to the action scenes scattered about the story.

The cowardice irks me. Who is the accomplice? Mastermind? Ah!

But I do think the author kept the main character's personalities at the forefront at all times, so I'll just have to swallow and build a bridge to get over it.

Or read the rest of this series, which I DEFINITELY will be. Because I am all in for "Polish Mark". This author has me pining for themes I tend to shy away from - mysteries and psychics. *shakes head*

The writing is that good.

I don't plan on running through the ignored lists of books with those themes but it seems that if K.J. Charles has written it, I'll make an exception.

The secondary characters are just as intriguing as the main characters. And the story overall, is well written enough, suspenseful enough and romantic enough to check out!

Recommended.


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