Review: Lonely Hearts, a Novella Bundle by Posy Roberts

Stoic men, who believe they’re happy alone, find the world turned upside down when their perfect someone stumbles across their path. 

Marc joins the Lonely Hearts chat room where men support men on their way to finding true love. He wants to believe that kind of love is possible for him, but his once-burned heart stops him from going all-in with anyone.

The chat group’s philosophy is, “Figure out how you keep screwing up your happily ever after. Once you know, you’re more likely to find the true thing.”

Skeptical as he is, Marc logs in and meets men in various degrees of getting there. At least he’s not alone. Luther truly loves his single life on the Bakken oil fields. William’s not sure he’ll ever measure up, let alone find someone he can be himself around. And Andrew still pines for a guy he hooked up with on a reenactment battlefield before he got blown up on a real one.

One by one they start dropping like flies. Flies drunk on love. And sooner than he expects, Marc’s luck starts changing thanks to these new friends.

Walk alongside these men as they find the men of their dreams and discover their happily ever afters. 

Lonely Hearts: a novella bundle includes: Bent Arrow, Stroke of Luck, Momo, My Everything, and Love on a Battlefield.

blue-collar, reluctant lovers, rural, bisexual, gay, fated lovers, Halloween, white-collar, opposites attract, multicultural, coming out, second chance, first time, disability, recovery romance, meant to be, military, artist, world traveler, coming of age, long distance, pen pals, gay romance, contemporary, MM romance, lone wolf, alpha male.

Welllll, 3.75 Hearts averaged out, but definitely rounded up for the way the author tied it all together.

The author uses a clever technique to tie four novellas together along with a connection to The North Star Series. It works well and bundles all four stories cohesively via chat room conversations between Hugo (from North Star) and one half of each of the couples in the novellas. I liked it, it allowed me to get to know each of the guys organically and get a taste of their personalities going into their new relationships.

Bent Arrow (Luther and Eric) - 4 Hearts 
I just love Luther. Then I met Eric, and I just love Eric. While Luther comes across, at first, as a man who has convinced himself he never wants to attach himself to another person, it’s easy to see that a connection with another person is exactly what he needs most. Luther uses the excuse of work environment and that he’s not out to his family to stay in his one night stand lifestyle. Eric is a bit of an introvert, mostly out of necessity and concern for his safety in the oilfields. The two of them have chemistry from the very beginning and while the physical is a no brainer between them, the relationship they begin to develop is the real treat to read. The very best part of this story is the communication and honesty. It wasn’t like the relationship was angst free, the two of them had to go through some level of nonsense considering where they were coming from. But, they knew they wanted one another and I loved that they both owned it.

Stroke of Luck (Marc and Cas) - 3 Hearts 
Marc is too pure for this world and I had trouble believing anyone could deserve him. It took me a while to warm up to Cas. I liked him, but there was a lot of “work” that had to go into being with Cas. By the end I did like the two of them together but it was a little too unnecessarily difficult to get there. Cas wasn’t even the real issue, the problem was Maisie. Ugh, that woman. I get that the relationship between Cas and Maisie was the main conflict that fed the story, she really detracted from my Marc and I love Marc. By the end, everything conveniently worked out and Marc and Cas were happy, so, yay! But I could have done with less Maisie and more Marc and Cas together.

Momo, My Everything (William and Nate) - 3.5 Hearts
This story was more than just a romance it was a real character study of William. He was a tough guy to get to know, but the author did a great job of showing who he was and how much we wanted to love and be loved in his own voice. Nate was William’s complete opposite and reading William fall in love was absolutely lovely. I don’t feel like I got to know Nate as deeply as William, which is why this is definitely a William story for me and I very much liked it. William evolved a lot for the novella length of this story. Nate was such a breath of fresh air and life for William and William appreciated everything about Nate. What they gave each other and how thankful they were for one another was the highlight for me, so while the bulk of the story is about William and his evolution, there was plenty of true romance to be had.

Love on a Battlefield (Andrew and Shep) - 4.5 Hearts 
Oh, my heart. The bittersweet arc in Love on a Battlefield broke my heart and put it back together in the best possible way. I absolutely loved how this story was told. The flashbacks, the letters, the current life struggles, all of that combined to make Andrew and Shep fully fleshed out characters that I embraced from page 1. My only complaint was that the story was a novella and not a full novel. You know how the romance world gives us stories with couples who are “meant to be” and we love it and eat it up with a spoon? But then, once in a while a story comes along where two people weren’t just “meant to be” but they “had to be”? Like, they are so meant to be together there is no other option for them, they are “next-level meant to be”. That’s Andrew and Shep. Life and time were in the way for awhile as they worked there way back to one another. They may have had just a few teenage fumblings (happy ending fumblings) back in the day, but they basically ruined each other for anyone else. I do believe they had to grow up though and the distance probably made their appreciation for each other even stronger once they did meet up again as adults. It was like their first time all over again and I loved it. I’ll be rereading this one for sure.

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

Review: The Medium by Bonnie Dee

To win a heart, he must risk his soul…

Cast out of his family for being a freak, psychic Justin Crump helps others find peace by using his ability. When he’s called upon to release a distressed soul from a haunted house, a child’s angry spirit draws him into a dark mystery. Equally intriguing is the skeptical homeowner, Albert, a man who has buried his sexuality deeper than the grave.

Albert Henderson humors his mother’s wishes by inviting the medium for a visit. While he doubts Justin’s gifts, he can’t deny one truth: the man stirs desire in him that Albert has spent a lifetime denying. Slowly, the walls of his proper life crumble. And when Justin proposes some emotion-free experimentation, neither imagines it might lead to love…and danger.

After learning the terrifying truth about the deceased child’s persecutor, the two men pursue a perpetrator of great evil. When they coax a confession from their quarry, the vengeful spirit unleashes power nearly beyond control. To free the earthbound ghost from the past that holds it shackled, Justin must risk his own soul. And Albert must find the courage to break free of the chains of doubt that will deny him and Justin the future of which they once only dreamed.

Warning: Contains mention of child sexual abuse. 

Nobody loves ghost stories and historicals more than I do. I’m a HUGE fan of Bonnie Dee and some of my all time favorite historical tales are authored by her. I don’t really care that it was 90 degrees yesterday, it’s fall (ish) and that means Halloween and that means ghost stories, don’t even try and tell me otherwise.

The Medium was anchored by two MC’s that I really enjoyed reading about and even if the paranormal element were eliminated I would have loved reading about the evolution of the relationship between Justin and Albert. Honestly, the paranormal element was a tough one. Pedophilia is . . . I can’t even with words. The topic is abhorrent and unfortunately all too real. While I loved the relationship between Albert and Justin, it was difficult to reconcile Russell’s painful story with the romance that was happening. I almost with they were two different books I was reading because it’s hard to switch gears from the horror to the love in a quick turn around.

I’m actually going to treat them as two different stories for reviewing purposes. It’s not like they didn’t meld, they did. But, I liked them separately in different ways and I don’t want to knock what I loved with what made me a cringey.

Russell’s story was heartbreaking and tough to process. As I alluded to before, the words don’t even work here. I had so much sympathy for him and with each revelation my heart got darker and that’s not an easy read when you aren’t prepared. I’ve read plenty of dark and I can’t pretend my perspective is completely Susie Sunshine. I think that, in the end, the conclusion I came to was that the subject was too much for the length of the story. Russell did get his completion in theory, but I wanted more for him, and in order to get that, he’d honestly need so many more pages. His resolution felt rushed in the end for me and I just wanted more for him. I give zero fucks for his “family” and I think the visceral response is a tough one to separate from the rest of the book.

Now, as far as the romance aspect went, I loved it! Justin and Albert are characters I can get behind and their story alone was strong enough to carry a book without anything additional. I found myself parsing the painful past of Russell from the positive hope of Justin and Albert. I really loved the two of them and the author did an amazing job of showing their chemistry. Even though the overall arc was a little Pollyanna as far as the reality of what was acceptable and a reality for men during that time period, the author made me believe in their happiness and I just wanted to buy into it so I did, no questions asked.

I can never recommend Bonnie Dee stories enough and The Medium is right up there. Just know, you are going to get some heartbreak that supports the idea of the story, but is going to be tough to digest in its minimalist form. The romance will carry you through though and I would be more than happy to read more about Justin and Albert. Their relationship was sublime and I will reread the story for that alone.

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

Review: Love Wanted by John Inman

When it rains, it pours. Not only has Larry Walls been evicted from his apartment, but his hours have also been cut at the department store where he works, leaving him facing homelessness.

Meanwhile, Bo Lansing, a total stranger to Larry, toils at a dead-end job as a fry cook while attending night classes to become a certified chef. When the school closes its doors without warning, leaving Bo in the lurch for thousands of dollars in tuition, his dream of becoming a chef is shattered and his financial troubles spiral.

Desperate for a new beginning, each man answers an ad for live-in help posted by a wealthy recluse, and wonder of wonders, they are both hired! Just as their lives begin to improve, a young Kumeyaay Indian named Jimmy Blackstone joins the workforce at the Stanhope mansion.

When Mr. Stanhope’s true reason for hiring the young men is discovered by one of the three, a fourth entity makes its presence known.

Greed.

With all these players vying for position in a game of intrigue orchestrated by one lonely old man and a mischievous ghost, can a simple thing like love ever hope to survive the fray?

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of John Inman’s words. His books always make me feel good regardless of their genre. Even his “horror” stories can give me warm feels and don’t get me started on the love pollen. His good guys are easy to root for, faults and all and in Love Wanted the author took that comfort I’ve come to love and presented it in a completely new and unique way.

When I first read the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect once I started reading. Honestly, this story could have gone in so many different directions and while the build-up was a little slow, actually I should say, it was “quiet”, the pace fit the story overall because I needed to read every angle and POV to appreciate all the characters fully. This story is told in a multitude of POV’s so you do have to pay attention but the story was more completely told because of the way it was written. I don’t think many authors can pull that off well, but John Inman can.

The story does not take the easy way out for an HEA for anyone and the conflict made the story much more realistic and the characters much more believable. The added option for a love interest for Larry gave a vehicle for the author to explore love and happiness from many more different angles elevating the story to much more than a love story between two MC’s and the whimsical dreams of an old man; it was a character study of love itself in its many forms.

Larry was my favorite from the get go even though he was more reserved than Bo. Then Jimmy shows up and Larry really started to blossom. While it was a love triangle per se, it wasn’t overly angsty, it was actually just more interesting. I’m not usually a fan of the triangle because I end up sad for someone, but this one really worked for me because the author dove deeply into the emotions beyond the actions.

All of my ramblings make this sound like a really serious tale, but there is a balance between the heavy ideas and the whimsical side of love and relationships. There are characters that provide the lighthearted side that the story needed mainly by way of Roger, Jeremy and Mrs. Price. I didn’t know what to make of Roger at first, I mean his ad that he placed for live in help could have been super pervy, but once you get to know the guy, you can’t help but like him and love his intentions. And his love story is just as good as Larry’s. Roger and Jeremy add the sass to the sauce and I loved it when I got to their page time.

Love Wanted is an incredibly well written and easy to read love story and it’s a perfect feel good tale that we all kind of need right now. Reading Love Wanted will remind you how amazing love can be.

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

Review: Unconditionally by Nell Iris

Flamboyant book café owner Luca Moretti and geeky doctor Gus Hansen have been together for six years when the Supreme Court ruling makes same-sex marriage legal in all states. On June 26, 2015, Gus gets down on one knee and Luca screams yes.

On their wedding day, shortly before the ceremony, Luca’s mother explodes in anger, calling him a freak. The reason? He’s wearing a white veil, sprinkled with crystals.

Their relationship has been strained for a long time, and her words trigger traumatic memories. Instead of walking down the aisle, Luca runs.

Away from his mother. Away from Gus.

Gus counts down the minutes when Luca’s mother comes knocking. He realizes something’s wrong, but when he goes to talk to Luca, his husband-to-be is nowhere to be found.

Can Gus find Luca in time and manage to convince him to come back and get married?

Hmmmm....

I didn't dislike this story, the three-heart rating is because it isn't everything I wanted it to be. I think I was hoping for something grittier, more emotionally challenging than the sweet romance with a bit of a bump I got.

 And there I go wanting to make a disclosure (is that the right word? My brain is on the blink today) about the whole rating and opinions thing. I rate from my heart - it is truly a personal thing and not necessarily a reflection on the author. I read for enjoyment and that is an extremely personal preference. A book can be perfectly written editorial-wise, and it not grabbing me is no reflection on the author or their writing,more a reflection on me and my preferences.

 I think this book will appeal to lots of people. Hell, if I'd been in a different kind of mood when I read it, it might have garnered a different rating from me. NONE OF THAT IS WITHIN THE AUTHOR'S CONTROL. I was wanting something grittier so for me this didn't measure up, I know it is a good book though, I know a lot of people will five-heart it. I know several readers probably want to slap me round the face with a wet kipper right about now - so I would say, read another review for this book (and stay away from the fish-mongers).

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads.