Review: Detour

Detour by Maren Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stay low. Don't get close

Oh Anne! You had absolutely no idea what a gem of a man you'd find when you let Smitty in to your heart, did you?



I had this feeling - from the first moment that we saw Anne Taylor - that there was a story there. A story that cut deep and scared the ever-living shit out of her. She wasn't bitchy and stand offish for no reason.

Anne had lots of reasons.

And those reasons came back to haunt her.

Detour is exactly what you would expect from the beautiful wordsmith Maren Lee if you've read any of her Bounty County series. It’s beautiful, sexy, a little dangerous, and a badass bossy matchmaker named Sierra. If you haven't, go grab Ride-along and get started. Don't worry, I'll wait…



Just kidding!



I'm not waiting to sing Smitty's praises, and you don't need to read Ride-along or any of the others first, but you'll want to when you've finished so that you can love on the men of Bounty County and the badass women who love them! I think that's the beauty of this series. Every book can stand alone, but your love for them only grows when you've met the men of Imminence, Montana. Reading the other books (even if you read them after Detour) will give a little background insight into the additional characters that pop up. Anyhow, back to the Smitty-Anne LOVE IN!

Anne has been hiding for the last five years from the world, but namely from the abusive asshole she married, Asher Levigne. There's some triggers here for anyone who's suffered through a violent relationship - so be warned, but they were handled with class and with care. For Anne to finally let her guard down a little, after living by her Stay low, Don't get close mantra for so many years was beautiful and Smitty was the perfect man for her to find!

They have a history - mainly one of Smitty trying to get her attention and failing because she just won't give in to the attraction! - and a night from when Anne first came to Imminence that will tug on your heartstrings once you read it. Hell, it breaks Smitty when he finally knows the truth! What Anne finds in Smitty is not only a loving, gentle protector but some smoking hot dirty talk! Smitty gets an A++ for the eargasm on the dirty talk (and small kink with the ropes and blindfolds *insert all the drooling yummy emojis here*)!



They have incredible chemistry and there are some smoking hot scenes to prove it!!! I especially loved the supply closet, but you should feel that fire for yourself and pick up a copy!



It's always rewarding when you read a story that has a flight risk, hurt heroine to have a hero who is there to love, support and protect her 100%. This is SMITTY in a nutshell. He doesn't want to make Anne run, he wants to take the fear that she's barely hidden from him and make it all disappear. He doesn't just want her for the moment, he spouts some incredibly romantic lines and proves with actions more than words that he will not hurt her and wants her around for the long haul. It's beautiful! <3 <3

The second best thing about Detour? THE BROMANCE!!!!



Smitty and Wesson have the bromance of the AGES!!!! Smitty has the best description for Wesson when he says:

He was fucking hilarious, both unintentionally and strategically.

I loved seeing these two together - they've been through all kinds of things together and the little danger/comic relief of Operation Thundercats is absolute perfection.

And we get the return (and set up) for Lion-O - Mr. Mountain Man - Agent Tanner Wyld who's been locked up in MSP for the last little while.



Did anyone else have Hot For Teacher running through their head reading that epilogue, or was it just me??? No? Just me? Alright, carry on then…

Favourite Lines -

You give off a total bitch vibe, but I don't believe you actually are one. And I find it sexy as fuck how you blush every time I walk in to Lane's office.

Especially Sierra, she's an extra shit jerk.

Smitty couldn't count on both hands how many Medicare quips he'd heard over the last few years or how many times he'd heard Wesson ask Ryan if he was ready for dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon.

"You're not gonna be good when your balls are too old and shriveled up to make baby Dicks, Richard."

"If I wasn't married and painfully heterosexual, I would totally make out with you."

"And now I suppose you're going to tell me that A-T-F stands for something too?" Wesson asked sarcastically as he pulled off the highway and onto a forest service road.

Smitty laughed. "Yeah, dipshit. It stands for 'ass-to-face'," he said as seriously as he could.

Any spectator watching him knew he'd found exactly what he was looking for when he smiled at Anne.

Annnnnd there go your panties.

Stay low. Don't get… oh, fuck off.

Anne was tired of not having fun.

Nobody blames you, buddy. You were caught between a rock and a hard on.

And his department had a rule: no booty on duty.

"Dammit. I was trying to be smooth."

"I'm laying here completely naked and ready for you. Trust me. I think you're pretty smooth."

"You guys are lying. It totally smells like grass and ass in this shed."

"Oh god. Is that a code word or some kind of euthanasia for sex or something?"

"How on earth did this turn from 'I'm nervous to meet your parents' to 'Wesson has a huge dick'?"

"If it's a good reason, just let guy-bons be guy-bons, man"

"This has been my ball sweat and tears since Molly was arrested."

"Holy shit, you were not lying. That man is a tree."

"If I were single, I'd climb that."

She was not at all clear on how that cat was going to be the ring bearer.

Kobe Michael was a dick.

You need to One Click this one - don't think, just buy! And while you're at it, grab the rest of the series and love up on the men of Bounty County.



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Review: Breath of Fire

Breath of Fire by Kathryn Nolan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio of this beautiful story as part of the Read Me Romance podcast. Holy Hannah was that good - but I knew, I just knew that I had to have a copy of my own to love on it and highlight it in my Kindle app.



Welcome to Playa Vieja! You've been here before, if you read Riptide and fell in love with Finn and Avery, but this time it's the back drop to a second chance between two high school sweethearts and it all starts at Finn and Avery's Bella View Hotel. What could be a more beautiful backdrop for this romance than the beach?



Sage McAllister and Olivia Nguyen had always been friends, and then, when high school came around that turned to something more.

When I was fifteen, all I wanted to was hold Olivia's hand and escort her to a silly high school dance. At first, I had been so nervous I'd barely said a word. But I did get the courage to give her a long, lingering kiss at the end of the night.

And when I pulled back she touched her fingers to her lips and said, "Whoa."

Olivia had always had a direction and a purpose in life; to be an artist. She was determined to make her way and saw that free living life of creating and being surrounded by art and beauty as her future. Sage never really fit anywhere. He was directionless, purposeless and his only real focus was Olivia. He was a ball of restless energy and unused potential without direction or focus, especially when Olivia ended their relationship. It had taken that break for Sage to find a purpose for his restless energy. It had taken that break to lead him to yoga.



When Olivia comes to the class at Bella View, she isn't expecting that the hot guest teacher would be her old high school sweetheart and the tension between them shows from the very first moment and throughout the rest of the story in glances and touches. Almost like yoga brings her back to her soul mate after six years apart.



I love how Kathryn Nolan's pacing for this story flows so well. You're looking at a novella length work that moves seamlessly in to a Happily Ever After. AND HOLY HANNAH THAT STEAMY BEACH SCENE!!!!!!



That they get to relive their recoupling where their firsts occurred is just… BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for three beautiful bonus epilogue glances in to their future where I know Olivia and Sage's souls are happy together.

One click this baby today! And then head over to the Read Me Romance podcast and listen to the audio - it's a delight!


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Review: Flirting with the Frenemy

Flirting with the Frenemy by Pippa Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought there could never be a book that Pippa Grant could publish that would surpass what I feels for Ares and Beauty and the Beefcake…



Ares, I love you boo, I always will, but this book has pirates. PIRATES!!!!!!!



I WILL NEVER NOT LOVE PIRATES!!!

Black Sails ,
Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time ,
Pirates of the Caribbean , just give. Me. PIRATES!!!!! Talk Like a Pirate Day is one of my favourite things. I used to make a joke about answering the phone at work with my growly "Arrrrrrrrrr" in place in the company name and… Well, you get the idea! So Flirting with the Frenemy has pirates and LOTS of them, but it also has some of my favourite tropes and the quirkiness of Ellie Ryder who has become one of my favourite heroines to date!

What happens when your enemy isn't your enemy? What if they're what you always wanted, only you never knew it?

Ellie Ryder grew up around all her older brother Beck's buddies. That almost all of them grew up to form the boy band Bro Code didn't mean a thing to her - they were just the guys she grew up with. Totally normal, nothing special here. There were guys that could be counted on for fun, laughs, and to have your back (by extension because she was Beck's annoying little sister) whenever the chips were down - or you wipe your brother's stupid high score off his precious Frogger game but whatever! Wyatt Morgan was always more than just her brother's best friend. Wyatt Morgan was antagonizing and pushy. Wyatt Morgan was her enemy. But what if he wasn't her enemy and instead was so much more?



I had emotional whiplash in the first chapter. First I was commiserating, then I was laughing, then it was smoking hot, and holy hell at the end of it I was sobbing because while I've never had a night quite like Ellie did I have had moments that made me feel like I wasn't enough and so I know that feeling all too well. I didn't know how this was going to turn around and they were going to wind up together but I knew because this is Pippa Grant we're talking about that it was going to amazing and hilarious.



Welcome to Shipwreck, home of the Pirate Festival … and the Pirate themed destination wedding of a LIFETIME! It's also the backdrop of the wackiest, quirkiest love story I have ever had the pleasure of reading (at least, until Pippa publishes another one)! This town is home to some incredible pirate lore, banana pudding, pudding donuts (I'm drooling right now), pizza, a treasure hunt, and a salty parrot who knows how to walk the plank.



No, not that kind of parrot…



Yep, that's more like Long Beak Silver! Man that bird has a mouth on him and it's HILARIOUS!!!

How do you navigate forced cohabitation, a fake relationship, your ex and his new flame, and being in your best friend's wedding party with style? You do it up pirate style!



I want to LIVE THERE!!!!!!! (And I want to crawl inside this story and just stay there because OMG Wyatt and his tortured soul and Ellie being so tortured herself it just… BAH!!!!!!)

Favourite Lines

When I rule the world, peppermint crunch ice cream will be available all year long, because assholes who break people's hearts don't restrict their assholery and heart-breaking to Christmas.

Who taught you to hold a pool cue, a blind monkey?

I don't run without a heavy duty sports bra and my ass could squash a supermodel, but I won't apologize for being built like a woman.

Wyatt and Ellie, sitting in a tree. A-W-K-W-aaaarrr-ding!

… a corsage? A coriander? A makes-a-man speechless?

"You better be good to her, or I'll slice your nuts off with my pirate sword and tie a cannonball to your ankles and shoot you over the mountains."

"Can you take out the screen and shake it and make it work again?" she says desperately.

"It's not a fucking Etch-a-Sketch."

"QUIT FUCKING MY SISTER'S MOUTH, YOU ASSHOLE!"

The men are dressed as pirates, but the women are a dog, a monkey, and a parrot.

"Do you think that one uses bad words?" Tucker asks me while he points.

"No, that's a random kid he kidnapped with candy and donuts yesterday, but he's cute, so we're making him an official pirate with us."

This morning, I woke up to a message from him that he couldn't ask for a better boyfriend for his sister, except maybe Levi, because his ass is nice than mine.

"Have you met your brother? He licks his players for luck."

A Beck Ryder huh can mean anything from you're in my seat to clogged the toilet again to oh, good, meatloaf leftovers.

"I thought of you while I masturbated last week and then I ran over a squirrel."

You need to read Wyatt and Ellie's story. YOU NEED IT! You have no idea how much until you understand some of my lingering questions…

Lingering Questions -

Are we going to get more than just one baseball player's romance because the potential with the Fireballs is well… like some serious buried treasure?

Are we ever going to see the Unicorn Festival in Sarcasm because you know pirates are awesome but UNICORNS ARE UNICORNS?!?!!!

What the hell did Beck do because even that teaser gave me nothing????



One Click this baby now - and then you can anxiously wait for America's Geekheart with me!!

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Review: Charming as Puck

Charming as Puck by Pippa Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Warning! The subject of the following review contains moments of absolute hilarity, a cow-dog, two spiders, seven clowns, an escape room full of Wanker's and Johnson-Wankers, three dogs, a kitten, mentions of stolen chickens, animal (and parental) cockblocking, and some very steamy sexy times. If you are prepared to laugh so hard you pull muscles, spit your morning caffeine all over yourself (and your laptop keyboard but you didn't need to type up that proposal anyway, did you?), and turn in to a ball of fluffy love over an asshole hockey player and the sweetest veterinarian with very naughty prankster instincts, then this book is definitely for you!!!

This year just keeps getting better! Wanna know why? No? I'm gonna tell you anyway because this is my review and you're here because you know you want to know. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this funny as hell story!



If you know me, you know that I have been waiting for Nick Murphy to find his forever love since the moment we really got to know him in Beauty and the Beefcake. Sure, he was around before (and a hilarious prankster) but you just knew that he was going to have this come to Jesus moment about commitments and settling down. He's a big, badass hockey player who seems like an asshole but he's got a heart of gold… If you can get him to stop joking around long enough for you to see it!



I've been wanting to hear the stories that made him the way he is (you get some of those) and I've been wanting to see him be more than a fighting, pranking, love 'em and leave 'em kind of man. Who knew that this moment would come in the form of a forgotten birthday, a prank gone wrong, and the loss of his FWB who actually owned his heart all along? Obviously, Pippa Grant knew but she didn't give us any hints until The Hero and the Hacktivist with that teaser. (… and I really was scared that she was going to hook him up with the charm school teacher (yeah, way back then) when I just knew that Kami would be perfect for him and fall into the Best Friend's Brother trope I love so much!!)



Even I figured out that he forgot her birthday and seriously Nick how did you not get that? Not only does Kami decide she's done with him in that teaser, but she decides to go to war.



And seeing sweet, loveable Kami go to war and show her more devious side? It proved to me that they were a match made in heaven! Or the shower, or the bed, or the front seat of his Jeep…



The cow, I mean dog, I mean Sugarbear may be the unwitting pawn in Nick and Zeus Berger's prank war (YES IT IS A WAR AND YES IT IS GLORIOUS!!!!), but she becomes something oh so much more! She becomes a catalyst for change - an amazing, wonderful change that leads to an I love you moment that had me blubbering almost as badly as Ares' voicemail message to Felicity and their I love you moment. The fact that Nick's I love you moment is fighting me for top position is a lot for me to handle because Ares Berger is my boy. He will always be my favourite book boyfriend so this should tell you a lot about this moment! Sugarbear is a catalyst for change in the way the Thrusters players play their pranks - and now that living animals are no longer allowed, and Nick has a new cow-dog baby to play with, it means that things are about to get a lot more interesting -- and a lot more sparkly!

There are so many things I could tell you about this story - but I won't!



I know better - KNOW BETTER - and yet, I still managed to make the mistake of drinking coffee while reading the bonus epilogues (I love you Pippa for always doing that!!!!!) so that I wore it! As did my laptop - and I think it's working ok, do you think it's working okay??? I also know better than to read anything this funny after I've put my son to bed because my laugh is LOUD… AND I WOKE HIM UP!!!!!! laughed so hard at the ridiculousness of the pranks, of the situations after the date (sweet Jesus save the kittens from the aliens -- IN SPACE!!!!), the garden shed escapade and the resulting birds and the bees talk, and just EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!



Favourite Lines -

And Felicity's in a custom Thrusters T-shirt with the rocket bratwurst logo - yes, rocket bratwurst, and yes, there's a story there - and the phrase "I'm carrying Ares Berger's Baby" printed across her chest and arrows pointing to her small but growing baby bump.

And while I stand there gaping, my cow-dog peeing a river down the sidewalk, he turns and strolls away.

"My mom has a crush on Hulk Hogan," Zeus offers.

"You mean you do," Ares says. They're still laughing when I head for the elevator.

I have to dodge the monkey, who’s been sent to sic my phone.

She beat me to my own I block the shots on the ice, but I score all the goals here.

"My bratwurst need to mortify you."

"If we lose, it's the Johnson-Wankers' fault."

"I'm supposed to talk to you about where babies come from. Your mother says you were doing it wrong."

"Muff Matchers, how can we match your muff today?"

If you want to know the name of the kitten, just how many times Ares Berger dangles his teammates by their ankles for being bad males to their ladies, well then… You just have to read the book and see how fabulous it is for yourself!



But I think you know my vote. ;)

You want to one click this one. You don't know it yet, but you NEED Kami and Nick in your life! Read it… I dare you!!!! I double cow-dog dare you!!!!! If you make it through the second chapter without laughing once, I'm afraid it's already too late for you. If you almost piss yourself laughing like I did? Then you know you're going to have an awesome year addicted to everything in the Pippaverse!

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Review: Without a Compass

Without a Compass by Helen Juliet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can I just tell you how adorable these boys were???



Be still my heart!

M/M titles have been my guilty pleasure lately, but Kai and Riley? Their story was so sweet it almost gave me a toothache!!! My favourite trope (no matter sexuality) for a romance is the older sibling's best friend and this is just that.

Riley has always known that he's gay, a lot like he's known that for years he's been crushing on his older brother's best friend Kai. They've known each other for years, have the comfort of a relationship like friendship considering how much they've been thrown together in the past, and these kinds of relationships are always my favourite! The one problem? Kai is straight. Or so it seems…



A Truth or Dare kiss brings an awakening moment to Kai. From the beginning, he's drawn to Riley - even mentions that he has always thought Riley's mannerisms were cute (so we have our unnoticed attraction) and that makes me happier that this isn't just a GFY story. It is, but it also isn't. Also, labelling is not Bi which usually comes with these but Pan and that makes me feel better as well because it's used correctly here. Seriously, if you don't know anything about the difference between Pansexual and Bisexual don't write about it. This is not the case with Helen Juliet so thank you for bringing that voice to the foreground.



So, camping holiday, the story focuses mostly on what becomes the beginning of Kai and Riley, and leaves me wanting more. Yes, there's sex and yes, it’s hotttttttt, but I've seen how they handle slight trouble together - now I want to see how they navigate their life. I would have loved a little flash forward before that epilogue two years later. That is the only thing I did not like about this story.



I'm just gonna bask in the glory of the sweetness of Riley and Kai. Le sigh!

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Review: Hosed

Hosed by Pippa Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Do you know what the best thing about 2019 is so far? No? Well, let me tell you what that is…

An ARC of Hosed by Pippa Grant and Lili Valente arriving in my inbox on New Year's Day!



Now, you may be asking, how do I know if Hosed is the right read for me? And I may be sitting here shaking my head at you for even daring to ask that question! If you're on this review it’s because you either a) love everything that Pippa Grant writes and have to have it, b) love everything that Lili Valente writes and have to have it or c) love sexy smouldering firefighters falling in love with their nerdy next door neighbour girls. Or it could be all of the above, and with me, it's definitely that!

There's so much wonderful in this book (that may or may not be related to one adorable cock blocking trash panda by the name of George Cooney) that I barely know where to start! Cassie Sunderwell is all kinds of nerdy awkward - and for that I identify with her. She's the programming, gaming, technology queen who is totally out of her element in the little town of Happy Cat and at the helm of her sister's sex toy factory. Yesssss, you read that right - her sister runs from town after a nasty marriage breakdown (sheep man, damn those sheep!!!!) and leaves the care of her struggling business to her nerdy, virgin big sister.



Yup, recipe for disaster in the making!

But then there's Ryan O'Dell… All kinds of wonderful fireman - and he's going to get Cassie out of her sexually repressed shell! He's also going to get her to love the small town of Happy Cat over the anonymity of the big city she's used to. He's also the loving owner of George Cooney!

People, people please… While I love the sexual awakening of Cassie, George Cooney stole this show! I love him more than I love his namesake! Some of the most hilarious moments in this book come from this little Raccoon, and he doesn't let you forget it!



He's a total trash panda and he steals the freaking show! If you manage to snag a penis shapped lollipop from him, you know you've made an impression!

Favourite lines -

I do a double-take as I realize she's standing under a birch strung with dildos tied to anal beads. It's a Sexmas tree in June.

Cassie cries out again and scrambles off my lap and I'm left with a fat-ass, mood-killing raccoon curled around my shoulders like a mink stole.

The last time I saw George Cooney, he was sliding down Main Street on his fuzzy butt, assisted by mango-lime lube he'd liberated from a pump bottle during the near-death commotion with the allergic tourist.

I thought you WANTED me to experience sexual pleasure, not to get cockblocked by a trash panda!

"They're playing dildo-ball," Ruthie May explains. "It's like football, but with - "

Lingering Questions -

1. What are the rules of play for dildo-ball?
2. Will there be any books for the remaining O'Dell brothers because I wanna know what's up with Jace and Olivia?
3. What in the hell am I going to read now????



Make sure to One-Click this one! If this is the promise of what's to come this year, I can't wait to see what else these ladies have to offer in 2019!

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