Month: September 2019

5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 1st edition. 41 pages. Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Nor O’Brien spends his days in sunny Key West caring for and rehabilitating sea turtles. He doesn’t need anything else in life, expect maybe a significant other to cuddle with after a long day. But recent heartbreak has left Nor salty, and he’s not in the mood for anything, Christmas included.

Then Eugene Montgomery walks into Turtle R&R, claiming to have found a clutch of eggs in distress. Nor is smitten with the tourist at first sight, and at the suggestion of his screwball colleagues, indulges in some no-strings-attached fun. Nor and Eugene are quick to get along, happily enjoy each other’s company, and take in the island’s unique holiday pleasures together.

But Nor would never leave his turtles, not for any man. So when his rebound fling turns into strong romantic feelings for Eugene, it’ll take a Christmas miracle to keep the two together forever in Key West. 

A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar

Likes:

• The characters.
• Turtles.
• Key West.
• Christmas miracle.
• Cute and fun and just the right amount of sexy.
• The ‘relationship hurdle’ was reasonable but easily overcome.

Dislikes:

• Nor’s attachment to his ex.
• Lack of communication between Nor and Eugene.
• Lots of screwball characters.

This story had a little bit of all the things a good romance should have. Instant chemistry between the men. Something holding Nor back from going all in on the romance. Fun, witty banter with a slight hint of awkwardness. Smut scene. Happy ending.

I like just about any character who has found their calling caring for animals. I’m not the world’s biggest turtle fan, but this story had me invested in the clutch of eggs Nor and Eugene saved. What a unique way to start a relationship.

The instant attraction between the men was a given, since it is a short story. But it felt realistic. Nor wanted to finally put his ex in the past and what better way to do that than have fun with a hunky vacationer. The fact that Nor fell hard for Eugene was also a given. Eugene is great. The guys have good chemistry together, both in bed and out.

I’m usually not a fan of miscommunication in stories, and this time it was more like lack of communication that led to the drama. But that too felt natural, especially when both men actually talked with each other and explained what they had been thinking.

There were a lot of screwball characters in the story, which was odd. It seemed like everyone Nor worked with was a little off. Nor himself was a little strange in his attachment to his ex, a guy who wasn’t that great.

Overall, this was a great story. My complaints are relatively minor and didn’t distract from the story as a whole. The Christmas miracle ending was just the right amount of cute and sappy.

Find the Warmest Wishes anthology review here and the full list of stories here.

5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 1st edition. 42 pages. Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Jared’s been all over the world as a traveling manny with Holiday Helpers, and the itch to put down roots is starting to eclipse his wanderlust—especially since his current family is a handful.

After culinary school, Wes did some wandering of his own, exploring Central America before settling as a resort chef in his mother’s homeland of Costa Rica, a place he loves and where he plans to stay. If he’s learned one thing, it’s to be wary of flings with vacationers. Still, he can’t stand to watch two little Swiss kids lose their belief in Saint Nicholas, so he’ll lend a hand to the manny assisting the family. It won’t be easy to recreate a traditional European Christmas in a tropical paradise.

Between a snowball fight on a sunny beach and sledding down an active volcano, Jared and Wes discover some renewed holiday magic of their own. Can they make it last a lifetime?

A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar

Likes:

• Great characters.
• Interesting setup.
• The kids didn’t overwhelm the story.
• Sweet romance.
• Perfect length.

Dislikes:

• No smut.
• Wes’s physical appearance wasn’t well established.
• We didn’t get to see Wes’s and Jared’s first meeting.

I’ve read books by Bru Baker before and honestly they weren’t as good as this story. Holidays Are Where Your Heart Is is definitely one of the best stories I’ve read in this anthology so far. I have no big complaints about it.

There’s enough information at the beginning to really make Jared a well-rounded character. He’s relatable and fun to read about. So are the kids. I’m always a little wary of kids in romance. They can be annoying, poorly written, or take over the plot. Lia and Lucas were present just enough to help push the plot along and provide lots of reasons for Jared and Wes to be together.

This story didn’t contain any on-page smut, but the tender moments between the men more than made up for it. I was a little disappointed at first that the reader doesn’t get to see Jared and Wes’s first meeting. That also prevented Wes from being physically described in detail. None of those points took away from the story in the end.

The length of this story was perfect. Long enough to round out the characters and have a really nice ending. There have been a lot of stories in this anthology that make me wonder how the characters have gotten to where they are in their lives. This story gave both Wes and Jared enough backstory to answer all the immediate questions.

Find the Warmest Wishes anthology review here and the full list of stories here.

5 out of 5 stars

Kindle Edition. 1st Edition. 24 pages. Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Rival archaeologists Will and Jude slept together a year ago, on the night of the Summer Solstice at a dig in Stonehenge. But they were both wearing masks, so Jude has no idea it was Will he slept with, and Will’s been harboring a powerful, one-sided crush ever since.

Now they’re in Egypt, competing to find the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Jude falls through a crack in the cave floor, and when Will reluctantly climbs down to help him, they find themselves in Nefertiti’s tomb, surrounded by archaeological treasures—where they must spend Christmas stranded by a sandstorm.

Will a few sultry hours stripped almost bare from the heat and sharing a bottle of whiskey sort out who should get credit for the discovery—and the real reason for the tension between them?

A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar

Likes:

• Likeable characters.
• Engaging story.
• Egyptian archaeology.
• Good setup.
• Complete story in such a short page length.

Dislikes:

• White people digging up tombs.
• Will never confessed that the person he’s been pining for is Jude.
• Very coincidental setup.

I was a little hesitant at the beginning of this short just because of how short it is. Not everyone can make good characters, a good story, and romance work in only 24 pages. But I was pleasantly surprised how complete this story is. There’s even a quick sex scene. Even with how ‘coincidental’ the setup is, this story was well worth the five stars.

I loved the Egyptian setting, especially the buried tomb. It was incredibly atmospheric without taking over the story. Of course, I did have to tisk at more white people digging up tombs in foreign countries. There’s a lot of regrettable history and bad blood about foreigners coming in and “discovering” things. But I let that pass. There was no time in the story to get into any of that, and it would have soured the mood.

I loved that Will and Jude had a history. It made the story move so much faster. There was no need for character introductions when Will had been pining for Jude for over a year. I just wish Will had actually told Jude he was the one. Even though they’re clearly together by the end of the story, I wanted that little nugget in there.

Blue Jones is definitely an author worth reading more from if she can make a short story this satisfying. It was a fun, quick read and I honestly wish more of the stories in this anthology had left me feeling so satisfied.

Find the Warmest Wishes anthology review here and the full list of stories here.