Review: The Men of Hidden Creek Series, Season 1

Series rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Books in order:                                   Books in order of my favorite:

Shelter                                                 Shelter

Shield                                                  Score

Storm                                                  Shield

Stay                                                     Stay

Serve                                                   Storm

Score                                                   Serve

Likes:

  • Lots of different types of characters.
  • Got introduced to new authors I’ll definitely read more of.
  • It was an interesting idea to have different authors write each book.
  • Lots of very accepting side characters.
  • Lots of good story arcs about men finally letting themselves love who they really wanted.

Dislikes:

  • Most of the stories were ‘gay for you’ or men finally owning their sexuality.
  • There was a lot of disconnect between the books.
  • Not like a traditional series.
  • Very little character crossover.
  • Quality was all over the place.
  • Lots of uncertainty about what kind of book would come next, and whether I’d like it or not.
Continue reading “Review: The Men of Hidden Creek Series, Season 1”

Review: Score (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 # 6) by A.E. Wasp

Loved all the characters, even the kids.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 332 pages. Published April 3, 2018

Blurb:

Home is where you make it.
Beau Hopper is good at goodbyes. A minor-league hockey player, he goes where the league tells him. Single and estranged from his family, Beau drifts without connections or commitments. He makes a living, not a life.

Former Marine Connor Casey’s life revolves around his siblings. After Hurricane Harvey took their home and a car-crash claimed their parents, Connor is determined to rebuild their house and their lives.

When Beau learns Connor might lose custody of his siblings if he can’t finish the rebuild in time, he volunteers to help in exchange for a place to stay, and it isn’t long before he finds himself in Connor’s bed. It takes more than passion and plywood to build a home, so when the league comes calling after Beau, Connor can’t ask him to stay… but how can he ever let him go?

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains eye-rolling teenagers, stolen kisses, and fewer noogies than you’d expect.

Likes:

  • All the characters, even the kids.
  • The plot.
  • The romantic tension.
  • The backstory for both Beau and Connor.
  • Mention of hurricane Harvey and the damage it caused.
  • Connor’s relationship with his siblings and how it evolved.

Dislikes:

  • The same bad guy social worker as in Storm.
  • The kids got in the way of the romance a lot.
  • Felt like so much was going on that some things got glossed over.
  • It took me a while to get Beau’s image straight in my mind.

This was exactly the kind of down home story I expected from this series. Two guys who meet by chance and have an instant connection, but neither expects it to turn serious. Add in lots of colorful side characters, hockey, and four kids, and you have a book with a lot going on.

I really sympathized with Connor. His life changed drastically when he became responsible for his four siblings and their damaged house. It would be a lot for anyone, and while Connor was constantly struggling, I think he did an excellent job handling everything. Watching him learn what it meant to be a parent and grow his relationship with his siblings was heartwarming.

When Beau was first mentioned in Storm, it was the blue hair and his van named Lady Gaga that stuck in my memory. And for some reason, I thought of him as being slim and a bit campy. Neither of which was true, the former because he’s a pro hockey player and very muscular. That was just my little hiccup to get over, and in the end I liked how muscular yet sweet he was.

I liked Beau right from the start. He was fun and flirty. When his background was revealed, my opinion of him did go down a bit. He had so many opportunities and he squandered them. But he redeemed himself. It was great seeing how seamlessly he fit himself into the family.

I don’t mind kids in my romance novels, if they’re written well. I thought Benji, Micah, Fiona, and Sean were great characters, each unique and true to their age. Though their constant presence at the house did make physical romance a hard thing to come by.

There was a lot going on in this book, and some of it did get less page time than I would have expected. The work on the house was almost completely glossed over, and the social services worker, who I think was the same one from Storm, was more of a threat hanging over their heads than an actual presence. But of all the random little things thrown into the story, I have to admit I liked seeing not one but two lesbian couples. Gay romance books don’t usually show any of the other LBGTQ+ groups, so it was a nice touch.

This was my first time reading A.E. Wasp and I will definitely read more from her later on. Because yes, I cried, both sad tears and happy ones. I’m a little disappointed to see that she didn’t write anything else for the Hidden Creek series. 

Fooling Around: An Erotic Gay Short Story by May Lacer

My eighth short story is now out! Get it on Amazon for $2.99 or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited. Find it here.

Tyler has been out and proud since he was sixteen. He lost a few friends when he came out, but most, like his childhood friend Corbin, didn’t care. Now that Tyler is eighteen, he’s looking forward to going off to college and finding a serious boyfriend, one he can give his virginity to.

When Tyler learns that Corbin is bisexual and never told him, the revelation sparks an argument. But Corbin has a good reason for not coming out yet. Tyler agrees to forgive Corbin for not telling him, with one condition. He wants a kiss, and not some quick peck on the lips.

The kiss quickly turns into more. Tyler isn’t ready to lose his virginity, but he’s not going to pass up the opportunity to fool around. Especially when Corbin’s muscular body is everything Tyler has ever wanted and more. 

*This short story contains steamy scenes meant for those 18 and up.

This short story is 39 pages long and approximately 9,900 words.

Review: Serve (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 # 5) by Ian O. Lewis

Needs a good editor.

2 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 288 pages. Published April 1, 2018

Blurb:

“No More Secrets Everything Tennis champion Tyler Florman touches turns to gold. Winning is easy, but fame comes with a price. Living in the closet in exchange for riches and honors was second nature, until he met the younger man who conquered his heart. 

Chip Carter has turned a childhood trauma into a career saving lives. As an EMT, he’s never found time for love, but all of that could be about to change when he rescues the famous, older athlete who steals his heart for the very first time. 

Avoiding love is second nature for both men, until they meet that special someone worth fighting for. The odds against Chip and Tyler look insurmountable. But can Tyler leave the safety of the closet, and win Chip’s love at the same time? 

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart know what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains an eccentric blue-haired aunt, a spurned blackmailer, and a whole lot of balls. 

Likes:

  • The acknowledgement that it can be hard for sport figures to come out.

Dislikes:

  • No hook.
  • Needs a good line editor.
  • Neither Chip nor Tyler made he want to know more about them.
  • The prologue was actually a preview of what happens in chapter fourteen.

DNF 20%

This gets a 2 star rating because, while I didn’t get into it, it wasn’t terrible. It just didn’t make me want to read more. I got to chapter six, and the first kiss, and felt nothing. I didn’t care about either character, what they were going through, or where they were headed as a couple. And for me, there’s no point continuing if I don’t care about the characters.

Chip is a twenty year old who constantly has trouble getting to work on time but is an EMT responsible for saving people’s lives. Tyler is a tennis champ who only feels happy right after winning so he doesn’t want to retire despite being miserable. Both of these characters put me off and nothing they said or did made me warm up to them.

None of the side characters caught my attention either. It’s clear that Tyler has some toxic people in his life. As for Aunt Dixie, she’s not believable as a seventy-one year old. If she was in her forties or fifties, sure. It would also make more sense if she was younger, because Chip is only twenty and Dixie is his father’s younger sister.

The whole thing (or at least the part I read, so I’ll assume it applies to the whole book) needs a good line editor. There is massive pronoun confusion, changes in tense, awkward phrasing, and entire blocks of dialogue that you have no idea who is talking until the end. I’ll usually put up with some imperfection from a self-published author, but this was a bit much, and a marked drop in quality from the other books in the series.  Add in random POV shifts, including paragraphs from side characters, despite the chapters being marked as coming from either Tyler or Chip, and it was a choppy read.

My final big complaint was the prologue chapter. It shows a scene where Tyler and Chip are together. Since there’s no context, I assumed it was in the past, and Tyler and Chip had been a couple when they were teens. So I was really confused when they met as adults and thought the other looked familiar but couldn’t remember why. Turns out, the “prologue chapter” is actually a sneak peek of what the two will be getting up to in chapter fourteen. This would have lost the book an automatic star just for the confusion it caused me, even if I had liked the book.

Ian O. Lewis is an author I’ve never read before, and I can’t say this was a good first impression. He has not written any other books for the Hidden Creek series, so I won’t likely be reading his other works any time soon. I have to admit, I was incredibly disappointed with this book. Especially when it’s a series, I try to read everything, even if I end up skimming. I just wasn’t willing to spend my time on something I had to force myself to keep reading. I had enough of that in high school.

Review: Stay (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 # 4) by Avery Ford

Hooked me and kept me engaged.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 236 pages. Published April 1 2018

Blurb:

“If you never try, you’ll never know” Former Navy officer Austin’s career was ended by a plane crash, sending him back to his hometown. When he catches a guy breaking into the apartment opposite, he’s shocked to find it’s his old buddy’s little cousin, all grown up…and stirring feelings that make Austin question his sexuality.

Hale’s always had a crush on Austin, but he came to Hidden Creek looking for three things: love, adventure, and his missing cousin. Austin can’t return his feelings…or can he? Being with a straight guy is a recipe for disaster, but Hale can’t help himself.

Tracking down Hale’s missing cousin may turn out to be the least of their problems. When danger strikes, Austin figures out why he still wants so badly to protect Hale. In Hale, Austin finally sees the light that was missing from his life. 

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains gourmet meals, dangerous liaisons, and plenty of steam. 

Likes:

  • Hale and Austin are both interesting characters.
  • The plot kept me on the edge of my seat.
  • Hot sex scenes.
  • Austin’s acceptance that he needs therapy.

Dislikes:

  • Because the plot is so action driven, there’s not a lot about Hale or Austin’s life outside of finding Michael.
  • Some things weren’t explained well.
  • Some ridiculous parts about the mystery aspect.
  • After the action ended the momentum died off.

This book had me hooked right from the start. Hale develops and instant crush on Austin the moment they meet as teens. It’s a crush doomed to failure, until they run into each other as adults. This book had a ‘finally cool as an adult’ theme that I really enjoyed.

The plot was very amateur sleuth, right up until sh*t got real. It was part mystery, part action, with lots of flirting and, eventually, sex. But some things weren’t explained well, especially at the end. I don’t exactly have questions about what happened, it’s more like I expected to learn more and that didn’t happen.

Spoiler

Hale and Austin’s relationship was fun to watch. It was like Hale had so much magnetism that Austin couldn’t pull himself away even though his brain kept trying to remind him that he was straight. Austin eventually ends up calling himself ‘straight-ish’ which is a bit annoying. Why not just call it what it is and say he’s bi?

I will say that the focus on the action/mystery plot left little time to really get to know the details about Hale and Austin’s lives. I know big things about them, but I didn’t connect to them the way I’ve connected to other characters in this series, like Gabriel and Orion. Maybe it’s because the story takes place over only a couple of days and it’s this crazy whirlwind of activity.

Avery Ford is definitely an author I’ll have to read more from and I’m glad this book introduced me to them.

In Bed Together: An Erotic Gay Short Story by May Lacer

My seventh short story is now out! Get it on Amazon for $2.99 or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited. Find it here.

For months, Max’s relationship with his stepfather, Jeff, has gone downhill. When Max finds out it’s because Jeff has started drinking again, he knows his mom is the only person who can convince Jeff to sober up. But if Max stays at the house, he’ll only be in the way.

The only place Max considers staying is at his best friend’s house. Spencer is the oldest of five siblings, including twin five year old boys with lots of energy. There’s not much extra room in Spencer’s house, or his bedroom, but it doesn’t matter. Because Spencer isn’t just Max’s best friend, he’s also Max’s boyfriend. 

Spencer doesn’t hesitate to invite Max to stay with him. The bed is small for two eighteen year old guys. Luckily, they don’t plan on spending much time asleep. Not when there are other, better things they could do. 

*This short story contains steamy scenes meant for those 18 and up.

This short story is 41 pages long and approximately 11,000 words long.

Acting on Attraction: An Erotic Gay Short Story by May Lacer

Well, I should have put up this post last weekend but it totally slipped my mind and then I kept putting it off during the week. So here it is, my sixth short story!
Get it on Amazon for $2.99 or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited. Find it here.

“I’m sorry to get you involved in family business, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to ask.”

Robbie is touched when Ms. Weston, his former best friend’s mom, comes to him to ask for help. Her younger son, Drew, has grown distant and she doesn’t know what to do.

Robbie owes Ms. Weston for all the times she helped him when he was a kid. She became like a second mother to him, and was one of the first people he came out to when he realized he was bi. Robbie isn’t sure he can help with whatever moody teenage stuff Drew is going through, but he’s determined to try his best.

Much to Robbie’s surprise, Drew has grown up a lot in the two years since they last saw each other. Drew is eighteen now and getting ready to graduate high school. When he admits that he’s gay, Robbie recounts his own story about coming out, including how he lost his best friend, Drew’s older brother Cole. 

Turns out, Cole’s rejection is what’s kept Drew from coming out to his mom. As Robbie and Drew talk openly about their experiences, an attraction blooms. Where before Robbie never saw Drew as anything other than his best friend’s younger brother, now he sees Drew as a man. But should he act on his attraction or keep to their old roles? 

*This short story contains steamy scenes meant for those 18 and up.

This short story is 34 pages and approximately 9,200 words long.

Review: Storm (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 #3) by H.J. Welch

Too many self-esteem issues.

3 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 272 pages. Published April 1 2018

Blurb:

“I can’t do this without you” Chase Williamson was never meant to be a dad. Like it or not, though, he’s now the sole guardian of five-year-old Lyla and terrified of messing it up. He needs help, but who wants to rescue a high school dropout? Certainly not the gorgeous newcomer in town, even if he is an ex-Marine. 

Hunter Duke is looking forward to a small-town life to drive away his demons. Maybe meet a nice girl? Adopting a puppy begins to fill the hole in his heart, but it’s an unlikely friendship with Chase and his daughter that really starts to make Hidden Creek feel like home. 

When social services threaten to take Lyla away, Hunter knows he’ll do anything to prove that this town is wrong about Chase. Could it be that this is the family he was searching for all along? 

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains a three-legged puppy with attitude, a long-awaited comeuppance, and enough kisses to mend any broken heart. 

Likes:

  • Hunter was a good guy.
  • Chase was a good dad.
  • The town is relatively open and welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Puppy.

Dislikes:

  • Chase’s low self-esteem, literal hand wringing, and self-destructive habits.
  • Lyla.
  • No one went into therapy despite obviously needing to.
  • The lack of focus on Chase and Hunter’s lives as a whole.
  • Chase’s past was only mentioned in snippets despite having a huge effect on him.
  • There was no arc when Hunter realized he liked Chase. It was just ‘boom, he’s gay.’
  • Started skimming at 70 %
  • Overall very cliché.
  • Over the top villainous social worker.

I was very hesitant going into this book because I really didn’t like the last book I ready by H.J. Welch, Ashes. But I always try to give authors a second chance because not every book is going to be for me. So I started Storm with an open mind and…it was fine.

I had strong negative feelings about Ashes, so despite giving the books the same rating, I did enjoy Storm better. I was invested in the story, and enjoyed watching Hunter and Chase get to know each other. Unfortunately, once they got together it was all very predictable and I ended up skimming until the end.

Chase is a sympathetic character who suddenly finds himself struggling to deal with a grieving daughter he barely knows. It was nice to watch him gain confidence as a father, and he clearly loved Lyla. I did wonder why he spent so little time with her when they lived in the same town because Chase doesn’t know Lyla’s friends or what her favorite food is.

Unfortunately, Chase has a whole slew of personal problems, including self-esteem so low it’s practically nonexistent. I actually rolled my eyes at him once because he was just being so over the top with how he sucks at everything. Worst of all, in my opinion, is that he never tried to better himself. He didn’t try to get his GED or read parenting books or learn how to cook or anything that would make him feel like less of a screw up, and it’s hard for me to get behind a character like that.

Hunter is the opposite of Chase. He’s a strong, smart, ex-Marine doctor with a new house and an adorable puppy. And he befriends Chase because of intuition. Okay, fine. I liked Hunter’s character, except the part where he

kept ignoring his PTSD and hoping it would go away on its own. He’s a doctor and yet he won’t seek professional help when he needs it? Ugh.

The final two important characters were Lyla and the social worker. The social worker was so obviously evil that he became cartoonish. And Lyla… I usually don’t mind children in my romance novels, but I didn’t care for Lyla. Maybe she was just too young and struggling with the grief of her mom’s death, but a little of her went a long way and she was in the story a lot.

Overall, I feel like this story is held together by threads instead of it being a finely woven tapestry. It was enjoyable when I was reading it but the moment I actually thought about the plot, I noticed all the little things that didn’t quite work.

I don’t know if I’m being overly harsh on the book because I didn’t like Ashes or if Welch is just not the author for me. Maybe a bit of both. I’ll read her third book in season 3 of the Hidden Creek series, but don’t think I’ll read her standalone stuff.

Review: Shield (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 #2) by Max Hawthorn

There’s a lot going on. Maybe too much.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 246 pages. Published April 1 2018.

Blurb:

I never thought we’d get a second chance. Fox Walker is the CIA’s best hacker, but his latest case has him stumped. He comes to Hidden Creek hot on the data trail of a terrorist, but his own past traumas still haunt him, and he can’t forget the sexy Green Beret he met in Syria eight years ago. 

Former Green Beret Axel Ford is now with the FBI, stationed in Hidden Creek and investigating a domestic bombing ring. He works too much, plays too little, and still thinks that he’s straight. So when he bumps into Fox after all these years, he can’t explain why he’s drawn to the geek. 

Fox and Axel must work fast before more lives are lost, but in the heat of the moment everything they thought they’d buried in Syria bursts through into their hearts. Can they stop an international terrorist conspiracy, save this small town, and still find time for their second chance at love? 

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains a sassy nerd, an all-American hero, and some seriously explosive amateur chemistry.

Likes:

  • The strong action/suspense plot elements.
  • Axel and Fox both working to save lives while their romance blooms.
  • Non-judgmental talk about therapy and trauma.
  • Axel and Fox were both interesting characters and I was rooting for them and their romance.
  • Kept me on the edge of my seat.
  • Good sex scenes and non-penetrative sex.
  • Super sweet ending.

Dislikes:

  • Because there’s a lot going on in the book, some things are rushed or left out altogether.
  • I’m not 100% sure of the bad guy’s motivation.
  • The romance simmered along until the action plot ended, then exploded.
  • Axel accepted being attracted to a guy very quickly, with little introspection or journey to accepting that he was bisexual.

Another good book by an author who is new to me. I’m not usually into romantic suspense, and because I just one-clicked this book after finishing Shelter I was surprised that both Axel and Fox worked for governmental law enforcement. The previous two books that I’ve read in this series were both slow paced small town kind of stories. But my surprise didn’t last long and I ended up really enjoying this book.

There was a lot of plot stuffed into this book, and there are two ways to look at that. On the upside, I was on the proverbial edge of my seat the entire time and finished the book quickly. On the downside, I felt like a lot of things were not as fully fleshed out as they could/should have been.

Axel and Fox were both great characters, similar in some ways and different in others, but they worked well as a team and as a couple. Their chemistry was great, despite the insta-lust, which I don’t mind. I was a little disappointed that Axel had no real journey of accepting that he was bisexual. Then again, his character was mostly unflappable, so it did suit him to just roll with it. And the sex between them is both explosive and sweet, with Fox leading the way and showing Axel the ropes.

I will say that it’s strange to find an action/suspense story in the middle of what I assumed would be a series about local boys. But it works. I would definitely be interested in reading more about Axel and Fox, because it feels like they will have many more adventures together in the future.

The supporting characters in this book weren’t as good as in Shelter and without looking at the blurb of the next book in the series I have no idea who the next main characters are, which always annoys me for some reason. Like, I want to know who’s going to be coupled up next so I can keep an eye on them.

I’m looking forward to the next book, and will definitely check out more things written by Max Hawthorn in the future.

Review: Shelter (Men of Hidden Creek Season 1 #1) by E. Davies

Loved the plot.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 221 pages. Kindle Unlimited. Published April 1 2018

Blurb:

“It’s time to stop running away.”

Private security contractor Orion Miele is only back in Hidden Creek long enough to help his Gramma get better. Orion never expected to fall for the only brown-eyed beauty he turned down in high school… one who needs his protection now. Juggling his responsibilities might get messy.

Gabriel Spicer can’t wait to get out of this town and his cousin’s fixed-up shed, far away from his clingy ex. He works at the Mieles’ farm produce stall to save up for the big move to Houston, where his life will get better. But meeting his high school crush all over again throws his careful plans awry.

The walled garden designs Gabriel loves to sketch have nothing on the walls around his heart. While Orion comes to terms with being bi, Gabriel realizes that leaving isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What he needs is shelter… here, in Orion’s arms.

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be read on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains a sweetly scheming grandma, a guy who thinks he’s straight, and a sketchbook full of hopes and dreams. 

Likes:

  • The plot.
  • The characters, especially Cora.
  • The romance that started off with a spark but grew as Gabriel and Orion spent time together.
  • Hidden Creek.
  • Sex without the need for penetration.

Dislikes:

  • Lots of winking.
  • The blowjob right at the beginning threw me a bit.
  • The editing could use work to make the sentences flow better.
  • Some pronoun confusion.

This is my first time reading anything from E. Davies and I will definitely go back and read more from him. My biggest complaints had to do with the editing, and since I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited, that means Davies is an indy author and some editing mistakes are to be expected in my opinion. And it’s not like pro published books are flawless.

I was a little uncertain going into this book because I read the first book of the second series, Ashes, and didn’t like it much. But since Shelter had a different author I went for it. And I’m glad I did. Shelter is the kind of sweet and simple contemporary book I like. Gabriel and Orion have their flaws but they’re great characters. In fact, all of the characters, even the minor ones, feel very realistic. Some, like Gramma Cora, are downright hilarious.

The romance was well done and nicely paced. Orion has to come to terms with being bi, which happens fairly smoothly. The sex scenes are hot and, because this is Orion’s first time with a guy, start off with frotting. It was nice to see, because jumping straight to penetrative sex would have felt rushed.

This book has a nice ‘finally get a chance with a high school crush’ feel, mixed in with a little ‘small hometown isn’t all that bad’ kind of realization for both men.

I liked the subplot with Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend. Not only did it add tension, but it showed how difficult it can sometimes be to get away from an unhealthy romance and how someone who used to be trustworthy could turn dangerous.

I also liked the bit with Gabriel’s cousin. While he isn’t actively homophobic, he also still has negative feelings towards gays. It felt very realistic, especially given that the setting is a small Texas town.

Overall, this book gave me hope that I’ll like the rest of the series and that Ashes was just the exception.