Review: Caught! (The Shamwell Tales #1) by J.L. Merrow

The British slang was so much fun.

5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. 276 pages. Published August 19th 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Blurb:

You can run from the past…but the past runs faster.

Behind Robert’s cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He’s taken a job teaching in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn’t part of his plans. But he’s knocked for six—literally—by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils.

Sean works in pest control, rides a motorbike, and lives on a council estate. On the face of it, he shouldn’t have anything in common with Robert’s bow-tie, classic-car style and posh family background. Yet Robert is helpless to resist Sean’s roguish grin, and a rocky, excruciatingly embarrassing start doesn’t keep the sparks between them from flaring.

Despite Robert’s increasingly ludicrous attempts to keep his past where it belongs, his past hasn’t read the memo. And soon his secrets could be the very things that drive Sean away for good…

Warning: Contains the alarming misadventures of a pest control technician, a stepsister with a truly unfortunate name, and a young man who may have more bow ties than sense.

Likes:

  • Everything.
  • The characters. Even the kids.
  • The English slang.
  • Robert was adorkable and Sean was great. Especially the motorcycle and leather jacket.

Dislikes:

  • Wanted more.
  • Wished the situation with Oliver got a more thorough resolution.

This book made me laugh so many times I lost count. Robert was so great, I feel like we’d be best friends if he was real. He was a little awkward and has a unique fashion sense, but he was imminently likeable. So was Sean, especially seeing how much he cared for his nephews.

I will admit that if you don’t like Robert’s adorkable-ness, you won’t like the book. The story is told from Robert’s first person perspective, and the reader is given a front row seat to everything going through his brain. But since I liked Robert a lot, this book was a fun read.

I honestly had a hard time coming up with things I disliked about this book. Normally, even with books I like, there are things about them that I don’t care for. I have no major complaints about this book. I would have liked to see Sean meet Robert’s parents, but that was mentioned only briefly in the epilogue.

The situation with Oliver could have used more resolution. I would have liked to see Oliver set the record straight publicly. That would have been nice both for Robert and also to make Oliver, who I do feel a little bit of sympathy for, a more likeable guy.

As for the things I liked, I have to say the biggest would be the side characters. There were many, including the children, and they all felt very flushed out and believable. Even the characters who didn’t play a big part in the story, like Robert’s childhood friend and his new friend/coworker Rose have such great personalities.

The story does have some misunderstandings between characters, but I didn’t mind them. They fit the story. Especially the last one that almost ended the relationship. It was very believable. Robert had a traumatizing incident in his past that he doesn’t want anyone to know. So when he tries to avoid telling Sean about it, the whole thing blows up in his face. It’s expected, and you could see it coming from a mile away, but it fits with their personalities and the story. Plus, I really liked that Rose told Robert he wasn’t obligated to tell Sean anything he didn’t feel comfortable talking about.

The smut was definitely set on low heat, but that didn’t bother me. I will definitely continue with the series, and I’m glad I picked up this book. It’s my first time reading J.L. Merrow and I’m glad I gave this book a shot!

Note: I used the book cover was on the ebook I read. There is a different cover on Goodreads.

Be sure to check out the review for the other three books in the series – Played!, Out!, and Spun! as well as the series review.

Review: Bankers’ Hours by Wade Kelly

Grant ruined the book for me.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook, 290 pages. Published March 25th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press LLC

Blurb:

Even though bankers’ hours leave long weekends for romance, cosmic intervention is Grant’s only option when money doesn’t buy happiness and he’s got virginity in spades.

Grant Adams is a twenty-six-year-old bank teller who’s unlucky at love, yet hopelessly hopeful. After years of horrific first dates, he’s convinced he’s saving himself for true love. Surely he has bad taste in men because it couldn’t possibly be his persnickety nature that’s sent them packing.

Tristan Carr has been in a holding pattern since his daughter was born fifteen years ago, which suits his workaholic lifestyle just fine. This ex-Navy turned auto mechanic never wanted anyone interfering with being a weekend dad. For Tristan to rearrange his perfectly orchestrated life, a guy will need to be special. Or in the case of the newest employee at his bank, the guy will need to be adorable, shy, and open to the prospect of forever when it shows up at his window. 

Likes:

  • Tristan seemed like a nice guy.
  • Mel seemed like an interesting guy.
  • The plot wasn’t bad.

Dislikes:

  • Grant.

DNF 23%

This book was so not for me. I couldn’t get into Grant’s character from the start. It wasn’t the OCD, or being a virgin, or being socially awkward. I’ve liked characters who had those traits before. Maybe not all of them at once, but none were enough to get me to stop reading. It took me to about 15% to realize why I didn’t like Grant. He has the emotional maturity of a teenager.

As soon as I realized that, it all made sense. And I thought I’d be okay with things now that I’d recognized it. I told myself I’d continue to 30% and then see how things were going. And I gave up at 23%. I just couldn’t. Grant is 26 years old and he obsesses about what to say/ how to act/ what people are thinking about him in the exact same way I was when I was sixteen.

I get that Grant has an (unrealistically) bad dating history and that he had zero self-confidence. He’s also a victim of the ‘I’m awkward and clumsy and those are character flaws’ type of thinking, which I personally hate. But beyond that, there are just some things about him that are meant to add to his awkward virgin personality that are simply not realistic at all.

I’m willing to believe that he’s a virgin who’s never been kissed, but I don’t believe that he has no t-shirts (just work clothes) and he’s never once had anything alcoholic to drink. He talks about going out with friends and travelling to Ireland and around Europe, and he went to college. These might seem like little nitpicky things, but there’s no explanation given for them, which makes them seem like things the author just threw in to make Grant seem even weirder.  

I gave up when Grant started thinking that Tristan might be ‘the one’ after they’d only had one kind-of date. It was just too teenager for me to believe. If Grant had been a seventeen year old with his first boyfriend, and he thought they’d be together forever, it would have been more believable. As it was, I knew I’d only get more annoyed if I continued reading, so I stopped.

It really was a shame too, because I liked the setup and all the characters besides Grant. I think that if Grant had been just a little more mature or even more confident, I would have been fine with the story. That’s why I didn’t give the book a one star like I usually do when I DNF. The book wasn’t bad, per se, it just wasn’t for me.

Review: Smitty’s Sheriff (Hope #3) by Cardeno C.

Good plot and smut.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 117 pages. Published July 17 2017 by The Romance Authors

Blurb:

Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they’re perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love. 

Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd. 

It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation. 

When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof? 

Likes:

  • Plot was good.
  • Todd.
  • Good smut.
  • Second chance romance.

Dislikes:

  • Richard didn’t change enough.
  • Wish the dom/sub aspect of their relationship was explored more.
  • The way Richard though of and treated Todd.
  • Richard’s jealousy.

I think Richard was my biggest complaint about this book. I didn’t hate Richard, more like he really annoyed me because he was the source of most of the problems between him and Todd.

Richard’s point of view came first in the book and it was really obvious that he thought of Todd as this young, flaky, irresponsible guy. And when Todd’s point of view came, none of that was true. Sure, Todd isn’t exactly a go-getter or super focused, but he wasn’t nearly as ditsy as Richard thought he was.

At twenty-four, with elderly parents and having lived in the same town all his life, Todd is basically what I’d expect. He lacks structure and focus in his life and he can’t cook. I liked Todd. He was unpretentious and what you saw was what you got. He was also a natural submissive in that he was eager to please and constantly wanted Richard’s approval.

Richard is the exact opposite of Todd. He’s physically bigger, a born leader, organized, and dominant. He’s also significantly older and not big on talking about his feelings. Those last two things are what gets him into trouble because Richard assumes that he and Todd view sex and relationships the same way, without actually talking about their relationship.

Thankfully, Todd wants to give their relationship another try and actually works towards it instead of assuming they don’t want the same thing like Rich. Todd wants them to be together so bad that he grows and changes for the better. Rich, on the other hand, ends up acknowledging his jealous streak and is finally willing to talk about things a little. Comparatively, Todd went way more than halfway, and Richard’s overall lack of change, personal growth, or self-awareness solidified my dislike of him.

Still, I enjoyed the story. It’s not my favorite in the series, but it was still cute, fluffy, short, and sweet. I’m a fan of second chance romances and this one worked really well. The book was well written and the plot was interesting.

I do think that Todd and Richard were a good couple. They both had things the other needed, and their relationship really felt like a give and take. Richard needed to feel like he was useful, and he needed someone to look after and take care of. Todd needed structure and guidance he could trust. Their relationship has serous dom/sub overtones without any of the kink thrown in.

Be sure to check out the reviews for the second two books in the series – McFarland’s Farm and Jesse’s Diner.

Better People: An Erotic Gay Short Story by May Lacer

My second short story is up on Amazon! Buy it for $2.99 or read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Find it here!

When Evan witnesses a screaming breakup at work, he can’t stop himself from offering the newly single Niko a chocolate bar and some kind words. Especially because the breakup happened when the Niko admitted he was bisexual.

Evan knows it’s wrong for him to think about how hot Niko is, especially right after Niko got dumped. But Niko is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and Evan has been single for months. What can it hurt to talk for a bit as he closes up the store?

When Niko offers to buy Evan a drink as thanks for cheering him up, Evan has a better idea and invites Niko back to his place. He doesn’t think anything will happen between them, especially not with Niko’s breakup still so fresh. Not that Evan would mind being a rebound even though what he really wants is a serious relationship.

At Evan’s apartment, the two men get to know each other better. Niko admits that he feels more comfortable with Evan than he ever did with his ex-girlfriend, because he no longer has to hide the part of himself that likes guys. Evan is flattered, and when Niko makes a move, he willingly accepts. But is sex the only thing between them, or can they be something more?

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

Approximately 9800 words. 33 pages.

How I deal with spoilers

Because I’m using a free wordpress blog, I don’t have access to the fancy plugins that would easily allow me to show/hide my spoilers. I’m not willing to shell out a $300 lump sum just to have one plugin, so I came up with a workaround that will do for now .

All spoilers are written in white text on a white background. So when you see a blank space, that’s where the spoiler is. To read it, just highlight the space to reveal the spoiler. And if you don’t want to read it, just scroll down to keep reading the review. It’s that simple!

Or at least I hope it is. I’m still new to blogging.

Review: Jesse’s Diner (Hope #2) by Cardeno C.

Both men were interesting and their friends to lovers progression was good.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 112 pages. Published September 29th 2015 by The Romance Authors

Blurb:

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.

Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.

Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true. 

Likes:

  • An HIV positive character who doesn’t get hated for his status.
  • The story setup.
  • The friends to lovers progression was believable.
  • The trust everyone put in Tanner.
  • Both men had an interesting past that affected who they were in the present.
  • Tanner beginning to make the diner his own.
  • The story was short, cute, and sweet.

Dislikes:

  • Tanner’s character at times.
  • Some awkward phrasing and word choices.
  • The whole thing at the end about Jesse.

This was actually the first book I ready by Cardeno C even though it’s the second book in the Hope series. I was looking for a friends to lovers novella, and this came up in the search. I liked it during my first reading, but the second time through I definitely liked Tanner’s character less.

The story is told in Tanner’s first person point of view, and while I liked Tanner a lot when he wasn’t around Steve, when they’re together, Tanner’s character gets a little annoying. I think Tanner was supposed to come off as shy and inexperienced in love. For me, his character overshot that and landed on ‘simple.’ He was still likeable, but sometimes it felt like he literally didn’t understand what was going on, in a way that was unbelievable. I get that he’d never dated or even kissed, but it just felt a little over the top.

I really did like the who story setup, though. It was both a friends to lovers and a crush to lovers story. Steve’s character was believable and likable. He seemed to really be thinking about Tanner and treading carefully with their relationship, especially when it came to

Spoiler 1

Would I have liked the story a little more if we got to see both men’s points of view? Yes. Both because I like both points of view when it comes to romance and because then I wouldn’t have gotten so annoyed with Tanner. Would I still have problems with this story? Also yes. It’s cute and quick, just don’t think too deeply about it, or expect anything too deep from it.

The ending of the book, when a big reveal happens, did skew how I saw the romance between Steve and Tanner overall, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Basically,

Spoiler 2

It was weird. On the one hand, maybe it took away some lingering feelings of guilt from Steve and Tanner about getting together. On the other hand, it did raise some awkward questions. Like

Spoiler 3

None of these questions really matter, but the reveal happens right at the end of the book so I can’t help thinking about them.

Overall, I did like this story, and it made me want to read more of Cardeno C’s works. I’ll definitely continue with this series and probably pick up another of Cardeno C’s series in the future.

Be sure to check out the reviews for the second two books in the series –McFarland’s Farm and Smitty’s Sheriff.

Making Time: A Gay Erotic Short Story by May Lacer

My first short story is up on Amazon! Buy it for $2.99 or read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Find it here!

Andrew knows he’d been a crappy husband lately. With Valentine’s Day coming up, he’s been holed up in his jewelry studio for weeks. Bring an independent jeweler means working long hours before every holiday, and Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest. But Andrew doesn’t realize just how distant he’s been until his husband, Ian, has to drag him out of his studio in the middle of the night. 


Andrew feels awful after realizing how lonely Ian’s been without him around. He vows to do better, both for their marriage and for himself. Because the truth is that Ian isn’t the only one who’s missed spending time together. Andrew can’t just ignore his jewelry business, not before such a major holiday, but he’s determined to carve out some time to reconnect with Ian. 


He gets his chance the very next morning, when Ian wakes him up early. Faced with the sight of his husband fresh out of the shower and wearing nothing but a towel, Andrew’s idea of reconnecting takes a turn for the naughty. But a quickie in the morning won’t be enough. When Ian gets home that night, Andrew will have to pull out all the stops to show just how sorry he is for being a workaholic. And he’ll get a reminder of just how good it feels to make time for a little romance. 

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

Approximately 8300 words. 28 pages.

Review: McFarland’s Farm (Hope #1) by Cardeno C.

The story was cute, sweet, and short.

4 out of 5 stars

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, 123 pages. Published September 2014 by The Romance Authors

Blurb:

Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father’s demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father’s money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar. 

Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he’s willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father’s punishment is over.

Likes:

  • Jared.
  • The gradual transition from barely acquaintances to friends to lovers.
  • The smut.
  • The story was cute, sweet, and short.
  • Low angst.

Dislikes:

  • The suddenness of the ‘I love you’.
  • Lucas was unlikeable at first.
  • Ending was abrupt.

For a novella, the relationship in this book had a good progression. Jared and Lucas started off as distant acquaintances. They knew each other – enough for each to have developed a physical attraction to the other – but not well enough to know any of the deeper stuff. And while the majority of the two weeks they were living together happened off page, it was enough to know that they had spent quality time together building a friendship.

            I liked Jared’s character right from the start. He was living what a lot of people would call a simple life, but he liked it. the only thing missing was romance. Lucas on the other hand shows up and immediately starts acting like a spoiled, rich brat. I did warm up to him after reading about what he was going through, and why he thought he father was punishing him. Lucas is still a true spoiled brat, but his ability to change for the better, fit in with Jared’s life, and actually be helpful really won me over.

My big issue with the book was the love bomb. It was so sudden and out of the blue that it stuck out in a bad way. The guys had literally just agreed that they were boyfriends when it happens. The rest of the mini-speech, where Jared asks if Lucas is willing to give their relationship a chance, is really good. I just wish the ‘I love you’ had been an ‘I really like you’ instead.

Overall, I really liked this story. It was a quick read with lots of fluff and some great sex scenes. The ending was a bit abrupt, but that just made me want to read the rest of the series.

Be sure to check out the reviews for the second two books in the series – Jesse’s Diner and Smitty’s Sheriff.

First Post

I’ve been intimidated by the idea of starting a blog for years. In my mind – and personal experience – bloggers are extroverted, high energy, socially knowledgeable people. I am none of those things. My social media presence is lackluster. And the idea that I could spend a lot of time building a blog that no one looks at makes me question the wisdom of starting a blog at all.

But I’m at a point where I’m willing to take a chance. So if you’re reading this first post, thank you. I can’t promise that I’ll be good at blogging, but I’m going to give it a shot. And hopefully, in time, I can create something I’m proud of. Or better yet, something that helps people find great gay romance fiction. After all, that’s the whole point.

~ May

Credit to Rudy van der Veen for the picture. The best way to start out is with sunny blue skies.