This is a very unique story, though I ended it feeling like something was missing. The friendship turned relationship between Anthony a(view spoiler)[
This is a very unique story, though I ended it feeling like something was missing. The friendship turned relationship between Anthony and Nicholas was sweet. It was sad when they had to say goodbye each year, but that was understandable. I guess I ended it questioning why Anthony would spend forty-three years of his life basically on hold so that he could spend a few minutes with Nicholas on Christmas Eve. Sure, he had relationships in the book (all off-page) but he still literally put everything on hold for Nicholas. I don’t want to reveal any of Nicholas’ secrets, so I won’t say who or what he spends time with or what he does when he’s not with Anthony. I will say that I felt sorry for him more often than not.
The major decision Nicholas has to make is predictable. The reader knows from the very beginning what it will be. And that brings me to another thing that bugged me a little… who would even ask somebody to make that type of decision? And why on earth did Anthony allow things to go on for so long before it got to that point?
Even with what I mentioned above, I did enjoy the book. I liked Anthony well enough. As for Nicholas, I think I felt sorry for him more than anything else. Even so, it was a nice read.
This is a very unique story, though I ended it feeling like something was missing. The friendship turned relationship between Anthony and Nicholas was sweet. It was sad when they had to say goodbye each year, but that was understandable. I guess I ended it questioning why Anthony would spend forty-three years of his life basically on hold so that he could spend a few minutes with Nicholas on Christmas Eve. Sure, he had relationships in the book (all off-page) but he still literally put everything on hold for Nicholas. I don’t want to reveal any of Nicholas’ secrets, so I won’t say who or what he spends time with or what he does when he’s not with Anthony. I will say that I felt sorry for him more often than not.
The major decision Nicholas has to make is predictable. The reader knows from the very beginning what it will be. And that brings me to another thing that bugged me a little… who would even ask somebody to make that type of decision? And why on earth did Anthony allow things to go on for so long before it got to that point?
Even with what I mentioned above, I did enjoy the book. I liked Anthony well enough. As for Nicholas, I think I felt sorry for him more than anything else. Even so, it was a nice read.
I read this is December of 2022. For some reason, I left a lot of my reviews in draft instead of publishing them. I'm catching up now.
This is a good DI read this is December of 2022. For some reason, I left a lot of my reviews in draft instead of publishing them. I'm catching up now.
This is a good Daddy/boy book. I liked all the major characters with the exception of the ones I was supposed to hate (the attorney, Terrence’s handler). I’m really curious about Austin, and would love to see him have his own story if he doesn’t already.
I adored Warner. Terrence was okay for the most part, though a couple of things bugged me a little about him.
I read this is December of 2022. For some reason, I left a lot of my reviews in draft instead of publishing them. I'm catching up now.
The fi3.5 stars.
I read this is December of 2022. For some reason, I left a lot of my reviews in draft instead of publishing them. I'm catching up now.
The first thing I'll say about Daddy's Christmas Elf is that I'd never call it a Daddy/boy book. Grey has Daddy tendencies, and Eli likes to be taken care of, but that's the extent of it.
The story started out good. Eli bolts from a party where he's working (dressed as an elf) because one of the guests gets handsy. Grey, a businessman whose company is putting on the party, tries to catch him, but he takes off before he can. They end up finding each other shortly after. They start a relationship of sorts after Grey offers Eli a place to stay for the night since he's locked out of his own place.
All that was good. They started falling into a nice little relationship, albeit quickly, and I was happy with the story. What had me rating it under 4 stars is something that happens later in the story with Grey's ex-husband.
That's all I'll say about it.
Overall, the story was okay. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it.
Full review - with a few spoilers - can be found at -
(view spoiler)[ I enjoyed this, but there were some things I wish would've been handled/cleared up better.
First, I adored Lucas. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
(view spoiler)[ I enjoyed this, but there were some things I wish would've been handled/cleared up better.
First, I adored Lucas. The poor thing broke my heart. I despised his stepfather just like I was supposed to. My wish there was that the author would've had him 'get his' better than he did. As evil as he was, I would have loved to have seen some justice served on-page.
I liked Jacob - to an extent. I had a very difficult time with the way he jumped into the '28 days' thing with Lucas. I also had a hard time with the constant Ben, Ben, Ben. Don't get me wrong, I totally got that he was mourning his late husband. It was totally understandable. What wasn't, in my opinion, was how long all that lasted in the book. He's in a Daddy/boy relationship with Lucas, albeit temporary. The reader knows it will change to permanent at some point. When it got there? So rushed. Another review said if there ever was a book that needed an epilogue, it's this one, and I definitely agree.
And, honestly, Jacob wasn't really that nice of a guy. Lucas met Daddy Gabriel at the club and had every intention of spending time with him. And why wouldn't he? It's not like Jacob had gone out of his way to show he wanted him. They only started their temporary relationship because Jacob was jealous. I also didn't like how there was no real hesitation or thinking much about the London thing. Jacob had made the decision and that was that. He even officially accepted the position while still up to his ears in the Daddy/boy thing with Lucas.
Another thing that bugged me was Keith, Jacob's brother. Throughout the entire book the reader wonders what had happened to make him and Jacob estranged. When it came out, it was understood. I'd never have spoken to the bastard again either. I also found the Evan thing (Keith's boy) to be very unrealistic considering what caused the estrangement to begin with.
Keith never should've been forgiven.
Overall, a good book. I just had a hard time seeing these two guys together. I ended it almost wishing Lucas would've gotten his HEA with Gabriel, not Jacob.
I adored Bubble right off. I loved his flamboyance and happy attitude. I even liked Coach when I’m usually not a fan of jocks in books, whether they’rI adored Bubble right off. I loved his flamboyance and happy attitude. I even liked Coach when I’m usually not a fan of jocks in books, whether they’re coaching or playing.
I’m all about substantial age gaps, and we have twenty years between these guys.
Overall, even with some annoying busybody secondary characters, this was a really nice Christmas story. I’ve read several of this author’s books this year. She’s becoming an automatic go-to for me.
What a hot little story. I normally avoid books with multiple partners unless it's nothing but erotica. In my experience, a majo4.5 stars, rounded up.
What a hot little story. I normally avoid books with multiple partners unless it's nothing but erotica. In my experience, a majority of the ones with romance have at least one character who has me wanting to throw my Kindle at some point. That wasn't the case with Daddies' Little Helpers. There was no silly jealousy or long and drawn out drama. Once the four guys admitted what they were feeling, everything came together perfectly. Granted, a majority of the book is extremely unrealistic but it doesn't matter. It worked.
I suppose a lot of people would find this taboo because it's two stepfathers falling for their stepsons. If you're one of them, do the author a favor and don't read this book.
I only had one issue with the book but I know it'll be resolved in the next one. I just hope that there's not a lot of unnecessary drama before these guys get their true HEA.
Overall, this is a really good book. From what I understand, it’s the author’s first, so congrats to her. It’s an entertaining read.
This is a super sweet Christmas story. Honestly, it's not much more than pure sappiness.
The story starts with a prologue that takes place ten years pThis is a super sweet Christmas story. Honestly, it's not much more than pure sappiness.
The story starts with a prologue that takes place ten years prior. Even so, once everything gets going in the here and now, it doesn't slow down at all. There's major insta-love, lots of magic, and two very perfect characters. There's a tiny bit of drama but it's handled quickly.
I enjoyed this, but I feel like it would have benefited more by bringing Avery into the 'relationship' earlier in the book. I get that Felix and Zach I enjoyed this, but I feel like it would have benefited more by bringing Avery into the 'relationship' earlier in the book. I get that Felix and Zach were trying to take it slow for reasons mentioned in the story. Even so, I feel that too much time was spent leading up to the main event, so to speak. And when it did happen, it was all rush, rush, with only a few short pages devoted to the three of them together.
I love that there was no weirdness or silly jealousy, and that Zach and Felix had always been on the same page when it came to Avery. I love all the secondary characters, especially Lake, Avery's brother. Lake was a blast.
I like that it's set in Sydney because my best friend and blog partner lives in Australia. It even has Zach eating vegemite on Christmas morning.
I did have a few issues with the story, other than the rush, rush ending.
Avery was silly more often than not when it came to Felix and Zach. He was twenty-five, not five, but he acted like a silly kid early on. I get that he'd always had a major crush on his brother's two best friends, but come on.
Something I've noticed in a lot of the books I've read lately is serious italics overload. I have no problem with a few here and there because the author is trying to stress something, but the amount I'm seeing now is ridiculous. And honestly, it's distracting - like !!!! - which is another annoyance of mine. This had way to many !!!!, making Avery come across as more immature than anything else.
Even so, I enjoyed it. I just wish there would've been more Avery/Zach/Felix time, not all the build up to it. It definitely needed to be longer. ...more
Stopping at 33%. If I keep going, I'm afraid I'll end up royally screwing up the author's good ratings. Maybe I'll come back to it another time but itStopping at 33%. If I keep going, I'm afraid I'll end up royally screwing up the author's good ratings. Maybe I'll come back to it another time but it's doubtful.
(view spoiler)[There are so many italics it's distracting.
Clay was extremely sexist and rude early on. Sexist at his job in Atlanta. Rude in New Hampshire when everybody went out of their way to be kind to him.
The sex scenes weren't overly remarkable. Lots of build-up, a little bit of on-screen fondling, etc., but not much else on-page.
I never felt Clay and Dylan together. There was almost no chemistry, in my opinion. (hide spoiler)]...more
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
Santi and Micah are really sweet together. There wasn’t a 4.5 stars.
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
Santi and Micah are really sweet together. There wasn’t a whole lot of weirdness when they started having feelings for each other. There were a few issues with Micah’s body image, but Santi was right there to let him know he’s perfect just the way he is. There is one pretty major misunderstanding but thankfully it’s cleared up quickly.
All the favorites from the other Chester Falls books are here. It was really nice seeing Wren, Tom, Charlie, Prince Kristof, Indy, Luca, and some of the others again. And while Miss Bubbles (aka Miss Bite-A-Lot) the turtle wasn’t actually in this book, she was mentioned. She was hilarious in How to Catch a Bodyguard.
The only reason this is getting 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because there was some build-up with a group of bullying women that I didn't feel was properly resolved. Otherwise, a great addition to the series.
This was cute story. Harvey and Iggy were good together. It just took a little while for them to figure it out.
The way everything came toge4.5 stars.
This was cute story. Harvey and Iggy were good together. It just took a little while for them to figure it out.
The way everything came together was really sweet. Once they got their acts together, and realized what they both truly wanted, everything worked out beautifully. There’s an epilogue that was so sweet it made this old girl almost cry like a big baby. I’m a sucker for romance. Sean Ashcroft does an excellent job of never failing to bring out my sappy side.
I also found myself cracking up a few times. Poor Seth and his fairy tale wedding. :)
Quickie sex scene from Hardwood. Sweet in the beginning but gets hot quick.Quickie sex scene from Hardwood. Sweet in the beginning but gets hot quick....more
(view spoiler)[After reading the first two in the series, I was really looking forward to Everett’s story. He’s the only so-called straight 2.5 stars.
(view spoiler)[After reading the first two in the series, I was really looking forward to Everett’s story. He’s the only so-called straight guy in the bunch; at least to his friends slash business partners, his daughter, and ex-wife. He’s known for years that he’s gay, but he’s not come out to anybody yet. I understood all that. Each person's coming out story is their own. For some unknown reason, he felt the need to not tell anybody until he sat down with his ex-wife (that would be Val) and told her first.
Uh, why?
Val cheated on Everett during their marriage instead of saying she wanted out. Granted, I could totally understand WHY she’d want out, but she could’ve just divorced him instead of hooking up with a guy (or more) and then asking for a divorce after.
Everett finally gets up the nerve to walk into the one gay bar in town his friends/business partners don’t frequent at least once a week. A cute man speaks to him as he walks in, and talks to him again once he gets up the courage to walk over to the bar and order a drink. This cute man is Watson, who will be Everett’s love interest. They get to know each other a little over time, kiss a few times, and then move on to the sexual stuff. They’re both falling hard and fast but each man is hesitant; Everett because he’s never been with a man before, and Watson because he’s looking for love, not a man who needs to come out of the closet and sow a few oats.
That’s basically the entire book. Everett takes FOREVER to come out to Val, but he does open up to one of his three business partners, Ollie. That was only done out of necessity, I think. I’d get all that if the other two business partners (Cole and Stone) weren’t openly gay themselves.
Most people would kill to have the support system Everett had. Not one of those guys would’ve batted an eyelash at him coming out as gay. Even so, Val had to be told first.
Val, Val, Val.
It got old quick.
And what happens when he does come out to Val? She makes it all about HER. You know, the same woman who was screwing around behind his back while they were married, and who has had several serious relationships since the divorce. God forbid Everett have any kind of life of his own. He also let Val run all over him, though they’d been divorced for years.
That wasn’t even the worst part of the book. The worst part of the book was how Everett treated Watson from the very beginning. He wasn’t just hiding Wats, he was publicly denying him when there was no reason to. I kept thinking, “Run!” to Watson every time Everett hurt him.
I wanted to like this. I really did. But it dragged… and dragged… and dragged… with me thinking Everett was never going to do the right thing by Watson. I think it was around 80% or so before he finally told Val? And even then it was because he’d accidentally sent a text to her. Had that not happened, there’s no telling how much longer it would’ve dragged out.
Watson should've gotten out while he had the chance.
I think it goes without saying that this book is my least favorite of the three I’ve read so far. I had such high hopes because I loved Caulky and Ren and Cole. I didn’t love Nailed, but I didn’t hate it either. I think I would’ve liked Hardwood a whole lot more had it not taken so long for Everett to do the right thing by Watson. (hide spoiler)]...more
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
This was really good. Steele and Porter are as different a4.5 stars.
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
This was really good. Steele and Porter are as different as night and day, but they work together beautifully. I loved them both equally. I especially loved Steele’s growly, possessive side. Because it wasn’t over the top, it was sexy as hell.
Throw in cute bunnies, a rambunctious dog, and some bad-ass guys who are true softies, and you get one hell of a good book.
The only issue I had with it was Gates, Steele's brother. The jury will be out for me until I read his story.
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
First thing I'm going to say is this... leave all reality3.25 stars.
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
First thing I'm going to say is this... leave all reality at the door if you go to read this book. There’s not one thing in this book that’s even remotely realistic. There's true gay-for-you, major insta-love, and some very unrealistic sex scenes throughout (view spoiler)[Orion had never been with a man, never wanted to be with a man, never fantasized about being with a man, yet he had lots and lots of sex with Iason with almost zero prep. And, man, did they both have recovery power. Even in paranormal books I've read, I've never seen two guys able to do it again within minutes like these guys did (hide spoiler)].
I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
If you've not read the others in this series, don't read this book. I read this several months ago, but I'm only now playing catch-up with my reviews.
If you've not read the others in this series, don't read this book. There are over a dozen different points-of-views of various characters from the other books.
This was Rory and Sergei's story but thankfully it was for everybody else as well. Why thankfully? Because I totally despised both Rory and Sergei in the others. Especially Rory. I seriously could not stand the guy.
This is also all about Wren and Tom getting married. They got their HEA in How to Catch a Rival so I admit that I wasn't overly thrilled to see them have drama in How to Catch a Happy Ever After. While it was minor enough, I suppose, there was still that constant wondering of when the next shoe would drop.
One of my biggest pet peeves (*cough* J.R. Ward) is throwing out drama later after a couple has already found their HEA.
Even so, this was good enough. It pretty much tied up most of the loose ends from the previous books.
It's been a nice series. I'm glad I was finally able to finish it.
Full review WITH MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES can be found at -
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