Burden by K.C. Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet and soulful. The pairing of these two MC's was inspired.

Randy is a Vice cop who spent over a year undercover working a sex trafficking club. He's lived his life straight as an arrow, but when he spends his days watching Jesse, he's wondering if maybe he's not a straight as he thought.

When Jesse had to testify against Richards, his secret was out. His parents learned that he was earning money for school as a rent boy and cut him off completely. Now, he's got no choice. He needs money for rent and he's had to quit school. But he can't stop lusting after Randy. Straight Randy.

I loved that Randy had his neighbor Owen, the psychologist, in his corner. He worked out so many doubts and was able to truly put himself out there. He was such a great, giving and loving character.

The story just really flowed, with minimal angst and maximum romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can't wait for the next in the series. If you want a sweet, sexy, GFY romance, look no further than Burden.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Forever Lost and Found by T.N. Nova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read quite a few shifter books, but this one gripped me from the start. It was magical.

Aiden never really fit in. His parents let him stay at home after he came out, but they made their disapproval known whenever possible. When he moved out and was on his own, his father made sure he couldn't keep a lease or a job. Then, one night he was driving home and hit someone on the street and it changed his life forever.

Darius is a wolf shifter. He's convinced himself he'll never be in love, which is perfect for him. He lives with his friends, parties at clubs, and doesn't need anyone. Until he meets his mate...

I loved the Peter Pan aura that surrounded this story. Darius and his roommates, together the Lost Boys, consisted of three wolf shifters, a Nephilim and a pixie. They all contributed so much levity and fun to the story as well as support for both MC's.

The relationship between Darius and Aiden felt real and emotional. Packed with heat, the BDSM element was done expertly with open communication and rules, which is always a plus to this reader. I loved the dialogue between them and the ease of affection as their relationship played out.

Highly entertaining, fun and witty. This was a great read and a perfect start to what will most likely be a great series!

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The Doctor's Secret by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely story of two professional men trying to have a relationship in a small town.

Dr. Hong-Wei Wu left Houston, Texas to transition into a position as a general surgeon in a small town in Minnesota. He left behind his family, shying away from the guilt that manifest at letting them down. He was going to start fresh, make something of himself, and finally get his father's approval. But things didn't really go according to plan from the minute he gets off the plane.

Simon Lane, an OR nurse, has no plans to ever leave Copper Point. He's lived there his entire life and his friends stayed and took positions at the local hospital to be with him. Nothing could take that away.... except the new addition.

The hospital hierarchy is a bit muddled. To say the least. The board runs the show. Or does the CEO run the show? Or are they related? Yes, to all. When news of inter-hospital romance will result in the loss of a job, the staff is ever watchful. So, starting something new is a very bad idea.

The flow of the story was perfect. I loved how the relationship grew organically and how so many friends helped hide their affair. It was slow and sweet and wonderful. The supporting characters in this story were so fun and invested.

I think my favorite character was Hong-Wei. He was just so free, yet caged. His burden was heavy, being in the spotlight and new. His family was always on his mind, yet he just wanted Simon so badly. I really felt the need in the writing and he was so sweet and tender.

Awesome story, great feelings, a bit high on the politics for my taste, but I'd recommend the read.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Play It Again by Aidan Wayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise sounding fun and cute and I am a sucker for an MC with a disability. But I just did not love this story, unfortunately.

Dovid has a Youtube show called Don't Look Now and is blind. With the help of his twin sister, he travels and reviews food and spaces and pretty much everything. He's got a huge, loyal fan-base and a pretty good life. When his sister shows him a video of Youtuber Sam playing his video game online, he's immediately drawn to his voice, then to his overall adorable personality.

The story was so very cute, but it didn't stop there. It was adorable and love-able and the back and forth texting between the two MC's was fun and creative. But it went on and on...and on. It took months before anything happened. Months. And while a slow burn is totally worth the wait, this just was missing that element.

One of the characters termed themselves a homoromantic asexual, which was awesome, but there just didn't feel like the loooooong build up to a relationship led anywhere. When they finally were in the same location, there was no apex. I just was hoping for something more...

I did really enjoy how supportive and uplifting Dovid was with everything dealing with Sam. He would have followed him to the moon and camped there if Sam asked and that was the best part of this story. Very sweet.

At the end there was a very, very sweet HEA that added a lot of bonus points for this reader.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Chasing Chance by M.E. Parker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I was totally excited about this book, I have some mixed feelings about how it played out.

Chance and Andy have been best friends since they were just kids. They did everything together, to the point where Chance's parents questioned/warned him about being gay. It just wasn't an option in their home. Andy's parents were glad to see him happy.

But when they were in high school, everything changed and Chance ghosted Andy when he came out. Now, in college, circumstances put them back into each other's lives and they are weathering the storm of feelings that they both have for each other.

I think the jock/nerd trope can be really fun to read when it's done right. To me this was very cliche. I felt like Chance got away with being so closed off and Andy put up with it all. Told from alternating POV's we got in Chance's head and could see how he felt, which helped me not completely hate him, but I just really wanted him to be a little less in the closet at the end of the day.

There wasn't enough here for me to be okay with the relationship the way it was and not feel like it was getting into 'dirty little secret' territory.

The story ended abruptly with a blurb for book 2, which is the continuation of their story as they both go home for Christmas break. I'd have liked a bit more of a warning or some kind of wrap up of this book before just ending it, but that wasn't to be. I'm hoping the next story will give Chance and Andy the relationship they deserve.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Copper Creek by Cate Ashwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

Oh, how I've loved this series. And to finally get a book about Frankie, well... it was perfect.

Frankie Bell is out and proud and high maintenance. His life in New York isn't what he'd been expecting a year ago when his bosses ended up in prison and the company fell apart. Temp jobs have gotten him nowhere and he's better than this. So when Holden asks him to Alaska to plan his wedding, he's got nothing to lose by taking a few months of vacation from his life.

Barrett has lived in Sawyer's Ferry, Alaska his entire life. Everyone knows him and he's got a business that he runs and he doesn't need more than that. When the whirling dervish named Frankie arrives in town, he turns his business AND his heart upside down and shows him that there's more to life than work.

I love that Frankie is a makeup wearing, hip-cocking femme with a love for all things glittery. The best part of him, though, is that he is SMART. He's got a good head on his shoulders, he's reliable, funny, well mannered, and loving. And when he sees something he wants, he goes all in.

Barrett was so giving it touched my soul. He had everything to lose and I loved how much he wanted Frankie. He was the perfect fit.

Cate Ashwood can write romance. She sweeps you up into the moment and you get lost in the feels. It's no longer about the words you read, but the squeeze in your heart. This story had me and didn't let go. Very well done.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Family Camp by Eli Easton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so very adult summer camp in all of the fabulous, sweet, new romance kind of ways. With s'mores!

At 32, Geo has decided to get his life in order. He's fostering two kids, 12 and 5. It's been a month, but he's hoping to adopt them as his own. And he's trying soooooo hard to be the best dad he can. So, why not spend a week together at a family summer camp?

Travis is a MLB player for the Padres. He's one of the 8 adopted foster kids of the Mayhew family and spends a week a year at their family camp. It's a great time to get in touch with his family again and rest a bit during the season. But this year, he's unable to take his eyes off the new dad with his kids.

This was a very fun, cute, light read with all the feels of a new romance. It was fluffy and funny. There were fun family bonding and teaching moments. It was full of campfires and stargazing. Very low angst. High on feels.

This book is the perfect fit for a nice, relaxing sweet story with a bit of steam. Totally recommended.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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