One's face broke into a huge, beautiful grin, and I knew that was it.
I was utterly smitten.
Totally, one hundred percent gone for this strange, winged monster with creepy black eyes
and ghostly, green-tinged skin.
I was utterly smitten.
Totally, one hundred percent gone for this strange, winged monster with creepy black eyes
and ghostly, green-tinged skin.
────── ♔ ──────
The Rycke by Lily Mayne
My Rating - ★★★★★
Standalone - Monstrous #3
Release - August 9, 2021
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / apocalypse
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 5 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 317 pages
Standalone - Monstrous #3
Release - August 9, 2021
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / apocalypse
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 5 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 317 pages
Other books in the series: Soul Eater * Edin
Life as a raider in the Wastes, where monsters roam and the military lurks, is as easy as it sounds.
I’ve been out here for a long time, and the fear that courses through my blood every time I have to step outside our camp walls to scavenge never fades. No matter how many monsters you face—and have to run for your life from—it doesn’t ever get easier.
But when I come across a bound and injured monster in an abandoned military base, I can’t leave him behind. His presence in our camp is causing tension, but I can’t bring myself to care when I get to see a different side to him—when he starts to show me who he is, beneath the pain and lingering trauma.
But despite his gentle nature, I soon discover why others are so desperate to own him. Why the military, and now this stranger lurking outside our camp, want to put him back in chains and take him away from me.
There’s something hiding under his skin. Something that threatens to upend my entire life, the one I’ve spent my years carefully protecting out here.
There’s a reason why all other monsters fear him.
After learning bits and pieces about the rycke, I wasn’t sure how this creature could be captured in a way that would engender feelings of romance. I don’t even know why I doubted his author because she’s delivered everything I could possibly hope for with every book.
Meeting Aury was such a unique experience. Here was this monster, who was supposed to be the one beast that was feared by all other monsters, and he was the kindest, most gentlest soul of them all. The author did such a beautiful job of capturing his vulnerability, even after he had just committed a horrific act. Gosh, Aury crying grabbed me in my freaking soul!
Gage was such a sweetheart. As a real pushover, he didn’t really come into his own until he met Aury. I’m really digging all of these men in this apocalyptic world full on monster-loving the hell out of their new world!
With ‘The Rycke’, we get our first real glimpse of what life is like for humans living in the Wastes. It’s certainly not pretty and I found it downright terrifying. I don’t know how I would survive in similar circumstances and can’t help but marvel at the bravery of these characters.
While I’m not sure what happens next in this series, I do recognize that there are a few people who I need to see again. What happened to the guy Hunter met in the pit? Whatever happened to his best friend Charlie? And will we be finding Rig again?
I must not forget to share the fanart I fell in love with for this book:
Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more.
She enjoys reading and writing (duh), cooking and baking, watching terrible horror movies and many other hobbies that would have potentially made her an ideal Victorian maid. Just a really lazy one.
She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
I’ve been out here for a long time, and the fear that courses through my blood every time I have to step outside our camp walls to scavenge never fades. No matter how many monsters you face—and have to run for your life from—it doesn’t ever get easier.
But when I come across a bound and injured monster in an abandoned military base, I can’t leave him behind. His presence in our camp is causing tension, but I can’t bring myself to care when I get to see a different side to him—when he starts to show me who he is, beneath the pain and lingering trauma.
But despite his gentle nature, I soon discover why others are so desperate to own him. Why the military, and now this stranger lurking outside our camp, want to put him back in chains and take him away from me.
There’s something hiding under his skin. Something that threatens to upend my entire life, the one I’ve spent my years carefully protecting out here.
There’s a reason why all other monsters fear him.
Find The Rycke here: Goodreads * Amazon
My Two Cents
After learning bits and pieces about the rycke, I wasn’t sure how this creature could be captured in a way that would engender feelings of romance. I don’t even know why I doubted his author because she’s delivered everything I could possibly hope for with every book.
Meeting Aury was such a unique experience. Here was this monster, who was supposed to be the one beast that was feared by all other monsters, and he was the kindest, most gentlest soul of them all. The author did such a beautiful job of capturing his vulnerability, even after he had just committed a horrific act. Gosh, Aury crying grabbed me in my freaking soul!
Gage was such a sweetheart. As a real pushover, he didn’t really come into his own until he met Aury. I’m really digging all of these men in this apocalyptic world full on monster-loving the hell out of their new world!
I didn't care what he could become.
I didn't see that monstrous face when I looked at Aury.
This was my sweet, gentle, kind monster.
He was still my Aury.
I didn't see that monstrous face when I looked at Aury.
This was my sweet, gentle, kind monster.
He was still my Aury.
With ‘The Rycke’, we get our first real glimpse of what life is like for humans living in the Wastes. It’s certainly not pretty and I found it downright terrifying. I don’t know how I would survive in similar circumstances and can’t help but marvel at the bravery of these characters.
While I’m not sure what happens next in this series, I do recognize that there are a few people who I need to see again. What happened to the guy Hunter met in the pit? Whatever happened to his best friend Charlie? And will we be finding Rig again?
I must not forget to share the fanart I fell in love with for this book:
Aury by Femkeneri
Everyone I've met (or will meet) by grandmechantlapin
Aury by Femkeneri
Everyone I've met (or will meet) by grandmechantlapin
The Author
Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more.
She enjoys reading and writing (duh), cooking and baking, watching terrible horror movies and many other hobbies that would have potentially made her an ideal Victorian maid. Just a really lazy one.
She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
Find out more here: https://lily-mayne.com
Oh, look at my man go. With a couple of on-point hits, the love of my life manages to disarm the taller dude, grab the sword—
Aaand now there's a head joining the arm in my lap.
Gross.
Aaand now there's a head joining the arm in my lap.
Gross.
────── ♔ ──────
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer by Jennifer Cody
My Rating - ★★★★★
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #1
Release - February 9, 2022
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / instalove
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / one explicit scene near the end, but plenty of filthy talk throughout
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 188 pages
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #1
Release - February 9, 2022
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / instalove
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / one explicit scene near the end, but plenty of filthy talk throughout
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 188 pages
Third time’s the charm, right? At least that’s what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. I’m either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesn’t treat my disability like a nuisance. It’s not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth even if the horse in question is a man so good at killing people that I should probably introspect a bit about why that skews my moral compass and possibly my kinks. But c’mon, competence is sexy, amiright?
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! Romily was a first-class narrator, having me chuckle and giggle when I least expected it, and I’m so grateful to have experienced his voice. This man is hilarious and ridiculous. Over-the-top, sweet, entertaining, and full of heart, I never wanted this story to end!
Romily was a have-not. While I didn’t learn very much about his past, I knew he was homeless. He knew what it was to struggle. And he viewed life just a wee bit differently than the rest of us. When he witnesses a man murdering a bunch of people, he doesn’t run, cower or hide. He becomes enamored. He found the man’s confidence in killing to be a turn-on and bemoaned the fact that they probably wouldn’t meet again. Except they do and the killer is intrigued by the little man-boy who isn’t afraid.
The dynamic between Romily and Fox was amazing. While Romily couldn’t speak (he was mute), these two had so much to say to each other, even without words. When I learned that Romily was mute, I was intensely curious about how the story would work and was pleasantly surprised by how much depth and feeling there was to a man with no voice. Both of these characters were just so incredible and understood each other so well, that I never once felt like something was missing.
With tons of shenanigans and hilarity, this story gave me so much content to love. Knowing that there are more books with these characters, you better believe I’ll be reading them!
NOTE: I also read the companion novella, Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (and Falls in Love), which was a quick peek at Fox's perspective. I loved these two characters even more. Knowing that Fox fell just as hard as Romily at first sight, which I already knew, but reading about it... *chef's kiss*
Jennifer Cody lives in Small Midwestern Town, USA, aka the sticks of Kansas.
She has three kids and a Beardo she loves.
Her sleep schedule is weird, so messages sent at midnight usually get answered relatively promptly.
She reads all kinds of mm romance and urban fantasy, but her favorites are gay-for-you, small-town romances and over the top urban fantasy romances.
Her own writing doesn’t always reflect her reading preferences, but mostly it does. She writes what she wants to read and reads extensively because she’s an addict. To books, obviously. And caffeine because sleep is for other people.
Visit https://www.jennifercodyauthor.com for more information
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.
My Two Cents
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! Romily was a first-class narrator, having me chuckle and giggle when I least expected it, and I’m so grateful to have experienced his voice. This man is hilarious and ridiculous. Over-the-top, sweet, entertaining, and full of heart, I never wanted this story to end!
Romily was a have-not. While I didn’t learn very much about his past, I knew he was homeless. He knew what it was to struggle. And he viewed life just a wee bit differently than the rest of us. When he witnesses a man murdering a bunch of people, he doesn’t run, cower or hide. He becomes enamored. He found the man’s confidence in killing to be a turn-on and bemoaned the fact that they probably wouldn’t meet again. Except they do and the killer is intrigued by the little man-boy who isn’t afraid.
The dynamic between Romily and Fox was amazing. While Romily couldn’t speak (he was mute), these two had so much to say to each other, even without words. When I learned that Romily was mute, I was intensely curious about how the story would work and was pleasantly surprised by how much depth and feeling there was to a man with no voice. Both of these characters were just so incredible and understood each other so well, that I never once felt like something was missing.
With tons of shenanigans and hilarity, this story gave me so much content to love. Knowing that there are more books with these characters, you better believe I’ll be reading them!
NOTE: I also read the companion novella, Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (and Falls in Love), which was a quick peek at Fox's perspective. I loved these two characters even more. Knowing that Fox fell just as hard as Romily at first sight, which I already knew, but reading about it... *chef's kiss*
The Author
Jennifer Cody lives in Small Midwestern Town, USA, aka the sticks of Kansas.She has three kids and a Beardo she loves.
Her sleep schedule is weird, so messages sent at midnight usually get answered relatively promptly.
She reads all kinds of mm romance and urban fantasy, but her favorites are gay-for-you, small-town romances and over the top urban fantasy romances.
Her own writing doesn’t always reflect her reading preferences, but mostly it does. She writes what she wants to read and reads extensively because she’s an addict. To books, obviously. And caffeine because sleep is for other people.
Visit https://www.jennifercodyauthor.com for more information
I've read quite a few books and need to actually get my reviews of them out there, so here are three books that I enjoyed reading. Two of these are from my TBR and one was a recommendation by the lovely Nadine @Nadine's Obsessed with Books. Thanks for that btw.
Ok, here goes...
My Rating - ★★★
Standalone - True North #3
Release - October 25, 2016
Genre - Small Town Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / descriptive with a few scenes
Format - ebook from Amazon
Length - 314 pages
There’s something about tragic characters that makes me immediately love a story… and Lark and Zach were easy to love.
Lark was known as a ‘wild child’, but a trip to make lives better turned into a nightmare. Now traumatized, she’s desperate to put on a happy face for everyone. Fake it ‘til you make it and all that. Zach had been booted from a cult. He was new to life on the outside and had to overcome feelings of inadequacy and his fear of abandonment. Together, they were just barely holding on.
I enjoyed the way the author wrapped these characters with so much feeling. I’m a huge fan of the Shipleys and while I’m unsure if there are books about them (this is the 3rd book in the series after all), I want their stories. They gave Lark and Zach such a great foundation for their relationship. If I’m ever down and out, or just plain sad, I want a family like this one at my back.
My only real complaint was that there wasn’t much going on for most of this book. They woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast, picked apples, sold apples, ate a huge dinner, went to bed, woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast… Lark had nightmares, Zach gave her comfort, they had feelings for each other, had sex a few times, but for the most part, I was a witness to the tedium of their everyday lives.
My Rating - ★★★1/4
Standalone - Mission Mercenaries #1
Release - October 13, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / explicit with several scenes (and some triggers)
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 235 pages
I reached the end of this book and still don’t know what to think. I didn’t like the characters, and yet, they had me hooked! I couldn’t look away from the hot mess they were or the catastrophe they had created out of their lives.
Angel was a mercenary. Once he was full of heart, but being left for dead changed things. It made him harder, colder, less caring. So why did Lauren affect him so much?
Lauren was an FBI agent who was willing to put herself at the heart of true danger to save lives. Little did anyone know… she was desperate to feel used, abused and humiliated. She lived to be trampled on and assaulted. They fed her in ways they would disgust most people. Why did Angel give her everything she could ever need?
If the FBI hires agents like Lauren, I feel sorry for the federal justice system in America. She was all kinds of messed up. She wasn’t stupid, she had resources, but she did nothing to help herself. She made excuses and she frustrated me. And Angel… dude had so much to offer and I often found myself wishing he wouldn’t offer them to Lauren.
Yeah, it’s all messed up. And yet… I’m probably going to read the next book in the series. Go figure :)
My Rating - ★★★1/2
Standalone - Holiday Brothers #1
Release - November 4, 2021
Genre - Small Town Romance / forced proximity / single parent
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 165 pages
This was a sweet, small town, ‘ohmygosh my first crush is back AND he’s hot AND he’s my new boss AND his daughter is precious’ kind of romance. From the wonder that was the Holiday family (like seriously, can I join?) to the easy buildup of what grew between Natalie and Maddox, I was entertained. One, I love when I can actually enjoy a character with my name. I think this is the first time that has happened. Two, Violet… I loved the way she was described and I couldn’t get enough of the relationship that Natalie built with her.
You want a sweet read with a swoony kind of love? You can’t go wrong with this book.
Ok, here goes...
Keepsake by Sarina Bowen
My Rating - ★★★
Standalone - True North #3
Release - October 25, 2016
Genre - Small Town Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / descriptive with a few scenes
Format - ebook from Amazon
Length - 314 pages
There's a first time for everything.
Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.
When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.
Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.
Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.
Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor.
Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.
When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.
Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.
Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.
Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor.
There’s something about tragic characters that makes me immediately love a story… and Lark and Zach were easy to love.
Lark was known as a ‘wild child’, but a trip to make lives better turned into a nightmare. Now traumatized, she’s desperate to put on a happy face for everyone. Fake it ‘til you make it and all that. Zach had been booted from a cult. He was new to life on the outside and had to overcome feelings of inadequacy and his fear of abandonment. Together, they were just barely holding on.
I enjoyed the way the author wrapped these characters with so much feeling. I’m a huge fan of the Shipleys and while I’m unsure if there are books about them (this is the 3rd book in the series after all), I want their stories. They gave Lark and Zach such a great foundation for their relationship. If I’m ever down and out, or just plain sad, I want a family like this one at my back.
My only real complaint was that there wasn’t much going on for most of this book. They woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast, picked apples, sold apples, ate a huge dinner, went to bed, woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast… Lark had nightmares, Zach gave her comfort, they had feelings for each other, had sex a few times, but for the most part, I was a witness to the tedium of their everyday lives.
Lessons Learned by Marie James
My Rating - ★★★1/4
Standalone - Mission Mercenaries #1
Release - October 13, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / explicit with several scenes (and some triggers)
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 235 pages
Despite having a previous connection, I’ve hated Lauren Vos since the day she stepped over my bleeding body and left me for dead.
We were never meant to be. She’s an undercover FBI agent, and I’m a mercenary that goes where the highest bidder takes me.
After seeing each for the first time in years, she thinks we can just pick up where we left off, but the man she once knew died long ago.
What I didn’t know is that the man I became after her betrayal was the man she needed all along.
I feed on her urgency for degradation, but heaven help me, it may be the death of us both.
We were never meant to be. She’s an undercover FBI agent, and I’m a mercenary that goes where the highest bidder takes me.
After seeing each for the first time in years, she thinks we can just pick up where we left off, but the man she once knew died long ago.
What I didn’t know is that the man I became after her betrayal was the man she needed all along.
I feed on her urgency for degradation, but heaven help me, it may be the death of us both.
I reached the end of this book and still don’t know what to think. I didn’t like the characters, and yet, they had me hooked! I couldn’t look away from the hot mess they were or the catastrophe they had created out of their lives.
Angel was a mercenary. Once he was full of heart, but being left for dead changed things. It made him harder, colder, less caring. So why did Lauren affect him so much?
Lauren was an FBI agent who was willing to put herself at the heart of true danger to save lives. Little did anyone know… she was desperate to feel used, abused and humiliated. She lived to be trampled on and assaulted. They fed her in ways they would disgust most people. Why did Angel give her everything she could ever need?
If the FBI hires agents like Lauren, I feel sorry for the federal justice system in America. She was all kinds of messed up. She wasn’t stupid, she had resources, but she did nothing to help herself. She made excuses and she frustrated me. And Angel… dude had so much to offer and I often found myself wishing he wouldn’t offer them to Lauren.
Yeah, it’s all messed up. And yet… I’m probably going to read the next book in the series. Go figure :)
The Naughty, The Nice, and The Nanny by Willa Nash
My Rating - ★★★1/2
Standalone - Holiday Brothers #1
Release - November 4, 2021
Genre - Small Town Romance / forced proximity / single parent
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 165 pages
One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.
Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.
Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.
Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.
Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.
This was a sweet, small town, ‘ohmygosh my first crush is back AND he’s hot AND he’s my new boss AND his daughter is precious’ kind of romance. From the wonder that was the Holiday family (like seriously, can I join?) to the easy buildup of what grew between Natalie and Maddox, I was entertained. One, I love when I can actually enjoy a character with my name. I think this is the first time that has happened. Two, Violet… I loved the way she was described and I couldn’t get enough of the relationship that Natalie built with her.
You want a sweet read with a swoony kind of love? You can’t go wrong with this book.
Why would I want to stay in my lane when everyone else's lane is a whole lot more fun?
────── ♔ ──────
I'll Just Date Myself by Lani Lynn Vale
My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Gator Bait MC #7
Release - June 27, 2023
Genre/Trope - Contemporary romance with suspense elements / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - eARC provided by the author
Length - 300 pages
Standalone - Gator Bait MC #7
Release - June 27, 2023
Genre/Trope - Contemporary romance with suspense elements / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - eARC provided by the author
Length - 300 pages
Other books in the series: Nobody Cares Unless You're Pretty * Good Trouble * Cute But Psycho * Annoyed at First Sight * The Voices Are Back * Special Kind of Twisted
Normally when you say, “I have a stalker,” you think bad thoughts. That wasn’t the kind of stalker Folsom was when it came to Kobe Sano. Folsom liked to call herself a “guardian angel in disguise.”
The first time he catches her attention, he’s been assigned to hunt her down and throw away the key. All she did was steal someone else’s child. Well, embryo, that is. What Kobe doesn’t know, though, is the man that hired him is up to no good, and she has no other choice but to run without looking back.
From that moment on, she spends the rest of her spare time running away from him while also digging into every nook and cranny of his personal life, finding every weakness he has and utilizing it any way she needs to keep herself one step ahead of him.
Only one day, when she goes to do her usual snooping, she finds out that not only is her favorite person in trouble, but he’s also in need of her help.
Too bad it takes her years to find that help.
Her next step is to break him out of the pokey prison-break style.
If she knew he’d go without question, she very well might have.
***
It didn’t take a genius to know when someone was stalking you. The signs were all there, and they eventually pointed right at Folsom.
When he figures it out, he plans to confront her and maybe address the silent sexual tension that’s been brewing between them for the last few years.
However, right when he’s ready to admit to himself that she might be the one—daughter who intimidates the hell out of him or not—she up and disappears for a year.
In that year, he spends every waking moment searching for her.
And eventually he finds her, confronts her, and is hit in the face with the secrets she’s kept from him for years.
One of which is a big one.
The daughter that she protects with everything she has—the one that he’s come to love with all his heart, just like her mom—is the very abducted child from his one and only unsolved case.
Find I'll Just Date Myself here: Goodreads * Amazon
My Two Cents
After being told that I'd be due for a surprise because the main character was given an overhaul, I didn't know what to expect. Would I even like the new and improved Folsom?
Well, let me tell you...
I DID!!
Folsom was sweet, kind and generous. She also had a knack for being all up in your business and you not even knowing it. She'd help you in ways you didn't even know you needed. She would do anything for her daughter and for those she chose to love.
She was also a woman of mystery. While she was very blunt, she wasn't very forthcoming about her circumstances. And I liked it! It gave her character an air of intrigue that kept me guessing. Even at the end of the book, I'm still wondering if I got her full story.
Kobe was a man who I struggled to get to know in the previous books. It seemed like even the men he served time with had a hard time really knowing this guy. But Folsom found a way and I loved how her meddling created an atmosphere in which they could truly connect.
There are hit men, weird contracts, missing persons, and an easy kind of 'oops I felt into it' love.
I'm still a bit broken hearted over what Kobe had to go through to get his happy ending, but it was a sweet ending and I'm so glad these two unknowns found such happiness with each other.
The Author
Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.
Visit https://lanilynnvale.com for more information!
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