Book Reviews

Chasing Forever by Kelly Jensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the This Time Forever series is my second favorite. I enjoyed the characters and the story much more than I did the second book, but not as much as the first.

I was wary about Brian. We meet him in Building Forever, as Simon’s douchey ex. Nothing he does in book one redeems his character or personality. I was glad to get to know him further in book three. Turns out, he’s a decent guy. Likable, even. He has reasons for acting out and portraying a certain reputation. Underneath that carefully crafted persona, he’s a genuinely good person, and I enjoyed getting to know that side of him. The way he cares for his nephew really tugged at my heart strings.

Malcolm is gentle and doesn’t see exactly what he’s worth until Brian comes along. I loved the way Brian pursues him and the way Mal asserts himself. Mal knows what he wants underneath his hesitancy, and Brian adores those glimpses of dominance.

I appreciated this coupling more over Frank and Tom in Renewing Forever, but none can top Simon and Charlie in Building Forever. Overall, I enjoyed this series.

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Love Around the Corner by Sally Malcolm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A return to New Milton pleases me so! I adore the town and residents Malcolm has created here. Alfie is the sweet and sensitive mechanic who loves his audiobooks of the classics. Leo is the standoffish owner of the bookstore. The two unite online over their love of books, but clash spectacularly in person.

Malcolm is a master at conveying her characters’ emotions and feelings. It’s impossible to choose a side when both MCs are lovable, even with all their faults. The internal struggles are relatable in this age of technology and “meeting” people and developing relationships online.

I thoroughly enjoyed the literary references throughout and the adorably sweet book scavenger hunt. Alfie and Leo are the perfect couple, and I love them together.

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Between the Lines by Sally Malcolm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confession time: Characters who start off completely against love and relationships, and then have an epiphany because of the main love interest usually aren’t my cup of tea. I’m cynical and jaded. It takes a lot to convince me one person can completely change someone so drastically. In Between the Lines, Malcolm knocks this trope out of the ballpark. I was rooting for Luca and Theo with every fiber of my being.

If you’ve read Perfect Day by Malcolm, you may remember Luca being very briefly mentioned as the summer lifeguard/surf instructor and son of the owner of the bed and breakfast on the bay. He’s travels all over the country, taking jobs in different states for each season. He’s the anti-relationship, anti-love MC. He’s up for fun and zero attachments. Until…

…dear Theo. Oh, how he stole my heart. I learned a lot about dyspraxia through Malcolm’s portrayal of Theo. He’s sensitive and proud and passionate and trusting, and I just loved him. That’s not to say I didn’t love Luca. I did, just in a different way.

These two were so sweet together when they finally got their heads out of the sand. I adored the grand gesture and the inclusion of “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds, my favorite song by one of my favorite artists.

Without a doubt, I am looking forward to Malcolm’s next offering in the M/M romance genre.

***ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

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Beat of Their Own Drum by K.M. Neuhold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I give the third book in the Replay series 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Things I loved:
– bad boy drummer Jude
– stressed to the max manager Archer
– unresolved mutual attraction
– different characters’ perspectives of the same scenes from the previous two books
– Chuck Palahniuk reference
– the hot, hot sexy times

Things I didn’t care for:
– fairly stoic, kinda arrogant former military Bennett
– the seemingly easy and quick drug rehab
– the weird dynamic between Bennett and Archer

I’m guessing Benji’s book is next. He’s come off as the only band member without drama. No doubt he has some skeletons hidden in his closet.

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When Fate Falls Short by Brooke Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unintentional hurt without the comfort.

Have you ever read a book that started you off with a smile and all those fuzzy, cute feelings just to crush you into a million pieces at the end? That is this book, and I loved it.

Edwards’ words convey emotions so perfectly, I was a snotty, blubbering mess for the last half of the book. I love stories that stray from the conventional formula of two people fall in love, overcome a conflict, and live happily ever after. The reader does get the meet-cute and falling in love part. But real life doesn’t always end on a high note, and When Fate Falls Short drives that point home.

The characters are well written, and it wasn’t hard to sympathize with each one, even on the opposite sides of the conflict. My heart ached for the men and the pain they experienced.

If you’re looking for a story that is going to leave you with that aforementioned fuzzy feeling, this is not it. But I can guarantee this is an excellent read.  For fans of Last Dance with Mary Jane by John Goode and Olive Juice by TJ Klune.

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Renewing Forever by Kelly Jensen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Building Forever, Book 1 was fantastic–one of my favorites of 2018. I adored Simon and Charlie. They make very brief appearances in Renewing Forever and I craved more of them.

I had trouble getting into Frank and Tom’s story. Frank is introduced in Building Forever, and I wanted to get to know him after reading the first of the series. Unfortunately, the build up was a bit of a let down for me. He just wasn’t that interesting. He seemed to have lived a fascinating life as a journalist traveling all over the world and publishing articles in magazine. I wanted to know more about his travels and his career…the people he met, the topics he covered. Jensen barely touches on his last assignment, reporting from the devastation in Puerto Rico, and how that experience made him want more from life. But I just didn’t feel it.

As for Tom, I had much difficulty liking and sympathizing with him. He was weird and awkward, and not in a cute, sweet way. His reason for pushing Frank away so long ago didn’t resonate with me. His actions and reactions rubbed me the wrong way.

Even their relationship as kids/teens didn’t feel right to me, and not because they were from two different social classes.

I really wanted to like this book. Here’s hoping Brian in Book 3 can win me over.

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Less Than Three by Jess Whitecroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

***I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.***

Straight twin playing the part of the gay twin to win over the gay twin’s love interest. Very interesting. When I first started reading Less Than Three I thought, for some reason, the story would be written from Simon’s POV (the gay twin). What a surprise it was (to me, at least) to find it’s written from the Nathan’s POV (the straight twin). A gay romance told from the straight twin’s point of view. Very, very interesting.

Whitecroft could write about any topic–seriously, anything–and I would gobble it up. Stealing Rob’s words regarding Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: “He wanted to be off writing dense historical novels that would bore the pigeon poo off a statue.” Whitecroft could be write such novels, and I could be the pigeon poo…only, I wouldn’t be bored. Not by a long shot.

The previous books I’ve read by Whitecroft were set in the US. This one is set in England, and some of the British references escaped me. I had to Google several of the people mentioned to get an idea of what was being said. But, that’s all on me, being a dense American.

So, the twins. They have two very distinct, individual personalities. Where Simon is as dry as unbuttered toast (“My brother’s love life–as far as I could tell–was a lot like Fifty Shades of Grey: long periods of boredom interspersed with awkward conversations about cheese and Twinings tea bags.”), Nathan is animated and funny. Nathan tells his brother, “I don’t mean to brag, but you’re good looking.”

I loved being in Nathan’s head for a front row seat to his unabashed realization of his feelings for Rob. And Rob was just adorable. I enjoyed their frank conversations about literature and sexuality. When questioned by Rob about his previous gay experiences, Nathan tells him, “One time I did E and it got…oral.”

Holy mackerel, this book is hilarious and sexy and emotional. I give Less Than Three a solid ten.

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The Law of Inertia by S. Gonzales
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

***Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.***

TW/CW: mental illness, suicide, drug and alcohol addiction

This was an emotional read, chocked full of the hard truths of mental illness.

“If only I could be unconscious constantly, I felt life might be bearable.”

It was interesting to read different perspectives of Ash and his actions, including from Ash himself. I began guess the twist a bit before it was revealed, but I wouldn’t say that took away from the story at all.

Ash was written so well as a lost boy, recovering from a suicide attempt while continuing to deal with the depression that led him on this path.

“I can’t remember the last time I went for a week without thinking about dying.”

His conveyed thoughts were easy to identify with as someone who also suffers from depression.

“I have to try so, so hard at every single little thing I do. I get out of bed, and I feel like I’ve run a marathon.”

While I felt Ash was a great character, I had issues with his brother, Elliot, and the adults in his life. Elliot has his own demons, and it seemed like no one–maybe aside from Ash who was not in any position to take care of anyone, in my opinion–wanted to help him. And the adults–the foster parents and one teacher, in particular–seemed to recognize that Ash needed help but didn’t act.

I also had issues with the way Ash dealt with his mental illness. Without giving too much away, I don’t agree that his method was a cure-all.

In short, great mental illness rep and interesting twist, but lacking in responsible authority figures.

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