Tanya Atkinson

Xavier + Clara = Swoon!

Revisado: 09-28-22

It's been a long wait for Xavier and Clara's story and it did not disappoint. Best friends since kindergarten, they've endured years of questions and assumptions about their relationship. They were one another's confidante, biggest supporter, and best friend, but they never crossed that line... until one night two years ago. Xavier's reaction the morning after led to a two year estrangement, which left them both at a loss and missing one another, but unable to move past it. It's when Xavier's teammate begins pursuing Clara, along with some not-so-gentle nudges from his family, that Xavier realizes that Clara has always been the one. Unfortunately, his epiphany comes just as Clara decides it's finally time to set her feelings aside and move on.

I'm a sucker for the friends to lovers trope (it's one of my favorites), and Piper Rayne did it justice here. It took a lot for Xavier to move past his own fears but once he did, look out. This guy was going to woo his girl! I loved Clara's strength and her sense of self-worth. Her determination to live her own life and dreams and not lose them in the glare of Xavier's fame as a professional football player showed how truly grounded she was. The inclusion of so many of the extended Greene family was icing on the cake.

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Cowboy Romance

Revisado: 09-28-22

Diesel has been in love with Rowen Bishop for as long as he can remember. Unfortunately, she is his best friend's sister and decidedly off-limits. When Rowan returns to the ranch after college graduation she finds herself spending time with Diesel and seeing a side of him she's never known. Just as a relationship is on their horizon, Diesel's past catches up to him and changes everything. For years Rowan and Diesel's relationship had been based on sarcasm and insults, and flirting on Diesel's part. Over time, she came to see that Diesel had always been there for her, always looking out for her. Diesel could be a goofball and something of a man-child, but there was nothing childish about his feelings for Rowan. When Diesel manned up to deal with his past (after some initial denial), it went a long way in showing what kind of man he was.

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Fun Addition to the Series

Revisado: 09-28-22

At just under 100 pages, there was plenty packed into this novella. When most of the Greene siblings head to a Hawaiian vacation, you know it's not all going to go smoothly. There were peeks at each couple (and the kids) which did my heart good. But it was single Chevelle who got the most page time. The ever-present push and pull between she and Cam was on full display while in Hawaii. And Cam making a late-night visit to the kids dressed as the Tooth Fairy was priceless. I know Rayne is saving Cam and Chevelle's story for last, and I'm so ready for it.

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Much Love for Eli Hornsby!

Revisado: 09-28-22

As the social media coordinator for the Vancouver Agitators, Penny is used to interacting with all the players, which includes her brother Pacey. But one player in particular always leaves her awkward and tongue-tied: uber-hot ladies’ man, Eli Hornsby. When she runs into Eli at a bar on his birthday, the last things she expects is an unforgettable one-night stand. And what she expects even less is a positive pregnancy test. Breaking the news to both her brother and Eli at the same time proved to be explosive, especially when Pacey demanded that Eli move in with Penny in order to be there for her and support her every step of the way. As they navigate a new kind of relationship, determined to be friends and co-parent together, they both try to hide their real feelings.

I loved being back in this world, surrounded by the Agitators players. What a great group of guys! Eli was the highlight of the story for me. Despite his hit it and quit it reputation, there was a lot going on underneath the surface. Eli’s back story and his lack of any family connection hurt my heart. Because of that, he considered his teammates his family and he treasured those relationships. When Penny’s pregnancy damaged his close friendship with Pacey, Eli was crushed and determined to make things right, both with Penny and Pacey. Eli was sweet and charming, and he completely uprooted his life to be there for Penny. Even when he got it wrong, his heart was in the right place. It was impossible not to fall a little in love with Eli.

Now on to Penny. *sigh* I cringe saying this, but she almost ruined this for me. As I’ve mentioned before, Quinn’s brand of humor can be hit or miss for me. Sometimes it’s just right and sometimes it’s just… Too Much. And Penny was Too Much. Her quirky babbling went from funny to overly silly to downright annoying. In stressful situations her first instinct was always to cover things up and come up with elaborate stories and utterly ridiculous lies. And maybe it was meant to be quirky and funny, but I just felt like I was stuck in a bad slapstick movie. I get that she was dealing with a life-altering situation, but she often came across as immature and petty, and while pregnancy hormones might make you emotional, I don’t think they make you an absolute lunatic 24/7. The way she would lash out at Eli to cover her real feelings was so immature and hurtful and didn’t do anything to endear her to me.

Had Penny been more mature and less over the top ridiculous, I would have loved this one just as much as the first in the series (Kiss and Don’t Tell). So many of the elements I loved from that one were here: a swoony hero, the amazing friendship between the teammates, their banter and humor. But Penny’s dramatics and antics left me cold. I’m giving this one 4 stars solely for Eli.

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More Greene Family Goodness

Revisado: 09-28-22

Posey was beyond surprised when her former childhood celebrity crush moved to Sunrise Bay. Gavin, who happened to be a friend of Posey's brother-in-law, was walking away from Hollywood and embarking on a new life in the small town. He made no effort to hide his interest in Posey and it was sweet how he invented reasons to see her and spend time with her. And it seemed the interest was mutual... until Posey learned that Gavin was running against her mother in the local mayoral race. Suddenly Gavin went from possible love interest to public enemy #1.

While still enjoyable, My Famous Frenemy was not my favorite in the series. Posey's dislike of Gavin felt unreasonable and her treatment of him was so unfair and hurtful. Posey had always been closest to her mother, and in many ways felt responsible for her happiness. But her actions, which seemed petulant and immature, had me firmly on Team Gavin. When he finally drew the line and said enough, I was happy that he insisted she examine herself and make a choice.

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Give Me More!

Revisado: 09-28-22

When Winnie’s car ends up in a ditch while she’s trekking through Canada, she doesn’t expect help to come in the form of five hot hockey players. But that’s exactly what she gets when she knocks on the cabin door looking for assistance. Pacey, and most of the others, convince Winnie to stay until her car can be towed and, after her initial reservations, she agrees. What ensues is a super fast, super swoony romance between Winnie and Pacey and I was 100% there for it.

There was so much to love here. Winnie was a total sweetheart, still grieving the loss of her mother, and still smarting from the wounds her ex inflicted when he walked away just when she needed him most. Quinn knows how to write a swoony hero and Pacey was a shining example of that. Kind, thoughtful, and funny (not to mention sexy AF), Pacey was the total package. Of course, he was dealing with his own issues – or rather, avoiding his own issues – so that came into play. I really appreciated seeing how their relationship evolved once they left the bubble of the cabin. Add to the mix Pacey’s teammates/friends, and that amped up the humor to laugh-out-loud levels. Each guy had a distinctive personality, and I loved their banter and trash talk. But when it came down to it, they were genuinely there for one another. The conflict with Winnie’s ex/Pacey’s half-brother was handled well without being overly dramatic, which I appreciated.

The only downside for me was Winnie’s friend Katherine. I guess she was meant to be quirky and provide some comic relief, but I have rarely encountered a more annoying character. I swear, I couldn’t figure out why she and Winnie were friends. Thankfully, she was balanced with Winnie’s other BFF, Max, who was solid gold.

The audio performances were so spot-on and done with such feeling and emotion that I was sucked right in and totally invested in every character. Jason Clarke and Vanessa Edwin somehow managed to give each and every character a distinctive voice so I always knew who was talking.

Meghan Quinn is an author who can be hit or miss for me. Sometimes her humor devolves into too silly and over the top for my taste, but everything in Kiss and Don’t Tell struck just the right balance for me. I loved these characters and can’t wait for each of these guys to get their own book.

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Good... but not my Favorite by KFox

Revisado: 09-28-22

I've become quite the Kennedy Fox junkie over the last year or so and have been dipping into their backlist. I might have dipped a little too far with this one. Make Me Forget (formerly Falling for the Bad Boy) is one of their earliest books and I feel like it shows. While I enjoyed the overall story well enough, I never felt super connected like I have with their more recent releases. Ethan's double entendres felt too forced and were used too often. And this is a me thing, but one of my least favorite plot tropes was employed. The one where a main character (usually the female lead) listens to someone else (who obviously has ulterior motives) and trusts their word over their partner's. Why? You have no reason to believe this person, and instead of doing the logical, adult thing like talking to your partner, you take off and end things. Ugh. Not a fan of the whole miscommunication/lack of communication thing. Not when the whole conflict could have solved by one conversation.

Anyway, this was enjoyable enough on audio (thumbs up for Joe Arden) but definitely not my favorite from Kennedy Fox.

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The World of The Others

Revisado: 09-28-22

It’s too bad Anne Bishop can’t write as fast as I can read, because I would happily keep reading about The Others book after book. It’s been three years since the last book in the series (Wild Country), so I was more than ready to dive back into this world that has so thoroughly captured my imagination.

Don’t matter if you caw,
Don’t matter if you shout.
Crowbones will gitcha
If you don’t watch out!

Vicki DeVine has a full house at her inn on Trickster Night. Amid pizza and handing out treats, no one was prepared for who showed up – a human dressed as Crowbones, the Crowgard’s version of the bogeyman. The crows are terrified, the guests are rattled, and the trickster is found dead. This sets into motion a series of events that draws the attention of the Elders – and a Hunter that has its own brand of justice.

I was sucked right into the happenings at Lake Silence and the nearby town of Sproing. Familiar characters from the previous book set at Lake Silence were there, as well as plenty of new faces. And the small cameos from beloved characters at the Lakeside Courtyard made my heart swell and put a huge smile on my face.

The short chapters switched POV between several main characters and kept the story fresh and interesting as events were seen through different eyes. I continue to be fascinated by the Sanguinati (vampires) and was happy to see their presence increased in this entry. Bishop does a great job at balancing tense scenes with lighter moments and I love the humor that often comes from interactions between Vicki and the terra indigene (The Others). Some of my favorite moments included The Five - Elders who have taken an interest in Vicki and the happenings at her inn.

Alexandra Harris, who has voiced all eight books in the series, returns to narrate Crowbones and I enjoyed her familiar voice(s) just as much as I enjoyed returning to the world of The Others. Every single voice is distinctive, and I always knew which character was speaking.

Crowbones was an exciting, entertaining mystery wrapped in an urban fantasy setting and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Fingers crossed that it won’t be another three years until I can return to the World of The Others.

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Single Dad, Age Gap Romance

Revisado: 09-28-22

There were plenty of similarities between Makes Me Yours and Ignite (single dad, age gap romance, hero intent on keeping things casual, heroine having a close relationship with the kids) but even so, that didn't stop me from being totally invested. This grumpy-sunshine romance (because Dex could really be a grump) had me so hooked. Divorced dad Dex was a firefighter who adored his two girls and was so present in their lives. When he moved into a new condo, the girls immediately latched on to their next door neighbor, Winnie. The attraction between Dex and Winnie was instant and when they agreed to a casual fling, well, the sparks were flying!

Naturally, feelings got involved and when things got serious, Dex pulled away and encouraged Winnie to accept a job offer out of state. Again (like in Make Me Yours), I wanted to shake some sense into him, but I did understand. Issues with his father who walked out when he was a child, and the breakdown of his marriage, had left Dex dealing with a lot of self-doubt. Dex's girls, Luna and Hallie, were total stars and provided so much comic relief. Loved them! I admit, I was pretty emotional by the end and Harlow managed to get a few tears out of me.

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Marked Men - 2nd Generation

Revisado: 09-28-22

I loved Crownover’s Marked Men series (and the Saints of Denver spin-off series) and have read/listened to the complete series multiple times. So learning that she was creating a second generation series featuring the offspring of the original characters had me all kinds of excited. The series kick off with Ry (son of Rule and Shaw Archer) and Bowe (daughter of Jet and Ayden Keller). Childhood friends with a complicated history, a brief affair as teens ended badly and they haven’t spoken since. When Ry’s girlfriend breaks up with him, his battered heart leads him back to the one person he needs: Bowe.

Ry and Bowe had an evolution from friends (although ones who totally pushed each other’s buttons) to more, to a period of estrangement, before coming back together and recognizing their connection for what is was: two people who were almost polar opposites but brought out the best in one another. They both struggled with forging their own paths and following their own dreams. This was very much a new adult story with a focus of these characters coming into their own and straddling that line between needing some parental guidance and also breaking away from those expectations and crossing into adulthood.

I have to mention (without any spoilers) a scene toward the end that harkened back to the original Marked Men series (Rome, book #3). It was a tie-in that I never saw coming and completely hit me in the feels. The scene from Rome, in the original series, is one that never fails to make me cry (yes, every single time I listened to it) and has stayed with me over the years. The same held true here in Fortunate Son. As soon as I understood the connection… cue the tears, because they were surely flowing. Kudos to Crownover for that tie-in that was so emotional and so meaningful.

My only quibble with Fortunate Son would be that the ending felt rushed and, for me, wasn’t fully satisfying. I listened to this one on audio, so I didn’t always have a good idea of where I was in the story. And when it ended I thought, “Wait, that was it? That was the end?” While I imagine there will be more of Ry and Bowe in the next book, I was hoping for something a little more from the ending here.

I so enjoyed being back in the Marked Men world and learning that these beloved characters were all still very much in each other’s lives. I will admit that, especially in the beginning, my eyes were crossing trying to keep all the second-gen kids straight – who their parents were, who was related, what their relationships were. All I can say is thank goodness for the family tree Crownover has on her website! I loved Ry and Bowe – and the whole cast of characters – and can’t wait to continue the series.

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