Review: Forgive and Forget by Charlie Cochet

Forgive and Forget (Dreamspun Desires #7) by Charlie Cochet
Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Goodreads
Novella : 194pgs

3 Pants Off

Blurb: He's hot. He's dangerous. And he can't remember anything.

As the owner of Apple’n Pies, Joe Applin leads a quiet, uneventful life, content to spend his days serving customers who come from all over to eat his delicious homemade pies. Along with his motley crew—Bea, Elsie, and Donnie—Joe couldn’t be happier in his little kingdom of baked goods and java.

Experience has taught Joe that love is overrated—and at times dangerous. He has no intention of repeating past mistakes. But then he meets a mysterious, handsome man with amnesia, and Joe can’t deny something sweet is in the works. He isn’t one to take risks, not with his heart and certainly not with his life, but the more time he spends with the man he knows as Tom, the closer he is to losing both.

Review

In all the years in all the lands this is my first time reading Charlie Cochet and I won’t hold this story against her because I know what to expect when reading the Dreamspun Desires imprint. Forgive and Forget is exactly how I’m feeling when it comes to this story. 

Joe Applin likes his quiet life running his pie shop with his eclectic friends that make up his family. Baking is what he does best and he gets super happy when people get happy eating his pies. While life might not be super exciting, it’s really quite fulfilling. Well things take a turn for the exciting when Joe finds himself caring for a strange beautiful man with amnesia. He has to help the man that he named Tom figure out who he is while keeping his heart in check, because Tom might be married and living a full life somewhere else and when he regains his memories Joe worries about just becoming another memory. 

Seems Tom wasn’t living the white picket fence life and suddenly cops and sketchy dudes are invading Joe’s space. All of Joe's protective instincts are going off and he knows he has to keep Tom safe during the recovery of his memories. Apple n’ Pies just took on more than they can bake. 

Mostly I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I’d hoped. The story is hella cute but the delivery was a let down. There was way too much story packed in here and close to the ending it all started feeling rushed. Joe and Tom lacked spark for me, and the little surprise about their meeting each other was just too cliché. The writing and flow is good so I got through it quite quickly and was never bored. I just wanted more, and overall it all felt very cheesy. 

As I said, this won’t set the tone for me when it comes to reading Charlie Cochet and will check out her other works. In this instance I’m willing to forgive and forget 😈

  

Review: Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga

Trial by Fire (Dreamspun Desires #6) by BA Tortuga
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 228pgs

2.5 Pants Off

Blurb: One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.

Review

SO MUCH GRAVY NOT ENOUGH BISCUITS

In all the years I’ve been reading m/m books and all the years B.A Tortuga has been writing m/m this is my very first time reading the author. If “Trial by Fire” is the usual fare can I honestly say that I haven’t t been missing much or is it a case that I might have been missing all too much. This book had melodrama coming out of its wazoo. Daytime soap opera type shiiiii…. 

Lachlan has been searching for his sister for many years, and when he finally gets a call that she’s been located, but it comes with news that he wasn’t really expecting. His sister has perished in a plane crash along with her husband leaving behind a daughter, a niece he wants to meet and become an uncle to. That means navigating the family his sister married into, one thing is for damn sure he’ll leaving the heart of Texas with his niece.  

What then transpires is drama of epic intents. My head was reeling with the amount of crazy that was going down. This book had the plane crash, a baby-napping for ransom for 10 million dollars (cue Dr Evil finger to the mouth), and straight up all out shooting. All this went down in the first 60% of the book.  

Then there is Lachlan and Holden. Holden being the legal guardian of the little girl and twin brother of the husband to his sister 😒. They be hating each other but they also be loving each other, because nothing brings two people closer together than a kidnapping. It’s a dramatic mess of epic proportions and kept reading for the sole purpose of how much more ridiculous can it get. Turmoil is thrown in from both Lachlan and Holden’s parents who can’t seem to compromise on how the baby should be raised, while also dealing with the budding relationship of love between Holden and Lachlan. Their love is fast like a mustang in the wind.  

Overall, this was a very harlequinesque type read with crazy thrown in for plot device while offering a very mediocre story. There was a lot somethings without any actual answers to most of it. I found the writing alright but I couldn’t take anything seriously, the dialogue was over the top and more comedic than entertaining. Cowboys speak is a hell of thing!! 

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Review Writing Songs
Redbone by Childish Gambino
MIC Drop by BTS, Steve Aoki
DNA by BTS

Review: Taylor Maid by Tara Lain

Taylor Maid (Dreamspun Desires #5) by Tara Lain
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 218pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb: He'll marry the maid to get $50 million but a secret could queer the deal.

Taylor Fitzgerald needs a last-minute bride.

On the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, the billionaire’s son discovers that despite being gay, he must marry a woman before midnight or lose a fifty-million-dollar inheritance. So he hightails it to Las Vegas… where he meets the beautiful maid Ally May.

There’s just one rather significant problem: Ally is actually Alessandro Macias, son of a tough Brazilian hotel magnate. But if Ally keeps pretending to be a girl for a little while longer, is there a chance they might discover this marriage is tailor-made?

Review

Maid To Love You

I do believe this might be my fave book in the Dreamspun series so far. I found it cute as hell, and I love a man that dresses up just because he freaking can. This book had secret riches, a surprise dick, and two young dudes just falling in love. It was adorable!! 

Taylor Fitzgerald is on the cusp of his 25th birthday and looking forward to it because he will inherit 50 million that his grandfather left him. What he didn’t expect was that his inheritance came with a little extra something, he has to be married in order to receive the money. Just one day until his birthday and Taylor has to find a wife fast, only problem is that he’s very much gay and marrying a man won’t do. Taylor needs the money to do some good, so what’s a man to do when he needs a wife? He’ll have to pay someone to fill the role for a bit. 

With a plan to put into action Taylor makes his way to Vegas, but his plans don’t fall through and all he has left is to convince the pretty maid with the beautiful voice to accept his marriage proposal. Ally May is beautiful and Taylor is drawn to her which he can’t quite explain because he’s never been attracted to a woman, when Ally accepts the proposal and they get married everything seems to be falling into place. All that’s left is to convince the lawyers that this marriage is a love match, and to convince his dick that he isn’t attracted to women (his dick ain’t listening). 

Ally is enchanting and Taylor is very much under her spell. She’s beautiful, charming, intelligent, and sexy as hell and she has everyone believing their little charade. Taylor is very much close to getting his 50mil, but Ally’s surprise penis puts a dent in their plans and suddenly the attraction makes total sense. Can Taylor get his money's worth or is the future bleak for him and his wife now turned husband? Well Taylor is willing to go down with the ship and enjoy Ally’s company in the process because a search for a wife gave him the husband he never knew he needed. 

He cocked his head. “Truthfully, I’m a little nervous.” 

“Why?” “Maybe you won’t like me as a boy.” 

“Uh, excuse me, sir. Was that your ass I was just fucking?” 

Seriously, this book was fecking cute. There isn’t anything really plotty, and it’s not great but it is a feel good read. Tailor Made has that kiss the frog turn to a Prince vibe but with a twist (kiss the wife turn to a Prince). Throw in the asshole dad, the ever in your business lawyers, and the neat coming together ending and you have a nice well balanced read. For a moment there I thought they were going to not have the money and I almost cried, that would have upset me so much and I don’t even know why 😭 sometimes you gotta have the money for the kids. 

Overall, a sweet read with a happily ever after. Loved the concept of a man who isn’t afraid to dress up a little (well a whole lot in this case) there was even tucking. Taylor Maid was very sweet!!

Similar Reads: Choices and Changes by K.L Belanger, Dressed to Thrill by Kimberly Gardner 

Review: The Lone Rancher by Andrew Grey

The Lone Rancher (Dreamspun Desires #4) by Andrew Grey 
Dreamspinner Press
Novella: 192pgs

2 Pants Off

Blurb:  He'll do anything to save the ranch, including baring it all.

Aubrey Klein is in real trouble—he needs some fast money to save the family ranch. His solution? A weekend job as a stripper at a club in Dallas. For two shows each Saturday, he is the star as The Lone Rancher.

It leads to at least one unexpected revelation: after a show, Garrett Lamston, an old friend from school, approaches the still-masked Aubrey to see about some extra fun… and Aubrey had no idea Garrett was gay. As the two men dodge their mothers’ attempts to set them up with girls, their friendship deepens, and one thing leads to another.

Aubrey know his life stretching between the ranch and the club is a house of cards. He just hopes he can keep it standing long enough to save the ranch and launch the life—and the love—he really hopes he can have.

Review

The Lone Loser 

Well here I am again with an Andrew Grey book…for the life of me I can’t figure out why his books just don’t work for me. It might be the absolute sweetness, with a mild plot that is easily solved. Something always just doesn’t work for me, and The Lone Rancher just didn’t work for me. 

Aubrey Klein is just trying to make ends meet, for his parents and to save his ranch. His parents' have gotten themselves in a whole lot of debt and with their health declining it's up to him to bring everything back into the green. Ranch stuff alone isn't going to cut it so Aubrey has to take up a side job, and that side job is dancing as The Lone Ranger. Aubrey would rather not be doing this, but he’s damn good at it and the money is well needed. When a chance encounter with a long time friend leads to a realization that he’s not the only one hiding secrets. Some secrets can’t stay hidden for long. 

There’s Garrett and he’s just there. Of course it can’t be a romance without a love interest and Garrett is that love interest but for me he was just there like boring wallpaper. There were inconsistencies with his character, and his personality was like a leaf in the wind. So forgettable I had to go back to check his name. 

I don’t even know what to say apart from none of this worked for me. I didn’t like the dialogue, the overall premise was lukewarm, and the romance just didn’t have a good feel. I wanted to believe it and just couldn’t. The plotty device with Aubrey’s dancing was supposed to be the carry all for the story, but the big deal was made about it just didn’t ring true. Mans was just doing some dancing not running a prostitution ring, it was OTT. 

The family dynamic of the infantilism of their grown ass son and Aubrey just going along with it. Nothing irks me more than that shit, it’s not cute and it really bothered me through the entire book. I can understand the need for a smooth sailing romance, the need for happy and roses, but there’s a fine line between realistic and out of this world unbelievable.  

Overall, this one didn’t do anything for me. For this one I think I’m going to have bring back my SSDB (Same Shit Different Book) though it pains me to do so. That’s my feeling right now, The Lone Ranger was a A Lone Loser for me.

FYI- I cannot stand this cover. Hate it!!

Review: The Stolen Suitor by Eli Easton

The Stolen Suitor (Dreamspun Desires #3) by Eli Easton
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 270pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: His future was set until a thief stole his heart.

All of Clyde’s Corner, Montana, knows local dandy Chris Ramsey will marry Trix Stubben, young widow and heir to the richest ranch in the area. But one woman isn’t too keen on the idea. Mabe Crassen wants to get her hands on that ranch, so she sets her older son to court Trix, and her younger son, Jeremy, to distract Chris and lure him astray.

Jeremy Crassen thinks his mother’s scheme is crazy. But he wants desperately to go off to college, which Mabe will agree to—if he seduces Chris. How will shy, virginal, secretly gay Jeremy attract Chris, who seems determined to do the right thing and marry Trix? Jeremy can’t compete with a rich female widow. Or can he?

Review

A Suitor For Everyone 

The Stolen Suitor, or what I’m dubbing as The stolen story-line. While I enjoyed the writing, and realizing that I like Eli Easton’s style, in no way did this book deliver on what I was expecting. What is it with this series that be giving so an amazing start and then disappointing you towards the end. This one had it all until it didn’t.

Jeremy Crassen had to just listen to his mom tell him about how he’s going to steal Chris Ramsey from the girl he’s dating because she can’t allow him to inherit a ranch. To make matters worse she’s also pulled in his older brother to do some seducing of his own. Jeremy can’t quite comprehend why his mom would have him seduce a guy unless she’s figured out that he’s gay. He’s sure he hadn’t been given off any vibes, he just moves quietly through the town knowing that no one ever sees him. 

One thing is for sure he can’t deny his mom and so he puts himself to the task of seducing Chris Ramsey. Chris Ramsey with his college education, town charm good looks, and the fact that he’s dating and will most likely marry his dead best friends wife (the small town crazy is real). Downside Chris is doing all this dating out of a sense of responsibility, upside Jeremy Crassen has caught his eye and he’s most definitely not married yet.  

Now the story continues with so many POVs of people falling in love it becomes such a chore. But in all honesty, I didn’t completely hate it. I liked Jeremy he was super sweet and shy. I liked Chris with his hometown boy vibe, and together they were adorable. My problem lies with how all this love shit began with a seducing plan, it all began with a lie. In no way does the book even bring that up again, it all gets swept under the rug. I know the whole “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” thing is a good idea, but I didn’t like or appreciate it. 

The writing and the flow was good and I enjoyed it, but there was too much going on and I couldn’t get a feel for the overall story. Who and what this story is about got lost sometime in the middle and this book became everyone’s story. 

Zero conflict mostly apart from that one thing there at the end that was working ok, until another aspect of it makes it way into the storyline. That part wasn’t needed and another overwhelmingly plotty device bites the dust. 

The Stolen Suitor with its excellent writing, turned into a Suitor for everyone and it took away from the story. Seriously, so much shit going down!! 

Review: First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony

First Comes Marriage (Dreamspun Desires #2) by Shira Anthony
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 262pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: Their marriage was supposed to be all business....

When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!

Jesse’s in a pinch: to keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal. In exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?

Review

Then Comes Love 

I love the marriage out of desperation trope or arranged, anything along those lines so First Comes Marriage is already a win on that part. So I’m surprised I don’t love it, I really liked it but it lacked a certain amount of angst that would have made it sensational. I think it would have been glorious if they hated each other in the beginning… 

Chris Valentine, struggling author, living on his best friends couch, and working in a coffee shop. He’s running out of options in both life and with his writing. When a handsome stranger makes him an offer that will literally change his life. He balks at the idea, but a man has got to eat and what’s so bad in marrying a good looking guy with lots of money. At the end of it he’ll walk away a million dollars richer, and maybe his manuscript will finally be done. 

Jesse Donovan, rich ass dude. His company is on the line and he can’t have that. His dead grandfather left a clause in his will that guarantees him the company if he marries. He formulates a plan an in order for it to succeed, he’ll need Chris. The natural order is, first comes love, then comes marriage but for Jesse and Chris marriage is most definitely first. 

What can I say about this book? Things don’t go as planned, what was once a business deal becomes something more. The lines become blurred and feelings take root, and you know you can’t stop the feelings. 

Honestly, I liked the book. I liked Jesse and Chris, they worked together on a nerdy level. With that being said, everything felt formulated. 

• • The business/marriage proposal 
  • The marriage  
  • The questioning if this is the right thing to do 
  • The feelings 
  • The sex 
  • The blow out that causes separation  
  • The reunion 

Overall, I liked this offering from the series. I believe it could have been better if only it was a little shorter and had a tad bit more angst. I understand the idea behind painting a picture but after awhile everything felt like dry wilted lettuce. I believe this was my first ever read by Shira Anthony which surprises me because I own a few of her books. I’m actually interested in seeing what else she has to offer.  

First Comes Marriage was a nice harlequin-y type of book.  

Seriously though, where the hell is my secret baby 😁