Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted the audio version of this book. I came across this pair of authors when asked to read the Owatonna U Hockey series. THIS series is before that series, and so I know some of what happens here ahead of time. Tennant is the youngest brother of three, and they are all hockey players. Tennant wants to do his own thing, so bucks against what his brothers want him to do and joins the Harrisburg Railers. Jared is one of the coaches to the team and Ten’s big brother’s best friend. Jared also pushes all of Ten’s buttons and is 9 years his senior. Jared can’t touch Ten, can he? For the most part, I did enjoy this book. Like I said, I knew there was a happy ever after and I knew what would happen to Jared’s son, Ryker (book one, Owatonna U Hockey, who is 17 here) so it was more a matter of HOW they got there, rather than if. I liked that Jared made Ten wait, and that boy did struggle in the beginning with that, but once he saw WHY Jared wanted to make him wait, he saw, he really did, the beauty of that. Both Jared and Ten have a say, in the first person. Each voice is distinctive enough to know who is speaking if left mid chapter, but I have something to say about the narration in a little bit. I would have liked more conflict, I think! Ten is in the closet and NO one knows, not even his parents. Coming out to Jared changes things for Jared, cos he thought Ten straight. The conflict I think I wanted was with the team, and the aftermath of his coming out and what that meant to ten and Jared. There is SOME fall out, with the team’s bosses and what they do after, but when Ten was musing over things I was expecting MORE, you know?? Sean Crisden narrates. I have listened to his work a couple of times before, and I think I prefer his work when only a single character has a voice. Here’s why. Doing two voices alternately has to be difficult. Ten is far younger than Jared and has a higher voice that I had no trouble with. Switching then to Jared’s voice, which is low and deep? HIS voice is the one I struggled with. Crisden dips his voice when Jared is thinking, and is emotional, and I struggled, with my dodgy hearing to keep up. I missed some of Jared’s musings because of that. There was also some long drawn out, detailed descriptions of hockey matches and I kinda tuned out at those points. Had I been reading, I would have skipped ahead, but you can’t do that when listening. Sorry, but great details about sports is really not my thing, even if stories about the sports players is. 4 solid stars for the book 3.5 for the narration Rounded up to 4 stars overall **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. Meeting Emi 13 months ago had a profound effect on Spider. Not least because he saved her from her ex. Crossing paths again showed Spider how much he wanted to be with Emi. But Emi has her demons, and her secrets. Can she close the door on her past, and let Spider in? This is book 2 in the Rough Ink series, but it’s not necessary to read Zed, book one, before this one. Zed and Vivi pop up, but not very much. I enjoyed THAT book, though and it gave me a feel for Ms Ellis’ work. THIS book?? I LOVED this book! Spider thinks something is wrong with him, because there are no problems in his life, no skeletons in his closet. Until one day, his world comes crashing down around him and he turns to the newly reacquainted with Emi for support. But Emi is dealing with her world crashing down, and needs Spider for support too. Spider keeps messing up though and I loved the advice Zed gives him, basically throwing his own words back at him. Emi is determined NOT to fall into her previous mistakes, and when Spider messes up, he MESSES up. He does, quite beautifully redeem himself a time a two though! It’s dark though, be warned and readers with triggers for domestic violence will need to be careful. It’s quite violent in places, with Emi’s ex doing his thing and we do get some of that in detail. It’s not overly explicit, but the heat level for Emi and Chris (which is Spider’s real name, and I loved that she kept the two names separate!) is hot off the page! I read this book on one sitting, and I bloody loved it! The bit that wrenched the most emotion from me, though, was NOT Spider and Emi, but that really was heart breaking. No, the bit that had me SOBBING was the epilogue! A certain person has his say, in just that one chapter, and Lord does he have a lot to say! So well played there, Ms Ellis, very well played! 5 gut wrenching, emotional, extremely well written stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book. Alex’s business partner scammed him for the tune of half a million dollars. His friend, Izzy, has the perfect solution. Marry her client, live with said client for 6 months, and get his half million back. Finn’s great aunt is a manipulative woman, but she loves him, she really does. Getting Finn out the house to meet someone new was not going to work while the artist hides himself away following the death of his wife several years ago. Marrying him off seems the perfect idea. When Finn and Alex come face to face at the courthouse, neither is expecting a man, but they go ahead. They can live with each other for 6 months and be done. But what happens when feelings get involved? When things begin to be REAL? I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this start of a new series by Salinger! I LOVED the Nights series and I can see this new series growing on me too. There is immediate attraction to Finn from Alex but while Finn acknowledges, to himself at least, that Alex is gorgeous, it takes time for the attraction to Alex to grow. Loved that it wasn’t immediate obvious to Finn, just what he might be feeling for Alex. It’s not overly explicit, at least to start, but once these guys admit they want each other, and that Finn doesn’t seem to have a problem with that, they are all in! It does get a bit emotional, especially for Finn, when talking about his wife, and then to his great aunt about . . .things . . .and you feel sad for him, that he was never fully honest with himself. That his wife and his aunt saw, though, knocks him. Glad the business partner gets his comeuppence! I LOVED the wider group of friends that Alex comes home to! They are funny and I wonder if the series will evolve around them? I know Carter is next, who pops up here. It didn’t take me long to read the 170 pages its billed as, just over 90 minutes, but it left me feeling that warm and fuzzie feeling I haven’t had from a book in a good long while. So, thank you, Ms Salinger, for setting me up for a busy day at work, feeling that warm and fuzziness all day! I look forward to catching up with these guys should they pop up again in the series. * I hope they do!* OH!!! There is a bit at the back of this book that gives the first chapter to One Night, which is the first in the Nights series. If you haven’t read those books, I STRONGLY recommend you do! I made a new shelf for them, and everything! And of course I read that little bit and then had to go back and read Cam and Gabe’s first book again. And NOW I wanna go back and read the whole damn series again! Be warned though, those books are HOT off the charts! Ah sod it! I wrote 4 stars, then changed it to 5 then back to 4, but here you go! 5 warm and fuzzy, too stinking cute stars! **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gofted my copy of this book. This is book 3 in the 415 Ink series, but you don't NEED to have read books one, Rebel, and two, Savior, before you read this one. You SHOULD though, because it will give you a better picture of this family group and how they work. Plus, they were both 5 star reads. This one?? Not so much. And I cannot figure out why! Well I can, and I'll try to explain in a bit. Oh don't get me wrong, its still a fabulous book, very well written form both Ivo and Ruan's point of view. Its well told, its emotional, its sexy, its a good book! It just doesn't have that sledgehammer to the chest of such heartbreaking emotion that Gus and Mace's story carry. It DOES have deep emotions, especially when Ivo is talking to Ruan about *that* day and how it led him to do what he did and what happened after, but I kept waiting for Ivo to slip back, for *something* to happen to tip him over the edge. Maybe I'm becoming very mean in my old age, and wanting characters to fall apart so badly cannot be a good thing, but thats how I felt here, and I'm all about the book feelings. I loved how Ruan questioned Ivo about his clothes, his image, the way he is, NOT to make him change, but to understand Ivo better. Loved that Ivo gave Ruan the time to process everything. Loved that all the brothers pop up, there is a little bit of overlap to Mace's story. There is also a little bit that gives you Luke and his story. Now, when Ivo was at his tattoo thing, I saw this coming at me, what I did NOT see what how James and Luke knew each other and what happened then. I look forward to reading their story! And Bear? Oh I have a feeling Ms Ford might have saved the best for last. Being the eldest brother in the family looks like he is the last to fall, and I cannot wait for his story! So, I'm sorry Ivo wasn't quite the a**hole I thought he was going to be, given how much trouble he caused Ms Ford, but I did enjoy his and Ruan's tale, I just did not love it like I did Mace and Gus' 4 great, good stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this box set of three books. Because I read these books back to back, as a set, I’m writing one review for the whole bundle, rather than three separate reviews. And let me tell ya, I loved these books! Well, I LOVED books one and three, two didn’t quite hit that spot, but still! These books landed right in my queue when I needed them the most. I read a lot, A LOT, a lot and a huge chunk of those books are male/male romance of some description or other. Now, I’m not picky, I like to think I’m an equal opportunities reader, I will read most pairings so long as the blurb grabs. But it’s been a while since I had such great male/female pairings that were so bloody sexy! There is instant and powerful attraction between Roxi and Sam in book one. Tuck and Ariel pussy foot around each other for the better part of two years before they act on their feelings in book two. Maya and Brent, in book three, had a one night stand some time (but I was never really clear on how long ago that was!) in Hawaii and when Brent finds himself face to face with Maya again, he wants to pick up where they left off. Each book is well written, with both male and female lead having a say. All the characters have very different voices, and tell their stories in the third person. Each book has a Marine or two as the lead, and there are a whole host of other Marines that pop up in each book. There is a huge supporting cast, spread over the three books, with some very interesting people who I want to have a story of their own. Some massive hints? Clues? Teasers, I think is probably the best word, to their stories and I need to know will there be more in this series?? I read tow of these books in one day, and had I not had to up at stoopid o’clock the next morning, I would probably have read all three! First I’ve read of this author, and now I want to read more. Her back list is massive though, and it may take some time to choose! Like I said, book two did not quite hit *that* spot, but I’m still giving the whole set. . . 5 full stars **same worded review will appear elsewhere**