Eli Gaither was a big, rough, mean sumabitch of a man. Solitary by choice, he only attended Gaither family events when he was made to. Still hurting from a painful divorce, he was like an angry bear licking his wounds. Most people, save for his family, avoided him until Oscar Hernandez came into his life, yelling at him and turning his world upside down.

 
Okay, maybe he was plain loco for hitting on the grizzly bear of a man in front of him but

he couldn’t help it. The man was so freaking hot. But Oscar was not about to let this man tell him what to do and how to think. If Eli Gaither thought him a shrinking violet, he had another thing coming. Oscar was used to getting his way, so Eli was in for the ride of his life with the hot blooded Latin man.

 

Review

 

Hmmm.  The writing is rough. We wander deep into the land of the Latin hot tempered stereotype.  The plot veers this way and that. I didn't hate it but I can't recommend it either.

Tatesville was a quiet little town just east of Atlanta, home to the Gaither clan. Emmett Gaither loved his family and his life. It was perfect. Being the only gay son had its challenges but his family stood by him and loved him all the same. He never dreamed that his world would be turned upside side by the new banker in town. The sexy blonde man made Emmett’s blood boil. But he wouldn't be interested in a redneck man like Emmett? Would he?

Alex King had lived a gypsy life. Leaving the northwest, he thought he wanted to live in the bustling city of Atlanta. Still he wasn’t happy, so he jumped on the change to move to a quieter life in Tatesville. He was sure he’d never meet a good guy in the little southerntown. Imagine his surprise when one of his customers wanted to fix him up with her SON! Had he move to the Twilight Zone? If so, he was happy to live there when the customer’s tall, dark and handsome walked into his bank…now what?

 

Review

This romance was going along swimmingly in a nice opposites attract way when it took a turn with really jerky friends. 

Why?

I like it much better as a character driven romance.

Skin Tight Levi’s is a continuation of the story that started with Loving Emmett and it, like the previous one, delivers! Levi’s is a sweet and funny book, which I enjoyed tremendously!

This installment re-introduces us to Levi Gaither, a cousin to Emmett and Bumper, and nephew to Oscar. Like all our Gaither men, he is a redneck who loves antiques and furniture restoration. He’s not as big and brawny as his relatives, but manual labor has been very kind to him. But more importantly he’s a good man, despite growing up in a hell hole, who wants to love and be loved! Don’t we all? On one of his out-of-town drop offs for the store, he meets “china doll” Seth Okuda. Seth briefly made an appearance in one of the earlier books. He owns the Vicks Mansion, and Emily, Levi’s cousin, rents a room from him. Levi’s visit to Emily sets up our pair’s adventures.

At first sight the boys are in lust! Neither is looking but fate brings them together. Doesn’t she always? Seth recently came out of a bad relationship, and Levi has never had any real sexual experiences beyond teenage fumblings. Coupled with his tragic past, getting intimate with another man is a big issue, but Seth is more than willing to help. And does he ever.

There is a subplot of an annoying ghost and Seth’s mother. The ghost is a voyeur and likes to watch Seth and Levi have sex. And Seth’s mother, who is homophobic, doesn’t approve of his lifestyle choice, but he finally gets the courage to tell her off. I love how Mr. Ortiz always shows versions of how families can be, from the Gaither’s unconditional love to Seth’s uncaring and homophobic mother. The ghost gets dealt with, and the ghost hunters are the setup for the next story. I’m excited to see what happens next.

As always, there are great supporting characters. Our beloved boys from Gaither Antiques make a brief appearance. Emily has a greater role in this book. New characters are introduced. Seth’s housekeeper, Gabe, and tenant, Pear, round out the adopted family that Seth creates. They are believable characters that make you want to have them in your life. It just proves that family is not always made by blood.

I am a huge fan of the Love and Salvage series and Skin Tight Levi’s is a great addition. Can’t wait for the next book!

Reviewed by Lana at The Novel Approach

Some of my favorite lines from Eli’s Three Wishes, trust me there were more:

“Stop flirting with him, you burger fag.”

“Men are like shoes, Dad. Some are too tight, some too loose, some just don’t fit, others look good on the shelf, they are ugly when you try them on. You have to try on a few pairs until you get the right fit that looks good on you.”

Need I say more? I loved this book because one minute I was laughing out loud, and the next I was fanning myself! Yes, it was ridiculously funny and hot. What more can you want in a book?



See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2014/02/20/mathew-ortiz-makes-elis-three-wishes-come-true/

I was looking forward to read Love and Salvage: Loving Emmett because I’ve read the Renovating Love series by Mathew Ortiz and found it enjoyable. I was expecting Love and Salvage to be on par. I was totally wrong. I was blown away by Love and Salvage! It was on a completely different level than the previous books. The writing, storytelling and overall feel of the book were so much richer. In fact, I had to re-read the book because I read it before going on vacation and had to refresh my memory. I think I loved it more the second time around.


See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/2014/01/20/mathew-ortiz-brings-luck-and-love-to-love-and-salvage-loving-emmett/